Conceptual Design Phase Analysis Of A Water Theme Park Project

You are required to write a report which critically analyses the conceptual design phase of a systems engineering project. Projects might include designing a bridge, a dam, an environmentally-conscious building or a mechatronic system. You might not have been involved in the project personally, but some connection with the project would make the analysis more meaningful.

The report is to  analyse the following phases of the project:

• Needs definition
• Conceptual system design

Water theme parks are public outdoor spaces with numerous entertainment and relaxing areas and facilities for children, youths and adults. These places offer varied big machines to play games on or ride on, water slides, swimming pools, restaurants and other amusement facilities (Kim & Kim, 2016). Visiting water theme parks has become a very popular leisure activity in many urban areas across the world. Millions of people visit water theme parks every year and the number has been growing steadily over the years (Zhang, Shan, & Halsall, 2016). Today, a water theme park is seen as a product, city infrastructure and industry, and have significant impact on the environment, economy and people’s social life. This makes design of water theme parks a very essential process towards ensuring that the goals and objectives of the water theme park are achieved. Previously, theme water parks were frequently visited by kids but today they have become favorite destinations for both kids and adults. This is because of the wide range of design features that modern theme water parks have. Some of the key benefits of theme water parks include: improves mood, helps in relieving stress, promotes muscle toning, provides a good place for loved ones to bond, helps people to overcome fear, boosts socialization confidence, and helps people to burn calories, among others (Health Fitness Revolution, 2015); (Irim, 2016).  

The global theme water park industry is predicted to grow in many parts of the world and generate billions of dollars in revenues (Milman, 2010). As the number of people visiting water theme parks grows worldwide, the importance and performance of these parks have also become very critical. Governments and private companies are investing a lot of resources in designing and developing theme water parks. The parks have become important destinations that are aimed at providing the public a unique and safe place to meet, relax, play and have fun. The parks also have significant contribution to the economic and social sustainability of many cities, through job creation, infrastructure development, tourism revenues, tax revenues, community support, etc. (Milman, Okumus, & Dickson, 2010). They have become tourist destinations and attractions in many cities. Consequently, theme water park projects may fail and if it so happens then all the expected benefits will be lost. There are several theme water park projects that have failed in the past especially during operation stage (Kawamura & Hara, 2010). One of the main causes of failure of theme water parks is poor design.

Safety

The water theme park project was initiated by the local government to make the area more attractive to both local and foreign visitors so as to generate revenue, create employment opportunities, boost infrastructure development and attract more investors in the area. This report presents various aspects of the conceptual design process of the theme water park.

As more cities invest in theme water parks, the need to ensure that the parks are designed effectively cannot be overemphasized. Design plays a key role towards success or failure of theme water parks. A wide range of factors need to be evaluated and considered when designing a theme water park. Therefore a successful theme water park project starts with identifying essential needs that the park must meet once it becomes operational. Some of the essential needs of a theme water park include the following:

Theme water parks are used by people of different ages and with varied needs, including kids, youths, adults, old people, people with disabilities, etc. The design team ensured that every facility at the park had the required safety features so as to minimize any safety risks to the users. For example, if it is a swimming pool, the depth of water was considered depending on whether the pool was meant for kids or adults. The water slides had reasonable slopes and the amusement rides, roller coasters or carnival rides were ensured to be structurally and functionally sound. Because of safety issues, some facilities were designed strictly for kids while other for adults only. Improper design of parks poses huge safety risks including injuries, fractures and even fatalities (Fletcher & McDowell, 2016).  

Theme water parks use a lot of resources in different stages of their lifecycle. The design team applied different strategies to minimize resources (mainly water and energy) used on the project, as much as possible, during construction and operation stages. The ultimate goal was to make the park extremely resource-efficient. Some of the design strategies applied include: use of renewable energy, installation of water harvesting systems, integration of water recycling, treatment and reuse systems, use of daylighting, maximum use of natural ventilation, etc.

The design team analyzed numerous potential economic, social and environmental impacts of the theme then aimed at designing a park that maximizes positive impacts and minimizes negative impacts.

Successful construction and operation of a theme water park depends on several existing infrastructure in the area, such as roads, water supply systems, power supply systems, nearby business premises, local residents, etc. It was necessary for the design team to ensure that the park activities did not negatively affect the existing setup in the area but improve it. This helped in preventing clashes between local residents, visitors and park operators. Another design aspect of computability and interoperability was to ensure that all facilities at the park integrated and operated seamlessly, i.e. they supplemented each other instead of hindering one another.

