5 Ways to Maximize Small Outdoor Commercial Spaces

Small outdoor spaces frequently present unique challenges for commercial building owners, designers and architects.  

However, as the recent pandemic proved, outdoor spaces can be essential to maintaining a business. Previously unused areas such as courtyards, alleyways and rooftops can give businesses more usable square footage — and with a little ingenuity and planning, innovative landscape architects can provide clients with charming areas that customers will love. 

Five Ideas for Small Outdoor Areas 

Spaces like rooftops and alleyways are often wasted, but landscape architect Justin Maxwell has found a few ways to make sure those outdoor designs are enjoyable for the people visiting them.

“People are using outdoor spaces in ways we didn’t think they would,” says Justin. “The design, especially the hardscaping, needs to be able to make that space more usable.” There are a multitude of ways that designers and commercial building owners can make those places user-friendly and more enjoyable. Here are five of our favorites.  

1. 1. Flexible Furnishings for a More Usable Space

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3. This outdoor design uses plants, fencing, pavements and grade change to give structure to the space. And the design is balanced out with furniture that people can move to suit their needs. “The movable furnishings still allow flexibility,” explains Justin.  

   Incorporating these elements accommodates people who might want more shade or privacy. “People are using these spaces differently at different times of the year,” Justin says. “If you have shade in that space, you can manipulate that micro-climate in ways that make it enjoyable to use,” explains Justin.  

   That means designers need to plan ahead — the outdoor space featured below was designed for maximum flexibility as there weren’t any tenants at the time of construction. But to help guide people who will eventually use the outdoor area, the design included a few key elements.  

   “The space is divided with different ground plane materials, including Techo-Bloc pavers and synthetic turf,” explains Justin. “A planter and mounted bench provide some separation of space and add interest to the patio.” 

    

4. 2. Keep Comfort in Mind (And Trash Out of Sight)

The pandemic kept a lot of business and building owners on their toes and sometimes forced them to adapt outdoor spaces for usability — which they don’t always plan for.  

For instance, sometimes places like alleyways or rooftops need to be adapted due to extenuating circumstances. “If you’re going to try and sit people out there, though, there needs to be a balance of how you manipulate that,” suggests Justin.  

Trash receptacles can pose a big issue in these outdoor areas: The sight and smell of everyone’s garbage can make a space unusable at worst and extremely unpleasant at best.  Thankfully: “There are creative ways to handle it,” says Justin.  

• Add some moveable planters: Elements like this can create a visual separation from spaces where people are relaxing or eating and unsightly garbage cans.  
• Consolidate trash with other businesses in the area: This ensures that receptacles aren’t in the line of sight or taking up usable space.  
• Install an enclosure for garbage bins: A cover or enclosure can help reduce the sight and smell of trash.  

If you need to adapt your outdoor space so that your clients have the option to use it when necessary, plan it out. “Think through the design so it looks intentional and appealing, and you’re not just throwing a table and some chairs out there,” explains Justin.

3. Make Things Cozy Year-Round  

One of the most inviting ways to welcome people to an outdoor space is by adding a heating element to the design. “A bar down the street from me closed at the beginning of the pandemic, but people still used the patio because there were heating elements. They used the area to do yoga,” says Justin.  

You can always encourage more visitors to a space with the warmth and intimacy of a fire, especially if it’s a rooftop location that can be colder than a protected alleyway. “Put in an outdoor fire pit, everyone loves that,” suggests Justin. “Even when it’s 60 degrees, people love to sit near a fire. Then you can design around that.”  

Brands like Techo-Bloc offer commercial building owners many fire pits to help create the perfect ambiance for visitors to your space — despite chilly temperatures.  

4. 4. Make Your Outdoor Space a Destination 

Designers should approach their outdoor space by making it a destination unto itself, not just a place for overflow or pandemic seating. 

“People can get creative with this, and might commission the creation of a mural, for instance,” suggests Justin. “Talk with the designer and landscape architect on the project, and get something going.”  

Original artwork like a mural delivers a few benefits: It creates a completely unique and Instagram-worthy space; delivers a memorable experience for your visitors; and “it’s a way to support local artists,” says Justin.

Justin also suggests using pavers to add interest to outdoor designs. “Techo-Bloc provides a lot of unique colors, which help to divide the space using the ground plane,” he says. “Use different textures and colors, provide visitors with something that’s easier to walk on, and visually guide them. Pavers can really enhance the feel of the space.”

Designers can even incorporate a brand logo in the paver design, or create patterns to add a dynamic feel to any outdoor area. 

Leveraging Techo-Bloc's wide range of colors, textures, shapes and sizes provides an excellent opportunity to replicate even the most ornate interior design details outdoors. To help architects and designers create the perfect pattern to elevate your pavers, we created a Mosaics Guide. It covers choosing the best color, texture, scale and pattern for your creative goals. 

5. 5. Blend Outdoor Spaces With Indoor Design

“Outdoor space is just as useful as the indoor space — that square footage matters,” Justin says. “To make it an efficient use of the space, the outdoor space should be an extension of the indoors.” 

When the outdoor design is a continuation of the interior aesthetic, that space won’t feel like an afterthought.  “Make that a part of the plan, because it can pull an entire site’s design together,” says Justin.  

This kind of intentional planning helps to create a huge impact on visitors, making the space more enjoyable and more visually pleasing overall.  

One easy way to blend your indoor and outdoor spaces is by choosing either matching or complementary furniture and lighting. For instance, use the exact same tables and chairs outside, but in a lighter color to avoid trapping heat. You can also use the same style of indoor lighting as wall scones outside. 

Another option is to match the color of your outdoor pavers to the indoor’s color palette. If the indoor decor uses bright colors such as blue and red, use custom coloring options from Techo-Bloc to match those bright colors in your pavers.  

Better Solutions for Small Outdoor Spaces 

By planning for a more usable outdoor space, architects create commercial building sites that will last longer. Using high-quality materials and products, like those from Techo-Bloc, can help designers do just that. “Techo-Bloc has a lot of different design options,” says Justin, “and they’re cost-effective. They’ve really put themselves in that top tier of products.” 

Techo-Bloc also offers landscape architects products that are built for the long term: They’re more durable than many other pavers, can lessen the impact of storm drainage, and will stand up to harsh weather and de-icing chemicals. They can even help to achieve LEED credits on a project.  

When it comes to solutions for outdoor spaces, Techo-Bloc gives designers a multitude of ways to build successful designs. You can take a look at more of our commercial products here, or chat with a rep in your area for an in-person or virtual lunch and learn.