Page 46 - Green Builder July-August 2020 Issue

COVID- will mean major changes to the look and feel of apartment housing.

Here’s what things could look like.

BY ELLEN CHANG
T HERE’S A NEW LOOK COMING savings toward a down payment to buy a will need to be able to accommodate both
house when it might be needed to pay bills
renters and apartment building employees,
to multifamily housing, and it’s
due to the uncertainty in the economy.
and be designed “with enough space to allow
Renters could consider larger spaces and
for heavy foot tra”c without putting people
courtesy of COVID- ­.
The lifestyle everyone has had to
adjust to is going to catch up to the construction additional bedrooms,‰ and eschew open in confined spaces,” says Patrick Carroll,
Œoor plans because the number of people
CEO of Carroll, an Atlanta-based real estate
industry, and that’s not a bad thing. According working from home is likely to continue in company that owns –—,——— residential and
to a new report from Apartment Guide, here’s the near term. As more people spend time at commercial properties.
what’s on the horizon. home on video meetings or phone calls, the Meanwhile, interior spaces will have to
The‰ construction of new apartment need for more privacy and space will rise. be rethought to accommodate the need for
buildings‰will likely factor in the possibility With those points in mind, here are social distancing. “The Œow of tra”c in and
of people spending more time at home as eight design trends we expect will soon out of these spaces will have to be carefully
more companies are allowing employees to become part of the norm for apartment considered, as well, to avoid bottlenecks
work remotely. features, amenities and layouts for the new around entrances and exits,” Carroll says.
Architects will change the design and construction of apartments. “Unit corridors will likely go unchanged
layouts of apartment buildings to adapt to because they are not heavily tra”cked, but
the new norms caused by the coronavirus 1. COMMON SPACES NEED TO certainly amenity spaces are on everyone’s
pandemic. Common spaces and amenities, ALLOW FOR HEAVY FOOT TRAFFIC mind right now.”
such as swimming pools and gyms, will be Many apartment buildings feature The focus will have to shift so that residents
viewed di‹erently as these areas will need amenities, such as places for renters to work, feel safe and that communal areas are sani-
to accommodate social distancing practices use a printer, grab co‹ee and socialize with tary, Carroll notes. Another factor is reducing
and lower the spread of pathogens indoors. their neighbors. the number of times residents and sta‹ touch
The‰demand for renting‰is not likely to Places such as ’tness centers, working surfaces, whether it’s incorporating technol-
decline. More people are hesitant to put their spaces, co‹ee lounges and leasing centers ogy like touchless entry, having the ability to

44 GREEN BUILDER July/August 2020 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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