Resource Efficiency

The theme water park have to be constructed using high quality materials and equipment so as to increase its durability and reduce the need for repair and replacement after operating only for a few years. Durability was also improved by involving specialty contractors in designing the park.

Maintaining a theme water park is a challenging task considering the number of facilities that the park has and the people visiting it every day. This requires an elaborate maintenance strategies that must be included in the design. The park was designed to facilitate easy maintenance on a daily basis. The park must be kept clean at all times as this play role in customer attraction and satisfaction (Milman, 2008).  

Sustainable development is one of the major strategies that the government is adopting to boost the economy and protect the environment and interests of local residents. The park was required to be sustainable by reducing the amount of resources its uses and the waste generated from it. Some of the design strategies that were used to achieve sustainability include: use of renewable and recyclable resources, recycling, repair and remanufacturing. The design team applied the circular model when developing the park so as to benefit from circular economy principles.

New and unique attractions have positive impacts on theme water parks (Henderson, 2010). This is because the attractions attract more people who want to explore and have an experience with the attractions (Cornelis, 2010). The design team in this project included a variety of new attractions such as leisure rivers, zip lines, wave pools, spray grounds, aquatic obstacle courses, climbing walls, arcade games, raft rentals, changing rooms with lockers, food and beverage amenities, restrooms, etc. These attractions will increase the number of visitors to the park and their spending (Post, 2015).

The same way a theme water park consumes a lot of resources is the same way it is likely to cause pollution. This includes air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution, depending on the type of facilities and materials used in the park. The design team ensured that there was zero or minimal pollution caused by the park.

Waste management is a big challenge for many theme and water parks. This is because most theme water parks are visited by thousands of people every day. As a result, a lot of materials are used and large volumes of waste produced. The design team had to develop a strategy of ensuring that minimal waste is generated and managed appropriately so as to minimize potential negative effects on the environment and people’s health. If wastes produced from a theme water park are not properly managed, they can degrade water and air quality and interfere with the surroundings (Wahlroos, et al., 2015).

Impacts

This is another very important element of a theme water park. Every investor wants a park that is cost effective to design, operate and maintain. This means low construction, operation and maintenance costs, and reasonable user charges. The design team applied different strategies to reduce construction and operation costs of the park, such as use of renewable energy resources, waste minimization, use of recycled, recyclable and locally available materials, etc.

It is important to note that transforming an ordinary space into an exceptional fun zone for everyone, including kids and adults, requires creative minds and proper understanding of the objectives of the project. There are numerous design options for theme water parks. Each of the options has unique benefits, impacts and challenges. It is therefore the responsibility of the design team to generate different ideas during conceptual design and select the best option that will efficiently meet the pre-determined needs of the park. The design team in this project was guided by the aforementioned needs during conceptual design process. Members of the design team included concept artists or illustrators, engineers, architects, interior designers, video/film specialists and show writers. The park was meant for use by people of different ages, gender, sex orientation, religion, social class and culture.

It is during conceptual design stage that the design team started generating ideas of the theme water park in form of hand drawn sketches and 2D layouts. Every member of the team was allowed to generate their ideas before bringing them together for discussions. For parks to be designed, constructed and operated effectively, there must be active and adequate coordination, collaboration, participation and support of all stakeholders involved in the project. The key activities performed in the conceptual design phase are as follows:  

The main goal of the design team was to create a theme water park that met all the needs of users and helped the client achieve his goals and objectives. This prompted the design team to start by identifying and analyzing client and customer needs. The needs were used as a guideline on what the park should contain and look like.

This involved generating ideas such as layout of the park, various theme and water facilities, features, etc. A theme water park can be constructed in different forms and shapes, including circular, rectangular, triangular or a mixed. The park in this project was built in a combination of different forms and shapes, including 3D shapes. Various innovative ideas and themes were included in the design to make it more decorative, environmentally friendly, hygienic and safe for all users including children. Crowding is another very essential factor that was considered in the design layout of the park. Several studies have shown that people do not like visiting parks that are overcrowded (Mehta, 2013); (Neuts & Nijkamp, 2012). The layout options created ensured that the park could accommodate the estimated number of visitors at a time without the nuisance of congestion.

