For P15 (urban)landscapes a good design or a successful spatial intervention is, if anything, subtle or inconspicuous. Which means that the new situation comes across as self-evident. A place shouldn’t looks overly designed or need explanation to reveal the designers meaning. Every intervention is approached from the context of the site. Situational design tries to bring out the best of any given place within the limitations of the desired functional or spatial change(s). Designing with ensembles is at the core of situational design.
Contextual design can also mean that something unique is added to a place. Situational design isn’t the same as limiting yourself to what is already there! What is important is that design elements aren’t simply copied or introduced without any regard for context or function. A well-integrated urban landscape requires space for all the constituent parts. Seeking smart combinations of functions will result in much more future proof usage then monofunctional segregation. Spatial integration isn’t a tool for reducing the size of developments. A truly spatial solution requires courage to advise a fitting strategy and a good idea to convince the stakeholders. From a situational approach come obvious interventions, that will be inconspicuous, but especially characterised by a high degree of identifiability and intrinsic value.