Brand Environment of an Industrial Park in Cambridge, UK
CONTEXT
I will analyze the brand environment of a small industrial park located in CambridgeUnited Kingdom. The location gives the park a picturesque and very English feel; in fact, the small units (warehouses/workshops) where the companies are housed are built of bricks and have sheet metal and wood roofs, something typical in England for this type of "workshops".
The small park can boast of being surrounded by both residential areas and countryside and trees.
Here, I felt this sensation more intensely due to the external noise of ambulances, children playing, and birds chirping in the trees. Inside the complex, I could perceive different smells from the various units: the smell of food, perhaps from catering or restaurants; the smell of plastic, from the production of goods or materials; and a very peculiar scent, noticeable from the entrance, of perfume and aromatic plants. The sounds of pressure washers, hammering, and people talking on the phone filled the interior of each unit and the entire complex with life.
LABORATORY
In this section I study in a little more detail the interior architecture of the park, the layout, the signage, etc.
- Architecture of the modules: bricks, wood, metal.
- Large parking areas with divided and well-organized spaces.
- Perimeter enclosure fenced with wrought iron bars.
- The layout of the units, as seen from the floor plan, is C-shaped:
- The interior layout of the park features sparse but varied vegetation.
- The signs, some more distinctive than others, reveal the longevity of the activity of some of the units:
- Right at the entrance, there is a giant metal banner showing the complete layout of the park and its modules/units:
OBSERVATION
Some owners claim that this industrial park is very pleasant.. Some help each other, whether it's to store a package from a delivery company or to ask for opinions on products they are manufacturing, even professional relationships in order to carry out some repair within a unit.
From very early in the morning, there's a lot of activity during working hours. The daily routine for going to work and back to home, the constant coming and going of service vans, , the continuous appearance of some delivery driver, all of this makes the the work environment is very lively and constantly active.
Speaking with employees from some units, I realize that their friendliness and willingness create and develop a enriching and diverse environment. People between units communicate and interact naturally, giving the park a great personal connectivity. Another point I've noticed, and one that's somewhat curious, is that climate influences sociability to some extent inside the compound, that is, when the weather is bad—raining, windy, cloudy, etc.—people are less inclined to leave their units to socialize. In contrast, on a nice sunny day, most go outside for lunch, to sit in a chair, or simply to get some fresh air.
Sources:
- Own elaboration