Design Trends Shaping Multifamily Buildings

Wise and prudent management of a multifamily complex goes well beyond providing customer service day in and day out. It’s about keeping an eye on the future and providing a modern property that retains and attracts tenants for years to come. If you’re interested in being the “hot” property that’s in high demand, these are the trends to follow:

Mixed-Use Zoning

The idea of mixed-use zoning is not new; combining residential spaces with commercial spaces is a practice nearly as old as time. But what was common in urban settings has now spread out of major metropolitan areas and into more suburban spaces. Modern multi-story buildings and apartments are peppered with retail shops, coffee shops, and street-level restaurants to create walkable communities that feature both living and retail spaces.

These types of multi-use planned neighborhoods are especially appealing to people who work from home full time or have hybrid work schedules. The ability to take a quick break from work and run next door to the store or downstairs to the café is very appealing.

Co-working Spaces

In fact, remote work is also inspiring another trend: co-working spaces. Working from home doesn’t necessarily have to literally mean working at home; a co-working space is an amenity that gives residents a place to work that’s “at home” but also away from the distractions of home. Adding a state-of-the-art business center or a coworking lounge to your multifamily building allows your tenants access to private offices, group meeting spaces, single workstations, and more without ever leaving home.

Comfortable chairs, commodious workspaces, and all the necessary tech tools like WiFi, 5G, and ample charging hubs plus access that’s restricted to residents only make a co-working space a highly attractive, highly desirable feature of your property.

Spacious Mailrooms

Snail mail might be on the decline, but package delivery is rising exponentially. Having a mail room that can accommodate your residents’ purchases and keep them safe and secure is a major plus. Today’s mailroom can’t be an afterthought; a well-designed mailroom with ample storage and generous security can absolutely be a feature of your multifamily space.

Biophilic Design

Biophilia is a word that describes a love of all things alive; biophilic design endeavors to connect occupants to all life in the natural world. Yes, biophilic design is trendy and comes with its own fancy buzzword, but the underlying principle is sound: people are happier and have a greater sense of wellness when light, life, and fresh air are part of their everyday experience.

You can incorporate biophilic design into your multifamily building in a variety of ways. Ideas include the following:

• Use natural hues such as green and blue in your interior design.
• Emphasize natural lighting with windows letting in sunlight and high-quality fixtures miming natural light.
• If you’ve got a view, capitalize on it.
• Create good ventilation and airflow.
• Add plants and greenery to your interiors.
• Design outdoor spaces like rooftops and outdoor patios to be comfortable and inviting with fire pits, luxe outdoor furniture, and even work areas.

If you’re looking for innovative ways to give your residents more opportunities to indulge their biophilia, talk to a member of the team at Indoff.

Active Design

After 2+ years of living on their couches, folks everywhere are anxious to get out and get moving. Active design is all about helping your residents do just that. Sometimes you’ll see active design defined as principles that encourage your residents to lead healthier lives. There’s certainly an element of truth there, but that definition can also feel off-putting and even a bit manipulative. As a property owner, your residents’ physical activity level isn’t your responsibility, which is why we prefer to think of active design as inspiring. Active residents are healthy, happy residents, and that’s good for everyone.

Good active design inspires activity and might look like the following:

• Multi-use zoning that puts businesses within easy walking distance.
• On-site amenities such as spas and gyms that give residents that are so inclined easy access to fitness equipment, classes, and wellness treatments.
• Bike racks and covered, secure bike storage that make owning a bicycle a breeze (maybe even easier than owning a car).
• Attractive stairwells filled with light and art that are places folks enjoy rather than dark, sketchy stairwells that no one wants to frequent.

Again, the team at Indoff has the ideas and resources you need to make your space one that inspires an active, healthy lifestyle.

Pet Friendly

Pet ownership is more popular than ever before. Owning a pet in a multifamily building is considered challenging; in a traditional apartment building, there’s no place to walk, exercise, or bathe the dog. Making your residential complex pet-friendly is a very modern idea and is one that will quickly increase demand. Options for welcoming four-legged friends and their owners include:

• Adding dog wash areas on site.
• Putting in a dog park.
• Zoning one space for doggie daycare.

Design for Today and Tomorrow

Indoff has what you need to generate high-demand multifamily buildings. With Indoff as your partner, you can create commercial designs that have compelling common area interiors and exteriors that draw people to your space. At Indoff, staying on top of trends doesn’t mean putting up shiplap walls or using the Pantone color of the year; for our team of design professionals, trends are all about understanding how people live and work and then meeting people where they are. By staying on the leading edge of lifestyle trends, you increase demand for your residential property and enhance the resident experience. Give us a call to discuss modernizing your space today.