The Preferences of Outdoor Communal Spaces on Campus of
University of Sumatera Utara
Morida Siagian
1
, Rudolf Sitorus
1
, Firman Eddy
1
1
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
Keywords: Student Campus, Campus Design, Preferences of Communal Space.
Abstract: The activity of the students in the campus area is highly used, namely formal and informal activities, indoor
and outdoor space. Informal activities such as socializing, doing assignments, and study can be undertaken in
the outdoor spaces on campus. At some points there are always a communal spaces that are provided by
university but not in accordance with the preference of the student. Because of that procurements of space are
not right on target. The outdoor communal spaces at the University of Sumatera Utara (USU) campus are
spread over 91 points. Each has the characteristics and uniqueness that is preferenced by students background.
This paper finds pattern of student interaction preferences in outdoor spaces campus.
1 INTRODUCTION
The outdoor spaces in the campus area are always
filled with many kinds of student activities. The
increasing of student activities create the need for
communal spaces. The activities are generally fixed
on two activities, namely formal and informal
activities. Those activities usually are done in indoor
and outdoor spaces. Formal activities that take place
in outdoor such attending the lecture, seminars, public
lectures and doing the task of college are the main
purpose of students come to campus. In the
meantime, informal activities such as gathering and
interacting take place in outdoor such as breezeways,
parks, plazas and other outdoors.
The research done by Marcus and Wischemann
(1983) in Marcus and Francis (1998) asserts a
difference between indoor space and outdoor spaces.
The indoor space is identically with the feeling of
"closed", "boring", "frustrating", "nervous", while
outdoor spaces more synonymous with the feeling of
"calm", "silence", "relax", "peaceful", "green", and
"comfortable."
In informal activities, students need the means to
embody the activities and their social space
requirements. The students prefer to gather under
trees in open spaces. Many times, they use spaces that
abused architecturally with the sit on the stairs, in the
parking, on the floor and on the fence of campus.
This paper describes the behavioral preferences of
students in outdoor spaces and describes the
communal space availability in 15 faculties in
University of Sumatera Utara (USU).
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research was conducted with quantitative
method in field observation. An observation of
student activities in outdoor spaces is done in 15
faculty areas. Then the research finds and assigns 91
of point student communal spaces, then observe the
level of hustle students at the specified points (Table
1). Observations are conducted daily from Monday to
Friday, in the morning, afternoon and evening. In one
week there are 15 times of observation student
gathering in those points can be watched.
Data analysis is relying number of students
assembled on 91 outdoor spaces. This research counts
the number of students that place on days and hours
vary in each Faculty then tabulates into whole campus
to find pattern and preferences of students gathered.
Siagian, M., Sitorus, R. and Eddy, F.
The Preferences of Outdoor Communal Spaces on Campus of University of Sumatera Utara.
DOI: 10.5220/0010086602870290
In Proceedings of the International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramification Researches (ICOSTEERR 2018) - Research in Industry 4.0, pages
287-290
ISBN: 978-989-758-449-7
Copyright
c
 2020 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
287

