Page 24
— Multifamily Properties Quarterly — August 2016
P
ublic spaces are defined as
social spaces that generally
are open and accessible to
people. Private spaces are
defined as spaces belonging
to, or for the use of, one particular
person or group of people. Why not
combine the two and create private
spaces in public spaces?
While Denver developers con-
tinue to build and
plan more projects
and rents are on
the rise, it is more
important than
ever to take differ-
ent approaches to
design. Gone are
the days of com-
partmentalized
spaces in multi-
family living.
Historically, com-
mon spaces were
designed as many
small rooms serv-
ing different functionalities and
were separated by four walls. They
included leasing centers, cyber
cafés, kitchens, theater rooms and
others. The thought process was to
design spaces that appeal to a vari-
ety of demographics with different
interests.
Over the last generation or two,
a sense of community has become
increasingly popular when choosing
a place to call home. While technol-
ogy continues to take over our lives,
people are looking for that human
connection more than ever. This
is being executed in multifamily
projects through designing open-
floor plans that are
activated in more
sophisticated ways.
Traditional leas-
ing offices are a
thing of the past.
Salespeople are
inviting potential
tenants into the
clubhouse, which
includes comfort-
able seating, and
discussing ameni-
ties over a cup of
coffee. Kitchen and
lounge spaces are
becoming larger
and more blended
so people can cook
together or rent
these spaces to
host larger groups
or events. Cyber
cafés are trans-
forming into col-
laborative work-
spaces and are an
extension of the lobby and lounges.
Health and wellness initiatives
are revamping fitness centers to
include spaces for group classes
and educational events, as well as
juice bars. Aesthetics and design
continues to become more sig-
nificant. Developers are feeling the
pressure to stand out among their
competitors. Multifamily projects
are starting to look and feel more
like a resort or hotel than apart-
ment complexes.
While large open spaces and more
aesthetically pleasing spaces are
becoming more of a norm versus
a trend and people are looking to
socialize within its community, we
still are seeing the importance of
creating private spaces within these
large, open public spaces.
While people want to enjoy the
amenities and high level of fin-
ishes in the common spaces, there
still is a need to find space that is
uninterrupted to either connect
with friends, work or have quiet
time by themselves. These spaces
don’t need to be surrounded by
walls anymore, but can be defined
by ceiling or floor details. We are
seeing libraries as an extension
to the clubhouse and are work-
ing on creating privatized booths,
again defined by floor insets. We
have a concept that includes build-
ing stacked pods out of shipping
containers that have clear glass on
one side so that is it private and
public. This idea can be extended
to individual technology stations,
music stations, meditation pods,
fresh-food lounges – the options are
endless.
Now is the time to collaborate, get
creative, think outside of the box
and develop one-of-a-kind, authen-
tic projects that people will want to
call home.
s
Angela Harris
Principal and
creative director,
Trio Environments,
Denver
Design
Michael Schinn, BIM HelpDesk
There still is a need to offer space that is private for tenants to connect with friends, work or have quiet time
uninterrupted.
