CASE STUDY:
How do students navigate? Enhancing Dining Flow with Pedestrian Simulation

Case Study: Avenues New York Campus
By Efficiency Lab for Architecture

People standing in line and others sitting in a bright, modern dining area with large windows, serving food in a cafeteria-style setting.

Redesigning the Upper Division dining space at Avenues New York began with a question: how do students move through the lunch line? When Avenues New York engaged Efficiency Lab for Architecture to study its Upper Division dining experience, EL used MassMotion, a Pedestrian Simulation software to better understand how different serving configurations impact student flow and wait times.

People standing in line at a cafeteria serving station with chefs behind the counter
Floor plan of a self-service restaurant with a counter and multiple tables and chairs, showing the self-serving area with red arrows indicating direction.

Dining Hall at Avenues School

During the site visit, the architect observed the existing system relies on a fixed linear counter, students self-serve from a fixed linear counter, creating multiple consecutive stations along a linear counter.

People standing in line at a cafeteria buffet, serving themselves food from stainless steel trays, with cafeteria staff in white uniforms preparing food in the background.
Floor plan of a dining area with an entrance on the right, an exit on the left, and a staff serving area at the top. The room has tables with chairs, circular and rectangular, arranged in the center.

MULTIPLE STATIONS ON A LINEAR COUNTER (Fixed)

However, the existing setup of a linear counter is traditionally configured for single linear flow that student queue at one end and proceed sequentially as serving by the staff.

3D digital model of a rooftop urban farm with various crops and water features, surrounded by buildings.

MULTIPLE STATIONS ON A LINEAR COUNTER (Fixed)
AVERAGE SERVING TIME: 3min 13sec

To better understand performance, a model scenario was developed to simulate 150 students being served over a 20-minute period. The simulation of the existing configuration revealed inefficiencies and overcrowding in flow, especially during peak lunch periods.

Indoor market with dining area, vendors, and shoppers, featuring tables with people eating and vendors selling goods, under high ceiling with hanging lights.
Floor plan with recommended social distancing guidelines for a dining area, showing designated refill and self-serve stations, with arrows indicating flow of movement and instructions to refill regularly and self-serve.

MULTIPLE STATIONS DECENTRALIZED (Mobile)

In response, an alternative approach inspired by food court models was proposed: decentralizing the stations into mobile, flexible units that can be refilled from the kitchen as needed.

3D layout of a large rooftop garden with various colorful plant beds, seating areas, pathways, and trees, surrounded by building rooftops.

MULTIPLE STATIONS DECENTRALIZED (Mobile)
AVERAGE SERVING TIME: 1min 12sec

The findings clearly indicate that a decentralized, mobile station system greatly improves flow efficiency and reduces wait times during peak periods. By analyzing how layout and service style impact flow and efficiency, EL were able to make data-driven recommendations to significantly improve the student dining experience.