BRANDED ARCHITECTURE - designing the details

Eighty-two percent of US homes have a two-or more- car garage included, and yet only 15 percent of US residents actually park their cars in them.  According to polls June 2011 from www. ChaCha.com

Finding out what 'keys' your development brand must provide to become successful,  is often a question of psychology rather than practicalities or sometimes even logic. It is your customers' perception which is paramount.
For example, a standard door handle is often fitted at 1000mm (from floor to its centre).  The UK Building Regulations Part M which provides guidelines covering ease of access to and circulation within,  all buildings, together with requirements for facilities for disabled people, requires a handle to be 900-1100mm above the floor level. The United Nations narrows this recommendation to between 900-1000mm above the floor, to enable wheelchair users the most comfort. So as you can see,  these regulations do not allow much room for personalisation and protect us all from designer madness and ensure that our buildings are useable. However, from an architectural branding point of view,  it is also the experience of seeing the door and opening it that matters. As a typical UK door measures 1981cm,  a 1m high handle is therefore slightly above the halfway mark of the door opening.  The overall perception of the door is judged on this positioning,  because a door handle is a familiar 'key' by which any person can gauge size and proportion on.  So despite what we all say,  'size does matter' and an incorrect or inappropriate placement can have a negative reaction. If your developments set out to appeal to an middle-band marketplace budgets will not allow for bespoke joinery however in this instance,  door handles can still be lowered as far as possible (within the allowances of the regulations) to present the 'appearance' of a larger door, and because this is unusual your customers associate this with being more costly which results in an instantly raised opinion of the development and adds to the customers overall impression of the property. Of course,  if you are targeting the high end of the market your budgets will allow an entirely difference approach affording you the opportunity to select non-standard door designs,  bespoke furniture and choose in more detail the ambiance which you wish to evoke. For example:  exaggerated door widths are associated with luxurious contemporary design and are suitable for large open plan floor plates because they can create impact as they are slow to open and will  unveil the room beyond in an almost cinematic fashion. Or you can choose narrow door openings or even double door openings of an exaggerated height, which evoke feelings of classical grandeur and draw the eye vertically upwards making them most successful in properties with increased ceiling heights, another important characteristic to be considered in branded architecture.

Neat trick?  well perhaps , but really it is just an example of understanding how the 'keys' in your development describe 'who you are' and 'who your customers understand that you are'.  Whether you aim at a marketplace with high turnovers and volume customers,  or you are targeting the opposite end of the scale where it is that one elusive client that you seek,  the importance of your brand is the same.  Know your brand and Show your brand - Consistency - from the masterplan to the door handle.

PUDDING CREATIVE offers specialist services for Branded Developments Worldwide:  Blending the unique skills of Architecture & Property Marketing,   we can provide commercially-wise architectural concept designs,  investment marketing packages, architectural branding, sales strategy and fully branded productions. 
For intelligent development solutions:  www.puddingcreative.com