How condo units and amenities are changing to meet the demands of today’s buyers

Consumers’ demands for highrise living are coming back to basics: A healthy building, adequate personal space and neighbourhood integration. We all want to stay safe, and above all else, be able to do what we want in our homes, and connect with others and mother nature in a fluid, daily flux.

If you live in a condo, the biggest problem may be that you’re short on space. The way to good design is a thin path between expected lifestyle, legislative regulations and development-related financial constraints. The inventiveness that a successful project requires is constantly challenged and under serious public scrutiny.

Condo buyers today are savvy and astute. They know how they live, what they want and what simply will not cut it for them. They won’t settle for compromised lifestyles, yet choices are often limited and localized. This can push some prospective purchasers out of the city in search of the benefits and features they want.

The three most cited condo-related challenges are: Lack of storage, lack of in-suite privacy and an imbalance between commonly considered adequate space and affordability.

A great solution to the space and affordability issue is building amenities that are an extension of your unit in a more private way.

STORAGE

To address storage needs, lockers are one good option, but it’s time to modernize from this very basic alternative. Having storage at a level that resembles an extension of a home could be the future. A room with proper walls could be a place where you’re not ashamed to bring someone to show off your hockey jersey collection, for example.

Even for those of us who try to de-clutter and minimize the number of “things” we own, we all have items for which we need a physical place to store them. Sports equipment, travel accessories, baby gear, accessibility aids and more… easily enough to fill up 400 sq. ft. of storage space. But wait, some entire condo units are only that big. Now what? Expect to see highrise solutions that provide tiered storage facilities – everything from the predominant caged box, to a fully enclosed and acclimatized display room.

PRIVATE SPACE

As soon as you’re a household of two or more, some privacy is a must. How much space is enough? Just enough to not get under each other’s skin.

For two people, that means at least two rooms divided by a wall with door. If you have a family of two plus one child and want to live in a highrise, you may need a three-bedroom unit. At a minimum, the spare room offers privacy when needed, and a place you can concentrate when working from home. And for this comfort, you’re looking at minimum 850 sq. ft. – a category whose affordability is becoming increasingly challenged, especially in high density areas.

On the amenity side, on the other hand, it is worth considering that many large party rooms remain empty for long periods of time. Even if they are booked, they may be available for daytime use.

Condo owners typically treat some of the large building amenities as an occasional bonus, not as their ongoing, liveable space. Therefore, we’re seeing an increase in lowrise-like features, such as co-work offices, designated dining rooms, mudrooms/pet-spa rooms. Recognizing the growing need for these features, more condo developers are including these amenities in their projects.

Such trends and developments in condo living help suite owners extend your ownership beyond your individual unit in a modest yet more personal way – allowing you to incorporate these amenities into your daily life as a extension of your suite.

Communal living, of course, is not new, and it relies on sharing certain components. Think a series of smaller spaces that can then be designated for use, much like a timeshare.

Such cluster amenities become hubs of activities geared to a subgroup of owners based on a shared lifestyle where they can experience additional square footage in a semi-private setting. You could have access to, say, a kids’ playroom that may not be large enough to accommodate parties of 30, but it is enough for two or three families to use the space together, or separately. Or a dining room that is divisible such that you can have two parties of four or, one of eight to 10.

SEMI-PRIVATE GARDENS

Access to personal outdoor greenspace versus large terraces is another effective way developers can improve condo living at a more personal level. However, it’s also, arguably, one of the hardest to achieve. Because of the natural incompatibility between built form and Mother Nature, outdoor gardens and other Green elements require a substantial amount of engineering at the design stage, and maintenance over the course of a building’s life expectancy.

Such features, therefore, are still very much a work in progress for the development industry. In the meantime, though, condos built within proximity to urban parks are appealing for many buyers.