Have you ever thought about a village or a city of your dream? The city will be built according to your plan and design. Everything is possible due to design thinking. The method commonly considered as design thinking is an established and repeatable indicative procedure that can be employed by any business or profession to attain unexpected results. Any type of profession, whether it is medicine, banking, choreography, or even politics can advance by using design thinking and attain better results. Even though the design is most frequently used to describe and explain an object itself or the final result, design in its most efficient appearance is a procedure, action, or process.
This is kind of a protocol for deciding the problems and finding out new possibilities. Applied techniques and tools may be different and their efficiency is debatable but the main aim of this process reminds the same. The issue of design thinking has been developing for many years already and there is the only conclusion that it is the most useful tool and when utilized efficiently it can become a real engine for driving any product or industry forward. “Design thinking is always most effective when it successfully connects strategic planning with the execution of products, services, and communication” (Lockwood 13). Design thinking as usual comprises several stages which are very effective for getting the final result.
This paper is connected with the development of a new Kentucky Urban Village. That is the village for the students of a Kentucky University. There are a lot of ideas that can be applied for creating such a village and in this very case, the design thinking may become very helpful. Needless to say that this action needs many people to be involved, as only a common work of the united team can give the best possible results: “There is an art and a science to designing management that supports integrated work teams and building design strategy. The building of corporate powerhouses depends very much on a professional group’s ability to visualize its core competencies” (Lockwood and Walton 31).
To start developing the idea of the campus or a village of the university it is necessary to say a few words about the campus living ideas of other universities to visualize the image of the camp in general. For example, the University of Pennsylvania offers its students excellent living opportunities. It concerns both, modern conveniences in the houses and different opportunities for spending leisure time. For example, each bedroom of the student house is outfitted with one set of subsequent objects: a very long twin bed, writing table, chair, lamp, and cupboard. Because of some space constraints, any extra fittings are dispirited.
But still, there are some objects which are not provided, they are sheets, cushions, coverlets, towels, soap, ash bucket, hinder, alarm clock, telephone or computer. So, needless to say, that everything is performed for the student’s convenience. The architecture of the campuses, in general, is always designed taking into account the climatic changes and convenience for students and gives the possibility for going in for sports and just making the promenades around the territory of the campus.
Extremes in climate may be a constraint but do not imped
e comfortable campus designs. The collection of praiseworthy courtyards and
patios at the University of Arizona reflects a keen evaluation of summer sun
and shadow and temperature differentials in January and July. At Hofstra
University (New York), those responsible for the arboretum setting (purposely
created to give the campus a singular sense of space) have included definitive
and attractive winter landscapes. Microclimatic considerations do govern
large are campus landscape design concepts as well as the articulation of small-
scale project areas ( Dober 13).
To my mind, all the above-mentioned things should be taken into account while building Kentucky’s urban village as well. This village should be situated downtown to provide students with a calm atmosphere that is appropriate for education. Even though this campus will be situated downtown ( probably in some village not far from the university itself) it should have some state-of-the art facilities which can simplify students life.
All the rooms of this campus should be completely air-conditioned and have a standard size, thus ensuring large surroundings for studying, revelations and exercises. They should have a home-like atmosphere and evoke the desire to study. Moreover, the campus should have a computer laboratory with 24/7 access to the Internet for students to be able to prepare and control their projects if any. “The design of a campus should also lead to an upgrading in housing comfort and to the construction of the state-of-the-art educational, social, cultural and sporting facilities” (Berg and Russo 134).
At present time the living campus of Kentucky University offers the students all the necessary conveniences for studying and other activities connected with students’ life. Every division of campus dorms possesses its stigma, whatever funny it may sound. Thus the dorms of the south campus are evidently for noisy people and offer quick trips to the houses of the south campus (Gregory 57). To my mind, it is a very reasonable arrangement of the dorms, as people who do not like noise and different parties are isolated from it. As for the north campus, it has a status for being the solemn part where the respectful students live.
This campus is closer to the classes so maybe that is the reason why smart students choose this place for living. This is a common thing for several universities. Such arrangement of the campus will be also appropriate for the Kentucky urban village to provide the students with the choice in what campus to live. As for the interior of the campus, it should be decorated according to the latest modern tendencies to create an atmosphere of coziness and home.
So, different people are why there can be a lot of different ideas concerning the building of the campus. To my mind, it should be urban and be situated somewhere downtown far from city noise and vanity. The light, cozy and large dorms of this campus with all the modern facilities will maintain the desire to study.
Works Cited
Berg, Leo van den, Antonio Russo.The Student City: Strategic Planning For Student Communities In Eu Cities (Euricur Series European Institute for Comparative Urban Research). Canada: Ashgate Publishing, 2004.
Dober, Pichard P. Campus Lamdscapes: Function, Forms, Features. New York: Wiley, 2000.
Gregory, Jennifer. Nothern Kentucky University (campus History Series). USA: Arcada Publishing, 2006.
Lockwood, Thomas, Thomas Walton. Building Design Strategy: Using Design to Achieve Key Business Objectives. Kansas City: Allworth Press, 2008.
Lockwood Thomas. Design Thinking: Integrating Innovation, Customer Experience, and Brand Value. Kansas City: Allworth Press, 2009.