A Holistic & Integrated Approach to Amenity Management

When it comes to programming amenity spaces within a building, we think of several factors: residents’ preferences and needs, longevity (instead of following trends that may be short-lived), convenience, service-as-a-luxury, and sustainability. 

It may be trendy to talk about building salt rooms and equipping a gym with fancy new machines, but we believe approaching amenities with this “feature-first” approach leads to unutilized spaces and missed opportunities to deliver more value to residents.

Ultimately, we believe in approaching amenity management the other way around - customer-first. We think about our residents and their lifestyles before determining the best way to outfit and program amenity spaces. 

Lifestyles first, features second

Before we even determine what machines to fill a gym with, we determine if the residents in the building are the type that would spend more time in group classes in a yoga studio, or one-on-one with a personal trainer lifting weights. 

Likewise, before we think about how to design a beautiful lobby or party space, we think about what services residents are likely to use, and how those will interact with the space. Can we enable them to book a decorator or party planner directly through a concierge app when they want to use the party room? 

And when residents shop online or order groceries, food deliveries, or laundry services, is there a designated package holding room with not only enough space to accommodate the increased online shopping as a result of physical distancing, but also with appropriate storage facilities (eg. refrigerators and hangers)?

All of these are important considerations for us when we think about designing and managing amenities in a way that will drive maximum utilization and return on investment. 

Creating a sense of “place”

As luxury and convenience becomes increasingly valued by residents, many residential buildings have started to offer services and amenities similar to those at hotels. These include white-glove concierge service, in-house coffee shops, and in-house cleaning and laundry services, among others. 

But what will distinguish a residential building from a hotel where guests come and go is fostering a sense of community. Prior to the pandemic, we organized wine nights, movie nights, themed Halloween and Super Bowl parties, and kids’ concerts to bring residents together and build community. 

During physical distancing, we turned to virtual programming to fill this gap. We teamed up with top local comedians featured on Comedy Central, Netflix, and SF Sketchfest, along with local restaurants to organize a series of dinner + comedy shows to raise funds for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, while keeping people entertained and safe while they stayed at home.

We also organized a pet adoption drive, teaming up with local shelters to arrange virtual adoption drives, then transporting pets from shelters to the homes of residents who decided to adopt a furry companion to keep them company during physically distant times. 

Supporting the local community

We believe communities don’t exist in isolation. In aiming to foster community among the residents of a building, we also aim to support the wider local community and small family-run businesses. 

URBN Playground’s approach to thinking globally and building community locally is evident in the partners we choose to work with - from working with national wellness brands like Athleta to produce fitness related events that shape the community, while choosing to buy from local farms, ice-cream shops, breweries, florists, and bakeries for our events. 

For example, we have partnered with the farmer-owned dairy company, Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy, to provide apartment residents in Manhattan and Brooklyn with farm-to-fridge fresh milk and dairy products through the URBN Playground concierge app, delivered to their doorstep in as little as 3 days.

We also work closely with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to hire and train refugees to work in frontline roles, delivering essential services to residents and customers, giving this group of people important employment opportunities. 

We believe that as we support others, others support us too. By connecting developers and building management companies, and consulting and working with local, artisanal, and organic businesses, we’re able to create powerful partnerships that touch many lives within the community. By thinking win-win, we’re able to deliver enhanced, holistic residential lifestyle experiences for those we serve, while continuing to innovate and optimize how we use amenity spaces.