Historically, there has always been a divide between urban, suburban, and rural communities. But recent revolutionary trends in both design and lifestyle are changing the way we think about the urban-to-suburban split. The rise of remote work, the intense focus on sustainability, the ecological impact of spreading suburbs, and the desire to capture the best of both worlds is redefining multifamily development for the next decade.
The Suburban Sprawl
Everyone knows that cities spread over time, from dense urban areas to endless suburbs around the major cities like Houston and DFW. Suburbs form their own smaller cities with local downtowns and a balanced blend of apartments and single-family homes. A single major city can encompass dozens of smaller cities, creating a sine wave of high-density and medium-density zones.
As cities continue to grow into landscapes of smaller cities, the lines between urban and suburban are already blurring. Particularly in the realm of multifamily architecture, which seeks to capture the best of both worlds in the ever-more hybrid environment.
The Rise of Remote Work
Remote work and its growing popularity has also influenced the building of homes and apartment communities. Living further from city centers is more comfortable with fewer people making the commute. Hybrid schedules (splitting work at home and in the office) also means fewer days commuting which makes longer distances more manageable. This has led to less need to continually increase the density of housing close to job centers like downtowns, headquarters, and factories.
At the same time, architecture is embracing home office design as an inherent part of new houses, townhouses, and apartments. Whether it’s a versatile extra bedroom or a dedicated office space, architects are considering elements like power outlets and desk placement with each new home design.
Suburban Lifestyles with Urban Design Perks
Another rising trend is the unique design of multifamily properties to embrace the best of suburban and urban design. For example, urban apartment communities have honed the importance of walkability, mixed-use structures with integral shops and restaurants, and easy access to public transportation.
In contrast, suburban communities typically focus on expansive green space and amenities that reduce the need for nearby businesses.
As the lines between urban and suburban blur, these elements are appearing in both urban and suburban designs. New suburban apartment communities are embracing denser layouts that promote walkability and integrated business locations that provide goods and services for residents while urban communities explore creative ways to add green space.
Both urban and suburban multifamily architecture projects seek to capture the perfect balance of access and amenities such as fitness centers, cafes, Wi-Fi connections, co-working spaces, personal storage, and EV or electric bike charging stations.
The Influence of Sustainability
Recent regulations and enthusiasm for sustainable design is also shaping the next decade of architectural design. Overall goals include using less electricity and water, generating solar power, minimizing ecological damage, finding ways to provide ecological benefit, and providing enriching green spaces for residents.
This has led to some very creative and enjoyable designs that are permeating between urban and suburban property development. For example, urban apartments are embracing roof gardens to create green space where land is limited. Suburban communities are more likely to have expansive parking topped with solar shade structures to optimize access to the open sky.
Both urban and suburban properties are exploring sustainable water-saving methods like energy-efficient construction, efficient plumbing. and rain barrel landscaping. Many also provide amenities like community gardens to help achieve ecological goals that benefit both residents and the environment.
Embrace the Latest Trends in Multifamily Development
If you are a multifamily property developer, now is an important time to embrace the latest trends. The popular blending of urban and suburban property designs is introducing improvements to both types of multifamily communities. Walkable density and sustainable green spaces create a balanced community while creating space for local businesses to provide direct access for your residents. Let sustainability, the remote work trend and the best elements of both urban and suburban design be your guide to beautiful and modern multifamily property development.
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