Multi-Housing News - September 2009 - (Page 24)

development & design Community Living Smaller units and oversized amenity areas highlight the movement from a suburban to urban lifestyle in low-rise apartments By Erika Schnitzer, Associate Editor When one traditionally thinks of garden apartments, sprawling suburban communities with plenty of open green space often come to mind. But with suburban sprawl quickly becoming a thing of the past, and with an emerging demographic of Generation Y renters who tend to desire closer proximity to the city, the new garden apartment communities are more urban than ever before. Amenities are particularly key in this style of housing, especially in terms of creating social gathering spaces for residents to interact with one another. “That’s what sells the product—the amenities. Residents are demanding they be available 24/7 with a key fob—they are becoming the living room,” reports Sanford Steinberg, AIA, principal, Steinberg Design Collaborative LLP. “They are the town center and the gathering [place] for the community. Gen Y doesn’t spend time in the units. They want to be out where everyone is.” As a result of this demand for ample community/ amenity space, the size of the units is also changing. Floor plans are becoming much smaller as the amenity space explodes, asserts Steinberg. “Floor plans are, if possible, becoming more open than in the past,” he adds, with both the loft aesthetic and Generation Y pushing the market toward this movement. “What we have been doing in our new floor plans is [combining] the living room, dining room and kitchen as one big room. The kitchen is an L-shape against the wall—no island. It’s one big space, giving the resident the opportunity to input their design into the room.” 24 September 2009 | Multi-Housing News

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Multi-Housing News - September 2009

Multi-Housing News - September 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Executive Insight: Jack Kern
Market Pulse
Conversation with Shaun Donovan
Property Management
Global Market Report
Development & Design: Low-Rise
Directory: Top Architects
Kitchen & Bath: Cabinets
Products: Leasing Tools
Technology: Lead Management
NMHC Notebook

Multi-Housing News - September 2009