Complementary colors

Pantone’s annual color selection carries much weight in design circles. This year, the company took a different route and juxtaposed PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray with PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating Yellow. Pantone notes these two independent colors come together to support one another, while illuminating strength and positivity to evoke a feeling of hope.

Pantone typically forecasts its color of the year in December, so industry watchers will be keeping an eye out as winter approaches.

Spirit of the times

Nourishing and sophisticated gray-greens and silvery green shades with cool undertones are also on the menu via other color forecasters, which suggests calming influences are on the horizon for 2022. Given the spirit of the times, with many of us spending more time at home, calming colors should set the tone.

Looking forward

Color Marketing Group’s North America 2022 Key Color, New Day, is a light, fresh blue with red influences. The association says the color is a response to a time still in transition. Per their announcement,

As calming as New Day may appear, its red undertone is a stimulation aspect of the color, making it ideal for practically any product application. From commercial to residential spaces, consumer goods to fashion, and graphic design, New Day is a color that stands for truth and hope.

Enhancing value with color

At Sto, we believe in enhancing value with color. With our unique Sto Studio service, we collaborate to create a complete façade concept, including color and material options, for your building. We can generate a series of color renderings that will help you determine the most appealing aesthetic option: a valuable insight into your finished construction project.

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Perhaps even the hot pink hues recently sported by Kim Kardashian will make their way into our accessories, but hopefully not our building exteriors. But with hope, nourishment and calm on the hue horizon, it appears the industry trendsetters have a feel for the zeitgeist. Here’s wishing this optimism will shine through.

The post Examining color trends and forecasts appeared first on Sto Corp..

Mixed-use developments and age-inclusive design

Gensler’s Reconnect: Design Strategies for a post-COVID World report notes that today’s older adults are thriving in more urban environments as they crave multi-generational experiences. This means the creation of more mixed-use hubs may be in the future. The report also offers some insights into design changes that should help tackle ageism.

Age-inclusive design takes into account vision, hearing, balance, memory, touch, and more. To respond to diverse consumer needs, the industry has begun to design cities, communities, buildings, and products to promote a world that supports all ages. From wider sidewalks, to “slow” streets, parks with activities for people of all ages, touchless doors, modular lounge furniture, and flooring materials that reduce slips and falls, the opportunities to enrich the lives of older adults are endless.

Healthcare to the forefront

The pandemic has elevated the need for healthcare options. While hotel-like amenities were previously a big part of a senior living operator’s marketing play, healthcare options are now moving towards the forefront as residents are drawn to the prospect of undergoing care close to home.

Maria Nadelstumph, senior vice president, Center of Excellence at Brandywine Living, noted this at National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care’s Trends That Will Shape Senior Living Post-Pandemic event. Nadelstumph stated that, pre-COVID, operators were keeping healthcare-related offerings in the background in order to preserve the social and community aspects of properties.

“We have licensed nurses and clinical capabilities in our buildings, but we don’t want it to be in your face…putting in healthcare layers of support service, whether it’s telehealth, or onsite clinics, or physicians coming in-house, or therapy; whatever it might be; there’s a way to do both to make sure that it’s the right marriage.” She said operators must make sure their healthcare partners are fully aligned, to be a part of the team rather than transactional vendors.

Tech plays a role

An International Council on Active Aging Forum brought together leaders across this industry back in November and identified a number of trends that are thought to be part of future-proofing this housing type. As reported on this Forum by McKnight’s Senior Living, technology should play a major role.

Future demand means technology-enabled spaces for both staff and residents. Internet connections, software and hardware need to be available both indoors and outdoors. Wearable technologies, including activity trackers and heart rate monitors, and rooms outfitted with smart utilities, remote monitoring, voice-activated systems and in-house channels embedded in living and service areas, are important to future residents.

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Not so fast.

At the start of the pandemic, about one in five Americans relocated or knew someone who has. The largest cohort to move was young adults aged 18 to 29, with about one in 10 relocating. Job losses and the shutdown of college housing in the early spring were main factors. Of all adults who relocated, 18% said their reasons for relocating were financial, while 20% said they wanted to be with family, according to June 2020 data from Pew Research Center.

Shifting tides

Now the tide appears to be shifting. Cities that saw an exodus leaving their borders are starting to see populations return. New York City added 1,900 people in the first two months of 2021 versus a loss of 7,100 in the same two months of 2019 and an estimated loss of 110,000 people in 2020.

Still, relocation from cities has led to gains in the suburbs which may be permanent. The rise of remote work has led some urban dwellers to move to better-priced options out of the city. A recent report from real estate platform Zillow says more than one in 10 Americans moved during the pandemic. Seventy-five percent of movers say they moved for positive reasons, such as being closer to family. Per the report, Phoenix AZ, Charlotte NC, and Austin TX saw the highest net inbound moves in the first 11 months of 2020, as movers sought out relative affordability and warmer weather. Sun Belt metros are expected to continue a surge in 2021.

