March 2016 — Multifamily Properties Quarterly —
Page 23
T
his multifamily housing
boom is seeing the onset of
many emerging trends in
amenities and landscapes.
Today’s residents want the
convenience and security of single-
family living in a multifamily set-
ting. Committing to the latest trends
and highest standards in the land
plan and landscape architectural
design process is a great way to
create healthy and profitable com-
munities for generations to come.
Following are 10 of the most signifi-
cant trends that can be incorporated
immediately into any new or exist-
ing multifamily community.
1. Product diversity.
People want
their home to be an expression
of their personality and lifestyle,
whether it’s in a master-planned
community or a high-density set-
ting. Different home product types
give people more choices to match
their design taste and lifestyle. This
is important because diversity of
home styles encourages a diversity
of residents and fosters a sustain-
able community culture. Meanwhile,
varied street scenes contribute to
a sense of community and unique
place.
2. Landscape.
Living in a multifam-
ily community no longer means
accepting a lower-quality outdoor
environment. People want an attrac-
tive, safe and sustainable place to
live, and believe the setting is a
reflection of residents’ lifestyle and
identity.
A sense of arrival is an important
way to establish community identity.
Whenever possible, integrate views
to amenities and adjacent parks and
open spaces at community entries.
Also, incorporate many walkable
paths to surrounding shopping and
transit areas, parks and open spaces.
If you can, integrate small pocket
parks and community green spaces.
Residents want convenient access to
outdoor activity and nature without
having to get into their cars.
Within your landscaped areas, use
native and naturalizing plant mate-
rials. They have an immediate and
lasting visual impact and perform
well with less water and less main-
tenance. Also, plant sizeable trees
wherever possible because they
signify a sense of community and
permanence and reduce the urban
heat-island effect.
3. More deck, less pool.
Designs for
leasing centers and amenities are
in the forefront. Swimming pools
are a staple of high-end apartment
communities, but most people don’t
go to the pool to swim. They go to
hang out around the pool. So keep
the pool size to a comfortable scale
for the community and, instead of
building something large, focus on
providing more deck space with
good solar orientation and smaller,
more intimate spaces for people to
gather.
You can create larger turf areas
and lawns within the pool enclo-
sure to accommodate larger groups,
informal play and a cooler surface
on the extra sunny and hot days. For
the deck itself, achieve a higher level
of deck finish with custom copings,
patterning, and scoring of paving,
color and texture. A variety of qual-
ity furnishings creates a residential
feel in the space, which makes these
spaces the community “living room,”
not the “backyard.”
4. More features, less water.
As
noted above, residents have come
to expect the highest-quality design
and amenities in a competitive
market of modern
apartment commu-
nities. The swim-
ming pool in these
settings is more of
an aesthetic fea-
ture than a place to
swim laps. In order
to take advantage
of this:
• Site the pool so
it is aligned with
key views from the
leasing center.
• Integrate foun-
tains or other
water features within the pool for
dramatic effect.
• Place water features where peo-
ple can interact with the spill.
• Use uplighting for dramatic night
effects.
• Integrate chaise decks for sun-
ning and play.
• Introduce “zero edge” entries to
make the pool accessible to kids and
older adults.
• Provide in-pool seating in a
variety of arrangements to cre-
ate unique and intimate gathering
spaces.
5. Outdoor dining and entertainment.
While more people are choosing
higher-density, lower-maintenance
multifamily living, most still want
opportunities to enjoy outdoor din-
ing and entertainment.
When designing these spaces,
keep ease of use in mind. For con-
venience, place outdoor dining
adjacent to indoor prep spaces,
and locate grills so prevailing wind
doesn’t carry smoke over the pool
and deck. When possible, provide
shade and weather protection for
the grills.
It is wise to provide multiple grills
with access from different sides so
several groups can use the equip-
ment simultaneously. Also, provide
ample lighting for night use and
meet accessibility requirements.
And finally, use top-quality, durable
appliances and furnishings.
6. Outdoor fireplaces.
Outdoor fire
pits are popular with single-family
homes and multifamily neighbor-
hoods. We take fire-as-an-amenity
to the next level. Residents want an
outdoor “living room” experience,
not a campfire. So outdoor fireplaces
should be a design extension of the
architecture of the community cen-
ter and residences.
To do this, make the fireplace
stack tall so it is a visual anchor and
focal point of the space. Again, when
possible, make the fireplace acces-
sible from multiple sides for greater
visual impact and to allow multiple
groups to share the space. You also
must include safety features like
automatic shut-off timers and grill
or glass covers for openings.
7. Cars, garages and storage.
People
still love their cars, and garages
increasingly are important in multi-
family communities. This is a prime
example of how residents want the
convenience and security of single-
family living in a multifamily set-
ting. It is best to offer direct access
from garages to units. With electric
cars becoming commonplace, you
should consider providing on-site
charging stations for residents. Also,
a great feature to offer tenants for
convenience is a self-service car
wash station integrated into the
community maintenance building.
Within the garage, provide addi-
tional storage space because people
Craig Karn,
ASLA, ULI
Founder, Consilium
Design, Centennial
Design
Keep the pool size to a comfortable scale and, instead of building something large, focus
on providing more deck space with good solar orientation and smaller, more intimate
spaces for people to gather.
People want walkable paths to shopping and transit areas, parks and open spaces.
Residents want an outdoor “living room” experience, not a campfire. So outdoor fire-
places should be a design extension of the architecture of the community center and
residences.
