The materials used for construction should allow the building to be penetrated by sunlight to minimize lighting costs (American Planning Association, 1954). Finally, malls should be well ventilated and make maximum use of natural light. Visitors who move freely without disturbances are likely to tour the mall more times. The reason for large floor space in the malls is to allow free and comfortable movements by the visitors. In addition, the ground floor space is set not to be more than 25% of the building total area lot.

The floor space is supposed to be 0.25 percent of the entire mall building (American Planning Association, 1954). The facility should not be more than 850mm above the floor (Draft Public Consultation, 2009).įloor space is a vital regulation in the building of a shopping mall. In addition, it helps the visitors to avoid touching other facilities like door hinges as they move. Wide doors cater for free movement in and out of the mall. Refreshment facilities (bar and restaurant) should be accessible by all users. External doors to the mall should have a minimum clear width of 1000mm (Draft Public Consultation, 2009). If the parking lots have sidewalks, the sidewalks should be at least seven feet wide to make it easier for people carrying packages to move freely. This implies that for every one square feet of retail in a mall, there should be three square feet car parking space (American Planning Association, 1954).

Generally, the parking space for a mall is standardized at a ratio of 3:1. Conversely, a mall that is accessed with two way aisles should have a parking space of at least 20 feet. For a shopping mall that is accessed with one way aisles, a parking space of 10 feet is recommended. This goes together with the parking space. For a large shopping mall, four exits are suitable to cater for the customers. This implies that it should not be more than 25 feet in height (American Planning Association, 1954).Įntrance and exists to a shopping mall are vital. A mall does not have to exceed two stories. This time is calculated by considering the condition and congestion of a place, ignoring the linear distance. It is suitable that a mall should be located at a place that takes an average of 30 minutes drive from a marketplace (American Planning Association, 1954).

Construction of shopping mall project