Guidelines for outdoors WiFi space design

Wireless technology has made it possible for people to access information anywhere at anytime. Though Wi-Fi technology is already considered to be the most affordable method of accessing the Internet indoors, its application in large-scale outdoor spaces is still in the developing stage. New park characteristics, including user behavioral characteristics caused by using portable wireless equipment and coordination between software and hardware facilities, have yet to be determined. Defining these characteristics could lead to a better understanding of the design elements required for the creation of future Wi-Fi parks. The expected outcome of this thesis is a series of guidelines for application in the design of outdoor, recreational spaces that include Wi-Fi. Research was collected about observations made in coffee shops about Wi-Fi use, and extended by case studies that focused on the State Library in Queensland and Bryant Park in New York. The thesis analyzes how Wi-Fi’s limited range can be efficiently supported in site selection, function design, circulation design, vegetation design and detailed design. Following the guidelines developed in the first part, four programmatic designs were developed for four hypothetical sites at different scales. These scenarios will help to improve understanding about how outdoor open space can adjust to and support productive Wi-Fi infrastructure through landscape design