Unit 3: Elements for Consideration in

Developing the Design Concept

Lesson 1. Practical and Essential Elements

Introduction
The idea of hotel design is rooted in
hospitality practices for travelers from ancient
times. Many different types of hotels have been
built in many cultures. The hotel has declined to
be a one-dimensional place to stay, but it is the
way to offer the tourists the chance to get in
touch with the area's culture. It opens up new
fields of knowledge, through new experiences, to
feel, discover, relax, and even reflect on oneself.
hoteldesigns.net
Hotel designs end with one key goal of creating unique
traveler experiences. Today, a hotel is not built linearly or based on aesthetics and
functionality alone. On the contrary, proper design takes into account all facets,
both tangible (physical) and intangible
(emotional), of the visitor's stay.
A hotel design concept's success
depends on the combination of the "soft"
and "hard" components.

One of the major considerations

when planning an efficient hotel is its
design. Design refers to general space
planning. It describes the size, form, style,
and decoration of space and equipment in
a hospitality establishment.
www.askdaisy.net

In designing facilities, there are

fundamental elements that need to be
considered. Designers have used these
elements successfully to provide guests with
a relaxing environment which they will find
delightful. It also helps the employees to
sustain an effective service to satisfy their
guests' needs. www.slovenian-alp.com

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 Learning Outcomes

1. enumerated and explained the important elements to be considered in the

design of a hospitality establishment;

2. discussed how practical elements of a design are effectively used to

provide guest comfort and allowed hospitality workers to sustain efficient
operations; and

3. analyzed how the various essential elements impact the development of

the design concept.

Activate Prior Knowledge

Activity: Picture Analysis

Arrangement A Arrangement B

Direction: Look at the two arrangements of tables and chairs. Then, answer the
following questions:

1. Which arrangement is more space-saving? Why?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

2. Which arrangement creates more space both for the customers and
restaurant wait staff? Why?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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 Acquire New Knowledge

Practical Elements in the Design Concept

Planning a hotel would allow you to balance purposeful layout, operational

functionality, and design concerns to create an establishment that meets the needs
of guests, staff, and the owner at the same time. You must combine functional,
layout, and aesthetic issues for optimum utility. Practical elements include
functionality, versatility, practicality and convenience, maximizing usefulness of
space and built-in sanitation. In formulating the design concept, the quality of
hospitality operations depends heavily on how fundamental elements are taken into
utmost consideration.

1. Functionality

While it's true that esthetics

play a major role in every design,
your hotel's space functionality
would be more important to your
guests. Consider functionality from
the outset of the design process,
think of the hotel staff, and strive to
create a guest experience beyond
esthetics. hotelcontracbeds.co.uk

Functionality is fundamental to any design concept. Functions or processes

that may need space should be decided initially before any thorough planning is
developed. It is accomplished through the development of a logical sequence of the
workflow. The positioning of various work areas would demonstrate workflow
concepts. As much as possible there should be a minimum number of crisscrossing
and backtracking. The least expenditure of worker time and energy must be
achieved. Continuity in the flow of people and materials should be maintained.

The main function or processes for which space should be provided are to
apply this specifically in a conventional foodservice facility:

 checking in food and non-food items

 storage for perishables and staples
 preliminary preparation for vegetable,
meat, fish, and poultry
 cooking and baking
 pot and pan washing and storage
 garbage and waste disposal
posit.com

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 The principal public areas and requirements for hotel functions including but not
limited to:
1. Public areas – these are areas in the hotel that are open access to both
house guests and non-resident guests. A hotel's public areas receive substantial
traffic. Public areas include guest room, food and beverage outlets, function,
meeting and banquet rooms, retail areas, pool,
health club, and other recreational areas, and
parking.

2. Functions - are rooms that can

serve different functions and include room
service, front office, trash and garbage
disposal, employee dining area, elevators,
communication systems, fire safety, laundry, and valet. hospitalityrise.com

2. Versatility

The primary method of achieving versatility is designing for change. When

public and work areas can be rearranged, combined, or staggered to meet the
changing needs of the customers, then versatility is achieved. For example, in a
small foodservice facility, pot and pan, and dishwashing areas may be combined to
save space. This will enhance a faster workflow for the dishwashers. The washing of
dishes can take place after pots and pans have been cleaned. This is possible
because, in the foodservice sequence, the demand for clean pots and pans for
cooking precedes service of food in plates. To be able to achieve versatility in
foodservice design, the one important thing to consider is for the facility to function
as a whole, not as a bunch of isolated units.

