Facility Management examines how Australia can source inspiration from the United Kingdom’s approach towards creating inviting and inclusive communal spaces and amenities in ‘build-to-rent’ (BTR) developments.
‘Build-to-rent’ has well and truly occupied the zeitgeist of a diverse range of industries – building and property management, architecture and design, and urban development, to mention a few.
Recent Australian roundtables hosted by the global architecture practice Make revealed the current Australian appetite and capacity for delivering functional BTR development resembles the UK market from a decade ago.
Make architect Frank Filskow says property developers down under would be wise to borrow guidance and direction from UK BTR successes. These include remaining flexible and adaptive to resident needs and prioritising the inclusion of premium communal spaces to generate a sense of community and belonging.
“The focus should be on providing flexible spaces that support physical and mental well-being to foster a sense of community. Proper management of these spaces is vital, as poorly managed communal areas can detract from a building’s appeal and the developer’s reputation,” says Filskow.
‘The Amenity Race’
While building and managing on-site amenities in a BTR necessitates a hefty allocation in the budget – particularly to secure skilled staff such as facility managers – Filskow implores Australian developers to provide high-quality resident living experiences at a financially achievable price.
Upon realising that those opting to live in BTR developments did not desire exclusively luxury amenities, UK BTR developers included affordable amenities and services into developments that satisfied resident needs and simultaneously increased opportunities for mingling and socialisation.
“Luxury extras are not the primary attractor to BTR – instead, UK operators focused on providing services and experiences that meet tenant needs while reducing living costs,” says Filskow.
Services include providing pet care, package handling, storage solutions, guest rooms and organised carpooling, in addition to the conventional amenities of a residential development such as gyms, pools and coworking spaces.
This increased willingness to provide residents with effectively managed indoor and outdoor amenities has been dubbed the ‘amenity race’.
But Filskow advises caution for developers diving in head first, as ensuring these spaces can be moulded to future needs to maintain ongoing value and appeal is imperative.
Communal areas that accommodate to all users
Communal spaces that can be easily re-modeled to meet the needs of multiple users of one room will enhance the residential living experience.
“One of our Australian round table attendees found that communal kitchens proved popular with residents as managers were able to reconfigure the adaptable space to create more shared cooking facilities,” says Filskow.
The key to ensuring communal spaces such as kitchens and coworking hubs cater to all users is investing in skilled staff – astute designers, architects and property developers initially, and then facility and operations managers to maintain amenity adaptability and inclusivity.
Connecting residents to the outdoors
Amenities such as coworking spaces and kitchens should also seek to incentivise socialising with other residents and draw the outdoors in. Creating a vibrant and nourishing community spirit will guarantee resident loyalty and satisfaction, Filskow confirms.
An additional revelation from an Australian roundtable was that residents relished working on ground-level coworking spaces as it enabled socialisation with other residents and exposure to the hustle and bustle of the outdoors.
“Developers should aim to create places that bring people together and connect them with the wider communities in their neighbourhood,” says Fiskow.
Photography supplied by Make Architects.
Featured Image: Chobham Manor, a new residential village in East London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park by Make Architects.
