Parking Garage Designs For Urban Areas: Challenges And Opportunities

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Parking Garage Designs For Urban Areas
Challenges And Opportunities
Balancing form and function in an urban parking
garage design is an architectural challenge.
There is a scarcity of parking spaces, and
traffic soars! People have to waste their time
looking to park cars! So, what can one do? One
thing that is clear is that most modern parking
spaces are not efficient and lack structural
organization. We need a parking solution that can
be built under the budget allocated, must be
located within the city, has an eco-friendly
design, and is, lastly, accessible to the
majority.
Challenges With Traditional Parking
Garage Structure

• Limited Space Cities tend to grow at an
  exponential scale, including no. of
• cars, and parking places are rare, making it a
  huge headache for pedestrians, business owners,
  drivers, and city authorities. Not only that,
  there is even less space for building residents,
  tenants, and employees to park their personal

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• vehicles without compromising their vehicles
  security, other parking spaces,
• and other city functions.
• Traffic Congestion As the number of cars seems
  to grow each year, there is insufficient space to
  park. This makes it difficult for urban planners
  to provide enough parking space to visitors and
  locals. For larger cities and metropolis, traffic
  is already a problem. Additionally, insufficient
  parking does not help either. Poorly designed
  parking lot increases traffic congestion as
  drivers have to circle block by block, looking
  for a spot.
• Environmental Impact Parking issues are harder
  to find a spot, lead to fuel wastage, high
  emissions of CO2, and urban pollution. The
  traditional parking spot creates an urban heat
  island, where the surface absorbs re-emits the
  suns heat. In case of flood, it provides easy
  grounds for stormwater runoff. It also increases
  the chances of accidents since drivers, in search
  of a spot, may drive recklessly or cut corners to
  find a place faster.
• Note There are some other issues, like
  maintenance cost, asphalt or concrete
  deterioration over time, and security concerns,
  as open parking lots are more susceptible to
  vandalism and theft.

Opportunities With Metal Parking Garage Building
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• Innovative Technology A metal parking garage
  structure can be built
• vertically, which maximizes the use of limited
  urban space. This allows more vehicles to be
  parked in a smaller area. One can use car lifts
  to stack one car over the other for residential
  use as well. Metal buildings are highly efficient
  in saving energy bills, lowering your land
  footprint, and creating a visual appeal as per
  taste or requirement.
• Sustainable Materials A 100 galvanized steel
  parking space is highly durable and requires less
  maintenance compared to traditional materials.
  They are resistant to everyday wear tear,
  external changing weather, pests, rust, and fire,
  and reduce long-term costs. What makes steel
  parking structures a smart choice is that they
  can be reused endless times without losing their
  strength or durability. Cleaning a metal car
  parking space is also easy. One just needs mild
  soap with warm water.
• Security Environmental Benefits Metal parking
  garage structures can be designed to provide
  better security features, controlled access, and
  a better surveillance system to protect vehicles
  from prying eyes. With metal, you can design
  green roofs, install solar panels, and create an
  efficient drainage system for rainwater
  harvesting. These reduce environmental impact and
  encourage sustainability.
• Additionally, steel buildings are also
  multi-functional in design. One can renovate
  commercial garages for creative uses such as
  community centers,

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restrooms, retail space, or other purposes in the
future. They can also be converted into
government office buildings to serve people in
the future. Case Studies Of Urban Metal Parking
Structure Here are some of the successful parking
garage designs in major cities Sinking Ship,
Seattle Built in 1961, this historic parking lot
is designed like a sunken ship. The external
façade of exposed concrete gives it a raw,
industrial look. City View Garage, Miami
Completed in 2015, this parking garage has a mesh
of modular metal screen perforated aluminum
panels that provide natural ventilation. It has
gradient colors that create a shimmering effect.
Helix Garage, Lexington Constructed in 1966, the
building has layered stainless steel perforated
panels that create a translucent effect. The
design resembles a giant DNA helix that adds
visual appeal during the day, and backlit LEDs
make it alluring during the night.

• Mission Bay Parking Structure, San Francisco
  Completed in 2009, this 7-story
• parking building has north east facades made
  using perforated aluminum panels with the
  pixelated image of Californias redwood forests.
• Future Trends On Steel Parking Structures
• Automated Parking Systems Real-time parking
  availability, with the help of
• sensors and camera detections, can help employees
  inform drivers about

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• available space and avoid unnecessary hovering. A
  video detection system
• can help drivers plan the shortest route, saving
  time fuel.
• Green Infrastructure From being recyclable to
  energy efficient, a steel parking space can
  include a lot of modern amenities that will make
  parking garages more sustainable. One can include
  EV charging stations to promote the use of
  electric vehicles. Roofs and facades of a metal
  parking structure can be equipped with solar
  panels to generate renewable energy, reducing the
  structural carbon footprint.
• Smart Technologies Integration
• A metal parking garage building can easily be
  integrated with a smart detection system, such as
  the beginning of the aisle, parking rows,
  entrances, and exits. A driver can easily
  maneuver with updated information on available
  space. It will help drivers quickly decide if
  they should turn over or find another spot. One
  can add other features for commercial garages
  safety and protection, like proper signage, an
  alarm system, proper lights vents, and an
  emergency response plan.
• Innovative Designs For Urban Parking Challenges
• Smart city plans have been around for a while,
  with sustainable efforts to create living and
  parking spaces that are accessible and affordable
  for people today and in the future. At Viking
  Metal Garages, we understand the importance of
  eco-friendly parking spaces with a low land
  footprint. You, too, can be a part of this smart
  home and garage revolution. Call (704)-741-1587
  to book your steel parking structures today!

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