researchgate.net

43
 3. Practicality and Conveniences

The different functional areas of a foodservice or lodging facility are

arranged practically and conveniently. In an accommodation facility, this is done
through:

 clustering public areas around the lobby;

 separate guest, staff, and good circulation;
 separate hotel entrance, ballroom entrance, and receiving; and
 cluster food and beverage outlets around the kitchen

In the foodservice establishment, practical and convenient facility planning

can also be achieved by allocating the receiving area that is reachable from main
roads for delivery vehicles. Ample parking space should also be provided. The
storage is also accessible to the preparation and cooking area. It should also be
located near the receiving area. The cooking area should be nearby the pot and
pan area and the serving area. The pots and pans should be designated away from
the main traffic lines in the kitchen. The dishwashing area should be near the dining
room and the service areas. The garbage area should be located at the back of the
establishment.

pinterest.com

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 4. Maximizing Usefulness of Space

The most difficult determination in facilities planning is the amount of

space required in the facility. One factor to be considered is Parkinson’s Law that
states that things will expand to fill available capacity sooner than you plan.
Thus, even though the facility might be constructed with sufficient space in the
future, when the future arrives, there will be no space available for it.

Space means the total area needed for the lodging or food service facility
being planned for construction. Thus, the space required for any foodservice
and lodging facility differs depending on how large or small the facility should
be.

At this stage of the planning, a general guide or general rules of thumb

may be used for the determination of the size of the dining room for various
types of food operations. The total facility size, guestrooms, and percentage
space allocation, among others, use square feet per seat and square meter as a
unit of measure.

posist.com

5. Built-in Sanitation

One very important aspect of foodservice and lodging operation is sanitation

and safety. The establishment of sanitation standards and procedures is necessary.
They should reflect the requirements of government regulations. Initially, the facility
should be planned and constructed in a way that a built-in-sanitation is
incorporated. Sanitation should be a prerequisite in the choice of materials,
furnishings, and equipment for the lodging and foodservice facility.

Built-in-sanitation is a strict requirement by the Philippine government in the

building of hotels and restaurants. The Sanitation Code of the Philippines
necessitates compliance with the minimum requirements set by the government in

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terms of healthy and clean surroundings inside and within the parameters of the
facility. The law includes a provision that the layout of equipment enables floors,
walls, and ceiling to be cleaned easily and for proper maintenance.
It is essential that food production areas are well lighted, ventilated, and exhausts
equipment are installed. A well-designed plumbing system is fabricated so that the
water supply of the operation safe and not contaminated. HACCP in the food flow,
use of trash compactor, and garbage
disposer are additional examples of built-in
sanitation.

gofoodservice.com

fsmagazine.com

Essential elements in the Design Concept

1. Ergonomics

Ergonomics is a field of study addressing the interactions among humans,

tasks, and the total work environment. It is the interdisciplinary science that
explores human capabilities and limitations. It uses the knowledge to improve the
design of things that people use and the way they work. It looks closely at the
dimensions of the human body and applies this to the design of the kitchen and its
equipment. It considers the anatomical measurements to design the height, reach,
and space required for movement in
the work area.
3wdesigninc.com
The basis for the height of
work surfaces and storage areas
must be the measurement of the
human body. The aim here is to
design equipment such that it does
not hamper the work of the tallest
and smallest worker.

Another basis for determining

the height of work surfaces and
equipment is the fact that the hands
and arms do much manual work.
The normal work and activities, the

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surface should be about 5-10 cm below the elbow. The working surface should lie
lower for more intense work and have a longer duration.

Starting at a particular distance from the body, the ability of the hand and
arms to perform decreases. The further away it is, the less efficient it becomes. The
maximum reach and comfortable reach of the workers must be considered in the
design of the work station. The body requires a certain amount of free space for
movement to work efficiently and be productive.

osha.gov

Ergonomics and Front Office Front

Front office receptionists entail that they stand in a confined workspace for
long hours. It is suggested to rest one leg by placing it on an elevated platform built
on the backside of the counter that is not visible to the guests on the counter’s front
side. For that reason a foot rail is suitable. The employee can alternate the leg by
holding onto the footrest the other foot.

The counter height should be

such that the worker can do the desk
work (writing) straight with his / her
spine. In the workstation, the table and
chair height should be adjusted
according to the employee's physical
structure. The feet should rest flat in the
seating position on the floor or the
footboard. The back of the chair should
give the backbone maximum support so ihg.com

that the spine is straight and in upright position.

The working table should be arranged in such a manner as to hold the most
important objects within 25 cm from the body. Next priority objects should be kept
50 cm away. Beyond this reach, you should hold things that you rarely need for the
operation.

