Environmental Design
Like many parkades, 102 Street had duplicate signage and information where it wasn’t needed. It also had a straightforward design and didn’t need any major instructions for vehicles apart from the usual cues for things like entrances, exits, and speed limit.
We focused on updating, consolidating, and removing unnecessary signs to make the system more efficient and direct people to pay stations without overwhelming them with information.
We also updated the pedestrian navigational wayfinding. The existing system didn’t have enough distinction between HSBC Place and City Centre Mall, and exit points tended to lead people to the mall instead of HSBC. This meant that some first-time visitors had trouble getting to the right building.
We solved this by calling out building entrances earlier in the route. Now people don’t get all the way to the lobby before realizing they’re in the wrong place.
The facility was showing its age, so Dream wanted a cool, modern look to enhance the space. The parkade also needed a wow factor to make it stand out from all the other parkades in the downtown core.
The connecting stairwells and elevator lobbies in particular jumped out to us as opportunities to create something visually interesting. Because these areas were heated, they weren’t likely to see a lot of the wear and tear we often find in outdoor parking areas.
We explored visual cues like level indicators in the stairwells and murals in the lobbies. Each mural has both a floor number and an Edmonton-themed image to bring in some local pride.
In our experience, different designs for different types of signs make it easier for visitors to find their way around. Even if someone doesn’t remember that they parked on level three, they’re still likely to remember seeing a photo of the Muttart.
In our experience, different designs for different types of signs make it easier for visitors to find their way around. Even if someone doesn’t remember that they parked on level three, they’re still likely to remember seeing a photo of the Muttart.
Dream had partnered with Impark to implement a new pay-by-plate system. Because this system was being introduced overnight, our installation had to be finished that same night. This meant we started at 6:00pm and finished at 6:00am the next morning.
Even though it was tight, we successfully hit the due date and made sure the transition between systems went smoothly. We’re always punctual, but meeting that deadline was a pretty proud moment for us.