Page 47 - Green Builder July-August 2020 Issue
P. 47
Changing times. Tomorrow’s
multifamily housing will have to include
consideration of foot traffic, ventilation
and indoor lighting to ensure protection
from COVID-19.
CREDIT: KANGESTUDIOISTOCK
Price point. Improved ventilation will help limit the impact of coronavirus, but builders
and apartment occupants will have to pay for the upgrade in one way or another.
world, says Tyler Davis, director of new might be more selective in how they
construction atBright Power, a New York- choose to occupy those spaces, notesBrad
MULTIFAMILY and operators. use development, construction and property
Vogelsmeier, vice president of development
based energy and water management
atMilhaus, an Indianapolis-based, mixed-
services company for real estate owners
“Health-savvy developers may investigate
management company that specializes in
increasing ventilation rates or using better
Class A, urban, multifamily, residential
filtration to improve indoor air quality,”
buildings.
MINDSET CREDIT: FULLVALUEISTOCK air quality and create healthier spaces for in an o
ce and some still want light social
Davis says. “Better ventilation will increase
“Not everyone is programmed to work
interaction that these public spaces provide,”
occupants. While occupants themselves will
not see a noticeable shift in their spaces, they
he says. “Getting a small group together
and not being on top of other people will
will reap bene ts.”
be valuable. Amenity areas should be
Determining where developers will
ventilation will be a critical issue, he says.
one group at a time.”
Apartment complexes will need to adapt
Funding for aordable housing has already
open doors to the community gym or leasing find additional funding to cover better con gured to accommodate more than just
o
ce with feet or switching to lights with been hit hard by the pandemic, plus there as more people will be working remotely,
motion sensors in communal areas. are ever-increasing construction costs. and having this workplace mindset
“In addition to the design and ow of “It remains to be seen if these will be means they can provide tenants the
these speci c outdoor and interior spaces, increasingly value engineered out of coworking environment they desperately
communities will need to make sure the building designs in order to keep projects seek, according to Mayank Agrawal, CEO
shared amenities are cleaned frequently,” he out of the red,” Davis says. “We trust that ofZenSpace, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based
said. “Not only that, but the management developers will continue to see the value meeting space company.
team will need to communicate what is of higher quality ventilation systems to “Apartment common spaces will need to
being done to keep these spaces clean so provide healthy spaces for their occupants.” think about soundproof workspaces, tech-
that residents feel safe.” Keane says it will be interesting to see if enabled meeting rooms, quality internet and
Several apartment building upgrades and these items come to fruition. “Projects still options to help maintain social distancing,”
add-ons are being implemented, including need to pencil out, and whether a developer he says. “As we’ve seen from the pandemic,
sanitizing stations, physical barriers at plans to hold or sell the building may dictate working from home just doesn’t work for
reception and amenity areas, temperature- how much they are willing to spend on these many people, whether it’s due to noisy
monitoring stations, touchless faucets, auto various upgrades,” he notes. levels, multiple family members in a small
door operators, increased air changing and space or simply a need to get away.”
air sanitizing HVAC systems/ultraviolet 3. SMALL GROUP MEETING SPACE Vogelsmeier notes that any interior
(UV) treatment and hands-free elevator WILL NEED TO INCREASE or exterior common space that can be
technology, according to Ryan Keane, vice Not everyone will want to work from their broken up should better facilitate multiple
president of Nashville operations forJames apartment or will need more space to conduct conversations or gatherings in the same place
McHugh Construction Co., a Chicago-based meetings quietly. The apartment industry will at the same time. “We’ve been forced into
full service construction rm. need to oer more workspaces, similar to the our own living spaces for so long and having
shift made by hotel architects and designers private space is great, but getting a small
2. BETTER VENTILATION WILL incorporating more workspaces and Wi-Fi for group together and not being on top of other
BE PRIORITIZED business travelers in hotel lobbies. people will be valuable,” he says. “Amenity
Ventilation will remain a priority when While coworking spaces or coee shop areas should be con gured to accommodate
architects design spaces in a post-pandemic replications will not disappear, residents more than just one group at a time.”
www.greenbuildermedia.com July/August 2020 GREEN BUILDER 45
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