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F & B Service and Ergonomics

From an ergonomic perspective, F&B Service department employees

experience similar conditions during working hours relative to Front Office workers.
They also require standing for long hours
depending on the need. To prevent undue
musculoskeletal problems, the workers
should maintain a healthy body posture.

When standing in the Banquets or at

the Restaurant for long hours during service,
bodyweight should be moved from one leg
to another even if there is no footrest or rail
is available. When carrying the load, the
article should be kept close to the body as
much as possible. This would put less
dergipark.com
pressure on the muscle & bones.

Housekeeping and Ergonomics

Room attendants work under different working conditions. They are

responsible for almost all parts of the hotel for job clean-up and repairs. The
housekeepers often engage in lifting and moving heavy objects. It's also very
normal to work in an uncomfortable body position for a long time. The workers
should be well prepared and trained for their job so that they keep their bodies in a
comfortable position for long hours of work. This can be done by adjusting work
styles or by adjusting the equipment at times. For example, a long-handled broom
helps keep the body posture straight that prevents back pain. Sitting down instead
of leaning over during bed making to hit lower level, e.g. floor, will also protect
against back pain.

Ergonomics in the Kitchen

The science of kitchen

ergonomics is based on concepts aimed
at carefully designing a workspace and
streamlining the workflow to improve
efficiency, providing comfort, and
increasing productivity for operations.
Its elements match the movements in
the kitchen. Also, available space and
form are a significant factor when
constructing a commercial kitchen in an
existing building from the ground up or fnbreport.ph

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installing it. A general rule of thumb is to allow five square feet of kitchen space for
every restaurant seat so a restaurant with 50 seats requires at least 250 square feet
of kitchen space.

How much space is required will affect the style and intricacy of cooking
methods. The most significant area is the space between the height of the hip and
the height of the shoulder, as everything placed at this height is within reach.
Placing appliances and kitchen furniture at a distance apart to allow free movement
when working is also a good practice. There should be at least 4 feet of space
between two counters. It is vital to assign the right space to save time and keep a
smooth-running kitchen, particularly during peak periods.

Food production is an area where

workers can work with great caution. They
handle hot utensils, hot liquids (based on
water & oil), and even fire. Besides these,
different sharp equipment is used as well.
The kitchen staff is required to do
repetitive work in severe environmental
conditions within this work station. The
production area should be supervised by
shutterstock.com trained practitioners who will also train the
workers under them so that the work can
be accomplished with less musculoskeletal disorders. The kitchen is a location
where changes in temperature (hot ranges, ovens, and walk-in-coolers) are found
too. Chef's uniform protects the workers from all the adverse circumstances they
can face here.

2. Concern for differently-abled persons

Access to disability in 2018 was a problem, especially for the hospitality

industry. Under the 2010 Equality Act, if the facility or facilities are inaccessible-it
might violate the legislation. To ensure that the hotel is open to everyone, there is a
need to think about accessibility right from the start.
Doing so, it would alert problems that are not
accessible inside the hotel and areas, allowing the
management to fix as soon as possible.

Governments across the globe today are trying

to tackle the challenges facing people with disabilities.
For example, it was told Japan would increase the
number of wheelchair-friendly hotel rooms. According
to the new regulations, hotels with more than 200
rooms must at least have three accessible rooms. pinterest.at

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 How hotels can improve access? Imagine checking into a luxurious hotel
room, for example, but you can't hang up your bags, make a cup of tea, or even get
help from the phone reception. This is
the many-faced reality and it's time to pinterest.com
start the change.

The bedroom should be

completely accessible. Include grabbing
rails in the en-suite, telephones with
large buttons, and even the option to
vibrate pillows to alert those with
hearing impairments to any alarms.
Similarly, remember the height of the
beds as others would need to move from
their powerchair directly to the bed, and the same goes for the fittings. Keep it at a
fair height in the room to ensure the features are accessible to everyone.

3. Cultural Practices

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of art and science practices

consisting of a set of beliefs and rules about the inter-dependence and inter-
influence of the person-environment fit. "Feng" is a direct Chinese-English
translation meaning wind, and "Shui" refers to water. The combined construct thus
explains the interactive wind and water energy, or "chi," that flows through nature
and the universe.

Feng shui is used to classify external

features that make them feel relaxed and
peaceful or, conversely, anxious, and irritable.
The experience indicates that the relationships
between individuals and their environment are
central to their health and wellbeing. It also
directs object positioning, based on chi flow and
yin and yang patterns.