Table 1: List of Faculty at University of Sumatera Utara.
No
Faculty
List of
Departement
Communal Place
1
Faculty of Medichines
26
4
2
Faculty of Social Health
6
2
3
Faculty of Nurse
3
1
4
Faculty of dentistry
4
4
5
Faculty of Computer
Science & Technology
Information
2
5
6
Faculty of Culture Science
10
17
7
Faculty of Law
6
3
8
Faculty of Social and
Political Science
7
4
9
Faculty of Economics
3
6
10
Faculty of Engineering
7
15
11
Faculty of Psychology
6
2
12
Faculty of Mathematics
4
6
13
Faculty of Pharmacy
4
7
14
Faculty of Forestry
1
4
15
Faculty of Agriculture
6
11
Total
95*
91 points**
3 DISCUSSION
The campus of University of Sumatra Utara Medan is
on 120 ha land (Figure 1). Academic zone are on 90
ha, 30 ha are for lecturer residence, hospital, and
commercial spaces. USU became the 5
th
largest
university in Indonesia after IPB, ITB, UGM, and UI.
There are 15 faculties that have entirely features 95
departements (USU, 2016). Then there are also key
building as an administrative centre, auditorium,
library, and University student gymnasium.
USU has 53.065 students (USU, 2015). This
makes the intensity of students at USU is very high.
Certainly, it gives influence on space needs on this
campus because of many activities that occur.
Campus is not designed with the centralized
model, but separately with cell concept. This makes
the planning process and the provision of spaces is
determined by the direction of the individual faculty
respectively. The result is that outdoor space design
is unsynchronized. The space pattern is 15 sectoral
system (Figure 1). At the same time, in some of the
faculties, building groups are built based on zoning
department. This forms create lack interactions
betweeen students and faculties and between each
department; isolated interaction which forms a
diverse individual space.
Cell concept planning system minimizes the
students to know each other and to socialize between
them even between departement. The absence of the
atmosphere of mutual visits or classroom between
departement in faculty creates the interaction runs
individually. Isolated interactions in the cell of each
faculty and each departement forms diverse
preferences for communal activites in each zone.
Students activities at the outdoor space
accommodate their informal needs. With different
backgrounds, hometowns, ethnics, and majors can
gather together in the spaces.
Students interact they each other and create their
own spaces on outdoor. The new spaces then create
the bonds between groups of students for their needs
togather. In her research in Kampung Keling Siagian
(2016), she also find the same phenomenon where the
interaction between China and Tamil people create
new spaces which therefor that can identity each
group and the district.
USU provides communal spaces as the place to
accomodate their social activities, such as wifi areas,
plazas, parks, corridors, or others outdoor spaces.
Characteristics outdoor spaces are more liveable and
comfortable especially for informal student activities.
They become favorite communal places for students.
Direct interaction with the outdoor environment
affects the quality of the space gained. Communal
spaces at USU also host some of the areas that
become the magnet of student activities.
ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramification Researches
288

Figure 1 Map of Sectoral Spaces at University of Sumatera Utara
Each faculty provides representative communal
spaces for their students. Spaces are designed near to
the administrative buildings and the college buildings
based on each departement. Students are easily to find
and enjoy available outdoor communal spaces around
them.
Each faculty provides representative communal
spaces for their students. Spaces are designed near to
the administrative buildings and the college buildings
based on each departement. Students are easily to find
and enjoy available outdoor communal spaces around
them.
Diagram 1 Number of Students Using Outdoor Comunal Space each Faculty
The Preferences of Outdoor Communal Spaces on Campus of University of Sumatera Utara
289

The research finds that some of students in some
faculties are not interesting in outdoor space, some of
them prefer in outdoor spaces. Students of Faculty of
Cultural Science, Faculty of Engineering, and the
Faculty of Agriculture prefer to gather in outdoor
spaces. On the other hand, such as Faculty of
Medicines and the Faculty of Computer and
Technology Information students are prefer do
interecting in indoor spaces (Diagram 1).
In the mean time students of Faculty of Social
Health, Faculty of Nurse and the Faculty of
Psychology also like interacting in outdoor spaces in
corridors which can hold large amounts of student
activities.
The factors that influences the preference outdoor
communal spaces are comfortable, accessible factors
and physical facilities. Convenient qualities are due
to strategic location, near to the lecture rooms and
connection with the wifi and avaibility of power
chargers.
The highest daily usage of outdoor spaces by
students on campus occurs on Thursday, while the
lowest occurs on Monday. To that end, Thursday is
the peak day the students are using outdoor space in
USU campus and the very silent day is on Monday
(Diagram 2).
Diagram 2: Usage of Outdoor Communal Space on
Campus each day
4 CONCLUSIONS
USU campus is planned on the basis of cell concept.
It creates the uniformity pattern of space in each
faculty. Meanwhile, USU student preference to
gather in outdoor spaces is very high. There are 91
points of outdoor spaces used by students which
spread in 15 faculties. It is found in USU campus that
thusday is the highest day of usage of outdoor
communal spaces in a week. Students of Faculty of
Dentistry is use the highest number of outdoor spaces
in a day among 14 other faculties.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors are wishing to acknowledge assistance and
encouragement from some people and organization in
the created and improved of this paper. Thank to
Research Institution University of Sumatera Utara
that has been providing opportunities and funding
over the smooth running of this research. Thank also
to all those who have helped us in the process of
research and the completion of this paper.
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