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November 2017 — Multifamily Properties Quarterly — Page 29
A fter 17 years as an interior
designer in Denver and as a
Colorado native, I have been
witness to all the changes
the large influx of people
to our state has brought. Clearly,
somewhere along the line, we were
discovered for our fantastic weath-
er, our beautiful mountains and
the seemingly never-ending array
of things to do out of doors – or
indoors, for that matter. With that,
the need for housing, especially
affordable housing, has never been
so great. Over the years, I have been
involved in countless multifam-
ily projects, most in Denver metro
and mostly mid- to high-end price
points – projects in which the target
audience has been savvy and makes
buying or renting decisions based
on aesthetics along with other fac-
tors, demanding high design and a
growing list of amenities.
The demands of these projects
have taught me what people really
want out of their homes and com-
munities; those things are largely
the same across the economic spec-
trum.
“It takes a certain amount of dark-
ness to see the light” is a phrase I
was reminded of while wrapping up
my most recent project, The Mead-
ows at Montbello, a new four-story
affordable senior rental building for
the Volunteers of America, support-
ed by public finance partner Colora-
do Housing and Finance Authority.
While installing the common areas,
I encountered residents moving in
whose overwhelming gratitude was
humbling. While I regularly receive
some thanks and
general apprecia-
tion for the work
I do, this was dif-
ferent. These folks
expressed some-
thing deeper, and I
felt that this place
was going to mean
more to them than
simply home.
Low-income peo-
ple and seniors are
among our most
vulnerable resi-
dents; many have been homeless,
near homeless or institutionalized
in the past. For them, this building
is a new start and an opportunity
at normalcy. These are the people
whose lives can be changed mean-
ingfully, in some part, by design.
While touring other low-income
properties around town as research
for this project, it became clear
that many of these types of build-
ings were fulfilling only the basic
function of shelter and little or no
thought had been given to aesthet-
ics or amenity. I wondered if it was
a result of a low budget that drove
the outcome, or if it was simply
lack of insight into the needs of the
population.
In my mind, great design is not a
function of a big budget, but rather
a result of creative thinking and
careful consideration of the end
user. While 10 years ago it would’ve
been much harder to design some-
thing beautiful on a dime, these
days the market is flooded with
low-cost/on-trend materials, and
many are sustainable to boot.
Some low-budget design elements
that are part of any building can
have significant impact – paint, for
instance. Color can instantly trans-
form a space from basic housing to
a welcoming home.
Many amenities available to the
average apartment dweller are
invaluable to this more vulnerable
population. And, some of the ame-
nities that have the biggest impact
on these communities are the ones
we all care about.
• Connection to nature. We all
crave it, especially in our gorgeous
state. The architects responsible
for the Montbello project thought-
fully placed the building on the
site opposite the already existing
building, creating a green space in
between – a minipark for residents
to gather and soak up the sun.
It connects the two buildings as
well as creates a verdant space for
events and recreation. A little out-
door space goes a long way.
• Access to technology. For those
seeking jobs, keeping track of fam-
ily and trying to regain financial
stability, this can be critical. Simply
utilizing a small space with a few
computers to create a business
center can easily service those who
Final Thoughts
Jennifer Pruett
Senior interior
designer, Mandil
Inc., Denver
Scott Dressel-Martin/CHFA
The lobby at The Meadows at Montbello, a new four-story affordable senior rental building