Page 48 - Green Builder July-August 2020 Issue

4. NATURAL LIGHT DEMAND necessary, especially in an apartment. “Some 7. LARGER FLOOR PLANS
WILL INCREASE people don’t want to trek to a coˆee shop or WILL BE SOUGHT
Even before the impact of the pandemic co-working spaces because they’re seeking a The trend before the coronavirus was to
took place, some building designers were private work area to crank out work alone,” maximize apartment building density with
already working on adding demands from Dietrich says. “Renters will be looking for a high percentage of studios or small one-
customers and rethinking natural light these spaces and developers that don’t adapt bedroom apartments, Keane says. With the
is a no-brainer. Renters have consistently the design of their products quickly will be pandemic, there should be an increase in unit
demanded apartment units to have more left behind.” square footage in new construction apartments
light, outdoor space and purpose-built to give residents more space within their own
o ce and desk spaces for years, says Jake 6. ACCESS TO OUTDOOR SPACES dwellings, and balconies “may become a must.”
Dietrich, vice president of development WILL BECOME MORE KEY More apartment units could also have a
atMilhaus. “This is really pent up demand People will want to spend more time den included, Dietrich says. “A den, hopefully
and developers are trying to gure out how outdoors so they can easily social distance with windows, can provide an urban renter
to meet that demand with their products, from their neighbors. Creating communal with a work from home space, but also a
guest bedroom, a nursery, outdoor gear
room,” he says. “In addition to building in
a desk, we could also design these rooms
with Murphy beds or large built-in storage.”

8. TOUCHLESS FIXTURES COULD
BE MORE COMMON IN NEW
APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION
Mary Cook Associates, a Chicago-based
commercial interior design rm, notes that it
has already shifted gears and specications
on a few projects in the works. One example
is a renovation in Phoenix for which the
company has revised specifications to
include touchless plumbing xtures, says
founder and president Mary Cook.
In a Texas project, lighting has been
switched to motion sensors that are touch-
less and also save on energy. Model home
CREDIT: ALEXSANDRA ZLATKOVIK„ISTOCK o ce furniture selections. They switched
designs are also being adjusted. In a newly-
New Jersey, the company revised the leasing
Inner light. People who spent most of their constructed, multi-family community in
time indoors during the stay-at-home orders
learned to appreciate natural lighting—a trend from open café tables and chairs to pods
that will continue after COVID-19 fades. with removable partitions separating indi-
vidual workstations.
while still keeping rents affordable and outdoor spaces can be more challenging for New construction apartments will likely
projects in budget,” he says. urban properties because of the scarcity of offer many of these features to remain
land and pricing for it continues to increase, competitive. Apartment buildings and
5. APARTMENTS WILL HAVE according to Dietrich. architects that adapt to these changes will
DEDICATED WORKSPACES The increase in the floor-area-ratio to likely see higher occupancy rates and beat
The compact spaces within apartments maximize the number of units over the their competitors who stick to standard
can be adapted to incorporate more true years has decreased the amount of surface oˆerings. GB
workspaces into smaller square footage. parking or communal outdoor spaces on
“Work from home policies are about to get the properties. “This is where the quality of This article originally appeared in Apartment
a lot more ‚exible moving forward and in place comes in,” he says. “Developing near Guide and has been reprinted by permission.
order to make that sustainable, we’re going public urban parks and open spaces can
to need to get creative,” Vogelsmeier says. provide that communal outdoor space oˆ Ellen Chang is a Houston-based freelance
Apartment designs also need to include property, often in a more meaningful way journalist specializing in articles on stocks,
more private workspaces. Sometimes, the than we can achieve in the little remaining personal nance, energy, cybersecurity and
separation between work and home is square footage we have on our properties.” architecture.

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

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