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Bad by Design

I believe that we should consider a graduate business degree with a Design component. Here is another example of what I mean.

Design Drain This is a photo of the parking lot across from the Municipal Auditorium. That is a new curb holding water in the parking lot. Yes you read it correctly. In the background is a mural on the San Antonio River. So since the water cannot drain through the newly laid curb, everyone parked in the lot is sloshing through ankle deep water. Why not put spaces in the curbing so that the water could drain into the river? 

This is another example of not just bad but atrocious design.

Drain II This shot includes the river below. It highlights the irony that the water which should drain into the river, cannot thanks to a poor design by someone no doubt paid to make a good design. For all I know the water is still there!

Have you seen any examples of good or bad design?

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4 responses to “Bad by Design”

  1. Marcos E. Avatar
    Marcos E.

    I have too witnessed a flawed water drainage design. The intersection just outside of 1604 and Potranco floods so quickly that with every thunderstorm it has become a habit for the city to block off the road. Therefore the problem has been noticed but nothing has been done to solve it. It has been over 5 years. Even with this problem retail outlets and a Walmart have been built right after this low water crossing. So when it floods instead of turning into the next subdivision to get home a half mile away like we used to, everyone will turn into the delivery ramp where the commercial trucks drop goods to Walmart, then proceed to cut accross the parking lot skipping the low water crossing. As of today no more is done to the hazardeous location except repaving the asphalt everytime the water eats it up-just like flushing money down the toilet.
    As for the problem at the municipal auditorim, I do not believe the problem will be solved until it arrouses enough complaints or it is time to redo the parking lot. But I do believe that the construction workers were probably aware of this future problem but could careless cause they dont get paid to design the landscape, they just get paid to make it happen and move on to the next project.

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  2. Dennis Elam Avatar
    Dennis Elam

    So I am not the only person noticing bad water design in SA! Thanks Marcos!

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  3. Felix Duque Avatar
    Felix Duque

    I agree that there is a lot of places, where the design is really bad for weather, and that they are not doing their homework. I guess, someone has not taken Managerial Accounting 🙂
    It seems that they have fixed a lot of places where the water would accumulate, for example at San Pedro and 410, but by doing this they are paying more to fix it, than if they would have designed it right in the first place. This sounds like one of Deming’s points..
    Also, it’s not all bad Design in San Antonio, I believe whoever designed the new construction in I10 and 410 as well as in 410 and 281 did a good job.
    What do you think?

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  4. Dennis Elam Avatar
    Dennis Elam

    I am thrilled the construction at Bandera and 4140 is finished, clearly the City has no intention of ninishing Culebra at 410, they brought in huge concrete barriers, why is hte left turn lane blocked for six months, what does this accomplish?
    281 North of 1604 is a planning disaster, without any over or under pass it is impassable after noon on Saturday and Sunday with four or five lights in a row. AS we said on the e mail
    What were the thinkin….
    NOw fixing it will cost even more than if it had been done correctly to begin with, another Deming point
    The long term cost of running I 35 down 410 East is quite expensive, another bad idea long term and now impossible to correct.

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