When It Comes to Amenities, Sometimes Bigger Isn't Always Better
When looking at the residential amenity landscape, you tend to see and hear advice along the lines of “the top amenities to invest in”, “how to select future-proof amenities”, and “trends in amenity programming”. What these approaches have in common is the tendency to see amenities as a single set of offerings for the overall population.
At URBN Playground, we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to programming amenity spaces. Instead of looking at the larger group that uses a building, we identify subpopulations and varied personalities, and think about the different ways that amenities can accommodate their needs.
There are many reasons a person might choose to live or work in a certain building - but a primary driver of choice is the neighborhood and the location. The amenities in a building can add to that experience, but two people in the same building might want different things out of the amenities. One might want social spaces, while the other prefers a quiet place where they can focus.
We believe catering to these unique sub-populations is key, especially as there are more renters with disposable income and more power of choice than ever before. According to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, the number of renters making $100,000 increased by 5% nationwide in 2017. This leads to growing competition among building managers to stand out from the crowd and attract tenants.
A home for every resident
At URBN, we look at designing amenity programs that will meet the needs of the individual. We want everyone to say, "This is my favorite place in the world", instead of "I can make this work".
As Brian McAuliffe, President of CBRE Capital Markets, said: “...amenity innovation is critical to the success and competitive advantage of apartment properties. It’s not enough to offer rooftop grilling areas or dog runs; owners and developers must think carefully about amenities and services that work together to create a cohesive community.”
This might sound like it requires a lot of effort and investment - but catering to the needs of different sub-groups within your community doesn’t have to cost more. Rather, it’s about being thoughtful and creative with how amenity spaces are designed and set up, so they can be programmed in many multifunctional ways. Here’s a few examples of what this could look like when we design amenity programs for different clients, seen through the lens of some trending amenities:
Communal living spaces
More than ever before, the pandemic has underlined the importance of community and connection. Renters today who flock to the city for work are looking for a “home away from home” and seek out spaces where they can host friends and get to know their neighbors.
A building may have a beautifully-appointed lounge area - but ultimately it’s the type of events hosted in the residents’ lounge that determines how often it will be frequented. At URBN, our calendar of events is diverse and varied - ranging from kids’ parties to super bowl parties and cocktail workshop nights - showcasing how the same space can be changed up to serve many different groups of people.
Common spaces for the arts
As people are confined to their buildings, they turn to music and the arts for an escape. Many buildings now offer writing and recording rooms for residents to express their creativity. When thinking about investing into audio and visual equipment, it’s worthwhile thinking about how they could serve different purposes. For instance, during lockdowns, the space could be offered as a recording studio for rent to residents who want a creative outlet. Post-pandemic, the space could be rearranged to serve as an intimate venue for poetry, comedy, and live music nights for residents.
Quiet spaces with ergonomic desks could be used by individual residents for working, writing, or journaling - but they could also be reprogrammed to host artistic and creative group activities like watercolor and calligraphy workshops.
Maker spaces for the “DIY” generation
As Covid-19 has driven us towards picking up indoor hobbies, the DIY trend has continued to grow - leading many buildings to allocate “maker spaces” as part of their amenity offerings. But creating a useful maker space is about more than just plopping some handy tools and materials in a room. It’s important to think about the many different kinds of hobbies residents might have, and outfit the space to serve these different interests.
For instance, do units in the building have balconies where residents have taken up urban gardening? The maker space could house gardening equipment, while also serving as a venue for gardening workshops to be held. Are people turning to exercise they can do around their neighborhood, such as biking, to avoid enclosed gym spaces? Think about offering tools for bike maintenance and repair. The possibilities are endless!
Co-working spaces and technology
The “business center” or “business lounge” of the past is long gone. Space allocated for chunky equipment, such as desktop computers, and filing / storage space is no longer necessary in a cloud-based world. The additional space freed up has made way for modern co-working spaces which feature a mix of open hotdesks and collaborative spaces, alongside quiet, soundproof call booths and quiet spaces.
At URBN, we believe that the invisible service that occurs in these spaces is just as important as the physical setup. The speed of WiFi and ease of getting connected in these common areas is just as important as having comfy, ergonomic chairs and bright, cheerful rooms.
To help buildings deliver more comprehensive service to their residents, we offer a proprietary virtual concierge app that can be programmed as a one-stop shop for all the different needs of your building residents. From interior design requests to booking cleaning, pet walking, and fitness training services, all these requests are centralized in a single app, making it hassle-free and easy for your residents to get their service needs met.
Integrated, flexible fitness spaces
In the past, building owners have typically taken a “set it and forget it” approach to fitness centers. This leads to costly gym equipment sitting unused and abandoned, as they don’t meet the needs of the users. We are strong proponents of the fact that fitness spaces should be multifunctional. For instance, a studio space with mirrored walls can be used for a range of different group classes, from yoga to pilates to dance to martial arts classes.
Even with gym spaces, functional fitness training equipment such as TRX, kettlebells, resistance bands, and free weights offer a wider variety of possible exercises, while taking up less space and being easy to move around and reconfigure. At URBN, we enjoy mixing up our fitness programming to meet the needs of what customers are currently looking for and excited by, instead of limiting ourselves to static treadmills and rowing machines.
Game rooms
As Covid-19 has brought families and neighbors closer together, it has created a resurgence in nostalgic gaming - from video games to board games. Instead of installing a gaming area that doesn’t offer much variety (eg. a virtual golf simulator), a game room with a large screen and several different gaming consoles, along with large tables for board games can offer much more variety in terms of games that residents of all ages and interests can enjoy.
In terms of programming, themed “game tournament nights”, from retro arcade games to European strategy board games, can be organized to create a greater sense of community and camaraderie among residents.
We hope these examples will serve as inspiration for thinking one level deeper when considering different amenities for your building. Ultimately, it’s less about the actual physical amenities that get installed, and more about the thought process and approach to service and program design that will determine how much these amenities are utilized - and how much residents will see their building as a home, instead of just a roof over their heads.