Compatibility and Interoperability

Some of the features that were suggested to be incorporated in the theme water park include: water walks, water spray grounds, sand plays, open water, tot slide, tot pool, leisure river, gathering places, bowl slides, mat racer, intense water slides, action island, climbing wall, flow rider, drop slide, sun deck, spa, diving boards, lap lanes, capacity holders, children’s area and support spaces. The features were put into three categories: core product (atmosphere, excitement, fun, family gathering and value for money); tangible/supporting product (rides, shows and activities, souvenir shops, catering outlets, safe, clean and pleasant environment, environmentally friendly and well-trained staff); and augmented/facilitating product (location, weather conditions, opening hours and ancillary services like car parking facilities, facilities and services for persons living with disabilities, and onsite transport services). Other unique ideas in this project was to make the park suitable for conducting various educational and entertaining experiments. Most of the water features in a park can be used to illustrate different physics principles, concepts and laws, such as wave propagation, Bernoulli’s equation, Newton’s laws of motion, energy conservation, optics, thermodynamics, turbulence and cosmology (Cabeza, Rubido, & Marti, 2014)

After each member of the design team had generated their ideas, they collectively analyzed them all by establishing their pros and cons. The design options were analyzed based on their ability to meet client and customer needs. The team then unanimously selected the best design option and used computer aided design (CAD) software to create 3D models. This gave better illustrations of the park. The key factors considered in the final decision include: interesting and unique themes, good location, pleasant and clean environment, value for money, quality facilities and services, maintainability and sustainability.

The overall quality of a theme water park has to be high so as to attract more visitors or else the expected social and economic benefits may not be realized (Fotiadis & Vassiliadis, 2016). This prompted the design team to make several improvements to the selected design option. Some of the improvements that were made to the park included making the park suitable for special festivals and events such as Halloween and Christmas, and educational and entertaining experiments. Other improvements were based on fundamental elements such as safety, productivity, affordability, maintainability, environmental friendliness, materials requirements durability and sustainability of the park.

This is a very crucial task where the conceptual design team evaluated the possibility of developing the proposed theme water park design and its ability to meet client and customer needs. The design team used different computer software applications to create simulations of the park so as to determine its performance and efficiency. This included analysis of resources efficiency, pollution, materials requirements, operability and maintainability, safety, compatibility and interoperability, construction period, environmental impacts, affordability, etc. The feasibility study provided important information that was used in improving subsequent design and construction processes.

Quality and Durability

Innovation is very key in modern-day society because it helps in creating ideas, products and processes that are more effective. In this project, conceptual design team used innovation to diversify the theme water park and make it different from others to ensure that client and customer needs were met. Most of the park ideas generated were completely new, thanks to innovation. The design team tried as much as possible to modernize the park by integrating the latest trends in entertainment and amusement parks. Some of the innovative technologies incorporated in the design include: augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, robotics, drone technology, etc. This was mainly aimed at attracting more young visitors to the park because they tend to prefer facilities with the latest trends. Another invisible innovation and modernization was integrating an automated management system in the park design.

There are many theme water parks in the world and the only way to make a new one attractive is to make it exceptional. The success of a park is usually based on its ability to attract as many visitors as possible throughout its lifecycle. The conceptual design team in this project ensured that every aspect of the design was unique. This is in terms of size, shape, color, pattern, arrangement, finish, etc. The uniqueness helped in making the park standout from several others in the region. Looking at the sketches, 2D layouts and 3D models created at the conceptual design, the intention of the park to attract visitors was made clear.

This being an engineering system, testing of the products designed was mandatory. The design team developed a plan to test each product so as to establish its functionality, safety, performance, efficiency, sustainability, cost effectiveness, eco-friendliness and practicability. The testing was mainly aimed at establishing whether various part facilities operate are expected or not, and identify appropriate techniques of improving them. The tests were mainly based on functionality, efficiency and quality. The systems were tested individually and as an integrated system to determine compatibility and interoperability.  

The conceptual design process of the theme water park in this project was completed based on circular economy model. This was so as to facilitate use of renewable, recycled, recyclable, maintainable and remanufactured materials. The design team strived to ensure that materials used in the project were locally available and could be reused, repaired, remanufactured or recycled. This was aimed at reducing waste disposal, extraction of natural resources, minimize negative environmental impacts and save money and time.

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