3 Considerations for Multifamily Amenity Design

Mary Cook

As we enter our third year of a pandemic that has upended almost every aspect of our lives, the resulting lifestyle changes we’ve all experienced have had some serious side effects. Beyond the direct impact of COVID-19, the pandemic has taken a toll on both physical and mental health, from aches and pains caused by long hours at makeshift home workstations to the emotional stresses of isolation, uncertainty and worry around current affairs.

All of this has underscored what a significant role home environments can play in overall well-being. While great design certainly isn’t a cure-all, a recent study conducted by International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) and Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine & Society Program (HMS) demonstrated how aesthetic experiences measurably change the body, brain, and behavior. An optimally designed space can impact people in positive ways—from their physical comfort to their emotional state of mind.

In planning multifamily interiors for the post-pandemic landscape, the most innovative and enduring designs will be those that maximize the fundamentals shaping the experience of a space so people can feel, do and be their best. Following are three key considerations for developers when it comes to creating multifamily amenity offerings to maximize well-being:

Design with proxemics in mind

Proxemics—the study of space, how we use it, and how it makes us more or less comfortable—has always been a cornerstone of good design, but today it has taken on new importance. After two years of being advised to social distance and avoid large-scale gatherings, people’s tolerance for proximity to others has understandably changed. Most of us are now typically more comfortable being close to others when we’re outdoors or near an open window. Move us indoors, and we naturally tend to spread apart more than we may have pre-COVID. For many, proximity to others in an enclosed space has actually become a point of stress that can have a positive or negative impact on their emotional state.

That makes it critical to plan multifamily common areas with the flexibility to offer both the benefits of wide-open areas as well as smaller spaces that can offer privacy from others. Pocket spaces such as booths and seating nooks provide people the feeling of separation, while still being a part of a larger community space. Another great solution is using barn doors or other room dividers or door systems that allow large spaces and lounge areas to be closed off or opened up to each other—or even the outdoors—as needed depending on how they are being used. This level of built-in adaptability allows developers to respond to the current needs of residents as well as adjust accordingly in the future should proxemic preferences change.

Good ergonomics matter, now more than ever

College Square lobby. Image courtesy of Mary Cook Associates

No, it’s not just you: more and more people are experiencing chronic aches and pains resulting from long hours hunched over a laptop at an improvised at-home workstation with uncomfortable seating or an incorrect table height. Specific to multifamily communities, the growing work-from-home lifestyle—a trend that will only continue as more employers make hybrid schedules permanent—has underscored the need to not only have a well-designed, dedicated coworking space, but also outfit other amenity areas throughout the property with an abundance of options to be used as remote workspaces.

To ensure physical well-being, these spaces must be designed from the start with ergonomics in mind— whether they are a designated coworking area or various seating clusters throughout a property that residents might gravitate to during the workday. Ergonomics is the process of creating workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them. Good ergonomics can increase productivity while reducing fatigue and pain. Considerations include everything from selecting appropriate seating—a chair designed for enjoying a meal may not provide the right support for sitting in front of a laptop for hours—to ensuring surface heights promote healthy posture and work positions, to incorporating functional features such as sufficient lighting and electrical outlets.

It isn’t enough for today’s multifamily coworking spaces to be beautiful. Developers and designers need to appoint amenities with work-from-home options and furnishings that foster healthy working habits, while also being able to withstand the wear and tear of prolonged everyday use. The best coworking spaces give residents a variety of options for ergonomic workstations, including a mix of traditional desk seating and counter-height—or even standing height—alternatives.

Proper scale, proportion can contribute to a sense of well-being

Have you ever walked into space, and it just felt “wrong?” More often than not, when we’re asked to ‘fix’ a design it’s because something is off with scale and proportion. Together, scale—the relative size of something —and proportion—the relationship between the sizes of different parts, things and elements—are the “Holy Grail” of design, working together to elevate the human experience in the built environment and ensure a space, and everyone in it, feels great. The harmonious design that comes from careful consideration of scale and proportion can create a sense of calm, minimize stress, promote relaxation and otherwise contribute to the emotional aspects of well-being.

Some of those same aspects of mental wellness can also be brought about by embracing biophilic design, which emphasizes connectivity to the natural environment. By infusing amenity spaces with images of nature, plants and greenery, natural light, organic materials and textures, fresh air and physical connections between the indoors and outdoors, developers can provide residents with spaces that offer the same benefits we associate with being outside in real natural environments—including reducing stress, increasing relaxation and inspiring creativity.

High-performing spaces can energize, motivate, inspire, or even soothe and relax. And, spaces designed for peak functionality can have a real impact on physical well-being. In planning interiors for the post-pandemic landscape, the most innovative and enduring designs will be those that maximize the fundamentals shaping the experience of a space so people can feel, do and be their best.

Great design plays a larger role than most people know. It won’t entirely eliminate stress and physical aches and pains from our lives. But if we optimize the impact of the place where we spend large amounts of our time, great design could be a life-saver.

Mary Cook is the founder & president of Mary Cook Associates (MCA), a fully integrated interior architecture and design firm nationally known for creating innovative interiors for leading owners and developers of real estate. The firm recently published a white paper entitled “Can Good Design be Good for your Health?” that explores how well-designed spaces can improve well-being.