Today, more and more companies turn to

feng shui because it helps to create a base for
business continuity, productivity, and growth.
sunnyray.org
The quality of a hotel's business depends heavily not just on
its management and operations but also on the feng shui of the hotel and whether
the hotel has properly implemented feng shui design.

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 Here are some feng shui
examples in hotels. The front of the
hotel should involve a large, spacious
lobby that embraces the "chi" or energy
path. The exterior design or outlook of
the hotel must be of plain cut and
square shape. This means that it will fill
the room with hotel guests coming into
the open square space and wealth will
Genting Hotel, Malaysia grow.
pagoda.com

Hotel operators should pay careful attention to the hotel's front desk or cash
register location. In addition, the back of the cash register must be a solid wall or
cabinet according to feng shui principles, ensuring the hotel can easily obtain
professional support and consumer loyalty to create a thriving business. If the
cashier area lacks illumination and is situated in a dark corner, its operational
performance is expected to be low, whereas lighting implies vibrancy and high
income.

The feng shui design of guest

rooms reflects one of the most significant
aspects of the hotel design concept. The
design of guest rooms should also take
advantage of all windows, natural light,
and scenery, so visitors can feel relaxed
and at ease. In general, room decoration is
recommended to use light-colored
elements as they encourage prosperity and The Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
create a comfortable and quiet atmosphere bu.edu
where guests can relax. Strong feng shui
suggests that the door of the bathroom should not face the guestroom bed. Finally,
tiny green flowers in the bathroom will enhance the whole room's feng shui effect.

Even kitchen feng shui is considered the heart of the hotel and merits the
recruitment and selection of skilled chefs, high-quality food, and work efficiency.
The cooking essence is fire, so the kitchen should avoid gold, which easily melts. In
order to suppress the powerful deity, the stove must be put in an unlucky spot. At
the same time, the oven door must face up to the auspicious position to absorb and
satisfy positive Chi.

In the local setting, there is a Filipino belief called Oro, Plata, Mata. Using the
chant "Oro, Plata, Mata" (Gold, Silver, Death) for each count, stairs are erected with
a ritual that calls for alternate counting to three. The counting automatically starts
with the lowest rung. "Mata," which is a sign of bad luck, should never end with the

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top level. On the other side, "Oro" and "Plata" stand for good luck. The stair count
begins with the very first step, the counts 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. The number of stairs
should not be divisible by three in the process, otherwise, the final step will end at
Mata.

Apply Your Knowledge

As a Facilities Planning Manager, you are tasked to give a talk on Elements

for Consideration in Developing the Design Concept to your Facilities Management
Team. You are to prepare a Z-fold brochure using the following guide questions:

1. What are the important elements that need to be taken into account when
designing a lodging or food service facility?

2. Why are the elements essential to facilities design?

3. Among the discussed elements which are considered global?

Brochure’s Rubrics
Criteria Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs
(20-17 pts.) (16-12 pts.) (11-6 pts.) Improvement
(5-0 pts.)
Graphics go well Graphics go well Graphics go well Graphics do not
with the text. There with the text, but with the text, but go with the
Graphics/ is a good mix of there are so many there are too few accompanying
Pictures text and graphics. that they distract and the brochure text or appear
from the text. seems "text- to be randomly
heavy." chosen.
The brochure has The brochure has The brochure has The brochure's
exceptionally attractive well-organized formatting and
Attractiveness attractive formatting and information. organization of
& formatting and well-organized material are
Organization well-organized information. confusing to the
information. reader.
Content – All facts in the 99-90% of the 89-80% of the Fewer than 80%
Accuracy and brochure are facts in the facts in the of the facts in
Information accurate. brochure are brochure are the brochure are
Validity accurate. accurate. accurate.
Careful and Careful and Careful and Sources are not
accurate records accurate records accurate records documented
are kept to are kept to are kept to accurately or
document the document the document the are not kept on
Sources
source of 95-100% source of 94-85% source of 84-75% many facts and
of the facts and of the facts and of the facts and graphics.
graphics in the graphics in the graphics in the
brochure. brochure. brochure.
No spelling errors No more than 1 No more than 3 More than 3
Spelling & and all sections of spelling and/or spelling and/or spelling and/or
Proofreading brochure are free writing errors are writing errors are writing errors
of writing errors. present. present. are present.

http://rubistar.4teachers.org

52
 Assess Your Knowledge

Part 1: Short Quiz

Modified Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer from the list provided for.

Space Functionality 2010 Equality Act

Ergonomics Feng Shui Built-in Sanitation
Accessibility Convenience Cultural Practice
Practicality Versatility Essential Elements

___________________ 1. It is accomplished through the development of a logical

sequence of the workflow.

