HEDERA

Hedera is a reimagined bus stop design that transforms the everyday & mundane bus stop experience into an explorative, novel, and rejuvenating one, increasing and prolonging positive experiences for all users.

timeline: march - may 2020
site: rockefeller hall bus stop, cornell university, ithaca, ny
partners: mia dimaio, abigail auwaerter
programs: adobe photoshop, procreate, miro

prompt to unlock and augment joy for people at bus stops on Cornell campus through positive emotion regulation.

research

Before embarking on the design phase, we began by doing desk research on the public transit system and understanding some of the common characteristics, activities and factors that influence the usage and appearance of bus stops. Some of the common characteristics that bus stops have include a boarding zone, amenities, stop access and roadway design. A few of the common activities that occur at the bus stop include locating the bus stop, accessing shelter, preparing to board the bus, and leaving the bus stop. Through this research, we came to the conclusion that bus stops have 4 core requirements, which we named “The Four S’s”. These requirements include seating, shelter, service information, and safety. By establishing this understanding, we were able to carry it forward through our ideation and design process.

We also aimed to understand who utilizes the public transit system and what behaviors, characteristics, factors, and values influenced the usage of the transit system. Some of the common behaviors that can be observed at bus stops include scrolling through one’s phone, people-watching, listening to music, or some form of keeping to oneself and limiting as much social interaction with others as possible.

Following this research, we wanted to narrow our focus to understand specifically how people utilize the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) System in Ithaca, New York. Utilizing their data, we found that many of the bus routes go through the Cornell campus and the highest instance of transit use was on one of the main campus roads. In terms of ridership, 54% of riders were college students, 22% were college staff and 24% were Ithaca residents that were not affiliated with the institution. We used Miro to consolidate our research findings, which you can view down below.

concepting

Based on preliminary research on the current public transit system at Cornell and the collection of user responses, we brainstormed ways in which we could interpret the benefits and challenges of the transit system and incorporate them into our design intervention. We began to think about ways in which we could change the mundane bus stop into a place that fosters togetherness, curiosity, and liveliness through the creation of a safe and reflective space. From there, we developed the idea of creating a biophilic bus stop that supports and uplifts users through natural and playful elements.

preliminary sketches

Once the idea of a biophilic bus stop design was selected, we used visualization methods such as collaging, creating mood boards, sketching, and to develop the form and function of the design. Shown below are the collages made to determine how we wanted users to interact with the space, showing people exploring and enjoying the natural environment. The collage also contains plants and a color scheme that could be used to develop the interior design of the “greenhouse” bus stop. Once we used these more abstract methods to get a sense of how the space should look and feel, we moved on to sketching to develop the programming of the space further.

programming and form

To gain inspiration on the types of programming and activities that we could incorporate, we looked at several design precedents including greenhouse designs, botanical gardens, children’s gardens, and green interior designs. From looking at these designs, we were able to determine that we wanted to include interactive activities such as a stone tablet that visitors could write on with water and watch disappear, a communal garden, a winding path, and a second floor so that users could visit even if they were not taking a bus anytime soon. The concept was to design a space that challenged the normal behavior of people only staying for a couple of minutes before their bus by encouraging people to either come earlier to experience the interior environment or to come and stay without a wait time.

Along with the enchanting and playful activities we wanted to incorporate into the design, it was also important to make it feasible as a bus stop. The four “S’s”, service, safety, seating, and shelter, determined during the research phase were necessary to include in the final design. For service, signage will be placed throughout and the pathway through the greenhouse could act as a queue where people can line up and the first person in line will have a visual of when the bus arrives. Once the first person moves to get on the bus, the line will naturally move in order to create an organized line that not only ensures order but also frees up space on the sidewalk. Safety will be made through the enclosure acting as protection for individuals and also the inclusion of ample light sources for night travel. Shelter and seating will also be included in the design of the green bus stop. Overall the goal of the design was to create a space that users anticipate coming to while also still maintaining the function of a bus stop.

design solution

A reimagination of the mundane bus stop created Hedera, an interactive and immersive greenhouse as more than just a place for waiting. Hedera, translating to Ivy, aims to be a network of bus stops on Cornell’s campus, a natural escape for students having a stressful student life and even more emotionally taxing commute. Hedera augments the user experience by providing several interaction touchpoints:

1. An immersive shelter. Many bus stops are without shelter, and if they are, involve a small un-enclosed space on the sidewalk. This common problem negates two of the four key bus stop components: shelter and safety. Hedera’s greenhouse structure solves this need, and can be scaled to exist at a single or double-storied level. This structure creates a space for students and faculty alike to engage, relax, and interact with a more natural and soothing environment.

2. Seating and community gathering space. Seating is the third of the four key components. But although most bus stops that have shelter offer some form of seating, Hedera moves beyond this. In providing spaces for people to congregate, Hedera increases user place attachment. In response to the initial design evaluation, this spatial program increases users’ desire to spend time at the bus stop. This makes Hedera greenhouses more than a place for waiting, expanding the programmatic and functional use of bus stops.

3. Provision of service information. Hedera greenhouses fulfill this need in two ways: through digital displays and physical visibility. Physical visibility is offered through the glass structure. Hedera also partners with TCAT and other data services to collate real-time information for users on upcoming bus times. This allows users to spend time in the greenhouses without stressing about their bus time.

4. Engaging repeated visitors and long-term use. This is through an interactive double-story plant wall, where users can take care of a plant and ask their community to also engage in this care-taking. This rewards users for visiting the bus stops and also allows students the opportunity to engage in relaxing and rejuvenating activities on a campus that is otherwise over engaged in work. Hedera ultimately combines meeting the needs for a bus shelter with novel and joyful ways for users to find joy in the traditionally mundane bus stop experience.

The drawings below show the proposed activities and spatial considerations in the final design of the bus stop. The axonometric drawings and annotations were created by Mia.