___________________ 2. The stair count begins with the very first step and the
number of stairs should not be divisible by three.

___________________ 3. A regulation that requires hotels with more than 200

rooms must at least have three accessible rooms.

___________________ 4. The total area needed for the lodging or food service
facility being planned for construction.

___________________ 5. It uses the knowledge to improve the design of things

that people use and the way they work.

___________________ 6. The one important thing to consider is for the facility to

function as a whole, not as a bunch of isolated units.

___________________ 7. It includes grabbing rails in the en-suite and even the

option to vibrate pillows to alert those with hearing
impairments to any alarms.

___________________ 8. Is the requirement for healthy and clean surroundings

inside and within the parameters of the facility.

___________________ 9. An element that necessitates the cooking area should be

nearby the pot and pan area and the serving area.

_________________ 10. The design of guest rooms should also take advantage
of natural light, and scenery, so guests can feel relaxed
and at ease.

Part 1: Written Report

Surf the net accessing the website https://youtu.be/R2vXbFp5C9o on How

the World's Largest Cruise Ship Makes 30,000 Meals Every Day.

53
 Royal Caribbean has a $1 million shopping budget each week to feed
onboard the Symphony of the Seas its hungry passengers. The culinary team works
24/7 in compact kitchens on a moving ship to cook up every snack, meal, and
dessert.

Submit a written report and it should include the following:

1. Describe how the culinary team worked in the kitchen. Look into the tasks and
the total work environment.

2. What are the practical elements that you can observe in the design of the
production area? Elaborate on your answers by giving specific examples.

3. What are the common types of ergonomic injuries that might happen in the
production area? What do you think are the specific ways to eliminate these
injuries?

Rubrics for Written Report

Criteria Inadequate Adequate Above Average Exemplary
(Below Standard) (Meets Standard) (Exceeds (Far Exceeds
Standard) Standard)
Writing lacks Writing is Writing is Writing shows high
logical coherent and coherent and degree of attention
organization. It logically logically to logic and
shows some organized. Some organized with reasoning of points.
coherence but points remain transitions used Unity clearly leads
Organization ideas lack unity. misplaced and between ideas the reader to the
Serious errors. stray from the and paragraphs conclusion and stirs
topic. Transitions to create thought regarding
evident but not coherence. the topic.
used throughout. Overall unity of
ideas is present.
Level of content Content indicates Content Content indicates
shows some thinking and indicates synthesis of ideas,
Content – reasoning applied original thinking in-depth analysis
thinking and
Accuracy and with original and develops and evidences
reasoning but
Information thought on a few ideas with original thought and
most ideas are ideas. sufficient and support for the
Validity
underdeveloped firm evidence. topic.
and unoriginal.
Spelling, Most spelling, Essay has few Essay is free of
punctuation, and punctuation, and spelling, distracting spelling,
grammatical grammar correct punctuation, punctuation, and
errors create allowing reader to and grammatical errors;
distraction, progress though grammatical absent of fragments,
Grammar & making reading essay. Some errors allowing comma splices, and
Mechanics difficult; errors remain. reader to follow run-ons.
fragments, ideas clearly.
comma splices, Very few
run-ons evident. fragments or
Errors are run-ons.
frequent.

http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/criteria.pdf

54
 References

Anima, N. (2013). Building a house. Retrieved from http://www.positivelyfilipino.com

Erikam. (2019). 5-ergonomic design tips for a safe and functional kitchen. Retrieved
from http://fnbreport.ph

Feng shui for hotel business and management. Retrieved from

https://www.fengshuiarch.com/feng-shui-for-hotels.html

Hospitality and disability: How hotels can improve access. Retrieved from
https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4089597.html

Hotel safety. Retrieved from http://ergo.human.cornell.edu

Lin, I. (2017). A place for everything and everything in its place: The application of
feng shui to hotels. Retrieved from https://www.bu.edu

Pal, S. (2016). Ergonomics in hotels – The need of the day. Journal of Kashmir for
Tourism and Catering Technology, 2, (1), 49-56.

Perdigon, G. (2004). Facilities planning and design for lodging and foodservice
operations. Manila: Merriam & Webster Bookstore.
Samson, J. S., & Borja, M. A. (2007). Food production management. Manila:
Mindshapers.

The power of the purple pound explained. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk

Answer to the Quiz

1. Functionality
2. Cultural Practice
3. 2010 Equality Act
4. Space
5. Ergonomics
6. Versatility
7. Accessibility
8. Built-in Sanitation
9. Practicality
10. Feng Shui

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