Staying in the city

A report from LendingTree studying migration data from 2019 to 2020 notes that homeowners are not relocating far from urban settings. More homeowners left a metropolitan area for a micropolitan area in 2020 than they did in 2019, but not by much. In 2019, an average of 1.91% of homeowners who lived in one of the nation’s 50 largest cities and moved, moved to a town. In 2020, that share was 2.18%.

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Workspace units needed

More people are working from home, and many multifamily units do not have office space incorporated into their design. Light, spacing and views will all need to be accounted for. As Ben Kasdan, principal at architecture firm KTGY tells NAHB Now, workspace units will need to expand from small cubbies to more expansive spaces.

“The sanctuary of someone’s home now has the added burden of operating as backup for makeshift employment,” says Kasdan. “This means being flexible enough to use different spaces in different ways than we intended or purposefully planning for flexibility to do whatever they need to do, whether it’s working out, working, whatever.”

There are ample items to consider for multifamily design and operation with the pandemic situation in mind. Tenants and building managers alike are considering the following:

• Health and safety issues are now trumping the desires for shared amenities. Community spaces may require additional square footage and adaptability for multipurpose functions. Reservation-based systems may be required to accommodate social distancing.
• Outdoor amenities, like trails and rooftop patios, are gaining popularity. Private outdoor areas are also in demand for unit holders. Small gathering spaces, like firepits, may increase in popularity.
• Wellness offerings, which were increasing in demand pre-pandemic, are still part of the allure of multifamily living and an opportunity for operators to stand out from the competition.
• Indoor air quality improvements are important, especially in areas like fitness centers where HVAC upgrades may be required.
• Touchless options are in demand. Cell phone apps or voice activation controls for elevators, motion-activated entrance doors and hands-free options in bathrooms and other public areas are of importance.

Architecture and planning firm HKS predicts a resurgence of a mudroom/foyer equivalent in multifamily settings.

Entryways can be lined with resilient materials that are easy to clean, such as porcelain tile or polished concrete. By placing a bathroom and storage closet or laundry closet next to the entryway, designers can create a simple decontamination zone for people to remove shoes, disrobe and clean themselves. Some layouts might allow the placement of a sliding door between the entryway and the remainder of the apartment to keep outside particles from drifting into the unit. These spaces can also be outfitted with a bike rack or additional storage furniture.

New need emerges for multifamily operators

Package sorting and storage areas may not be top-of-mind for residents, but multifamily operators are very quickly realizing these spaces may need an upgrade. As David Wolf, president and CEO of Wolf Development Strategies, tells Multifamily Executive,

With the accelerated adoption of e-commerce, multifamily property managers have been inundated with packages. Wolf reports package storage and delivery are high up on the 2021 must-have list. Buildings, large and small, will soon be allocating more square footage to package solutions, including cold storage for food, flowers, and other perishables.

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CNBC reports that 25 percent of U.S. malls are expected to close within the next five years. These vacant buildings will require new purposes. While conversion to industrial spaces may seem like the most obvious answer, many of these properties will require rezoning to fit this new purpose. Municipalities are often hesitant to enact zoning changes as tax revenues consequently fall.

New purposes through adaptive reuse

Adaptive reuse – where an existing building is repurposed for a use other than its original design – offers immense opportunities for former retail sites to take on a new life. Large malls are typically located near highways and public transit offerings, making them attractive to redevelopment opportunities.

Adaptive reuse principles can apply to a portion of the property rather than for a complete overhaul. For example, if large anchor tenants within malls have little prospect of returning, these spaces can be revamped into multifamily housing, creating an active community surrounding the retail environment. Examples are already popping up. Per Propmodo,

Some might think that living in a mall is particularly nightmarish, but well-executed projects could look much like normal mixed-use developments, or manifest as separate residential towers surrounded by well-manicured landscaping, and not just like small apartments crammed into vacant big box shells. Projects that add residential space to malls are already underway. In a northern suburb of Seattle, Alderwood Mall is developing 300 apartments that will complement the remaining 90,000 square feet of retail space at the property.

There are also cases where former malls and department stores have been transformed into schools, office spaces, wellness centers, hotels and entertainment venues.

Creating destinations

Real estate services provider CBRE notes a trend in landlords revitalizing their properties by creating themed destinations.

Another experimental trend in malls is repurposing space to suit one common theme. For example, a struggling mall might opt to focus on health, transforming anchor spaces into exercise facilities or alternative gym formats and then tailor the rest of the tenant mix to serve this consumer base. Another option in this category is healthcare. To meet an increasing demand for healthcare facilities, some investors are switching gears with their malls, filling space with doctor or hospital groups that have high square footage needs for their campuses. Accompanying retail targeted at these consumers can then fill out in-line spaces where needed.

Some smaller retailers have bucked the store closure trend, and very recently optimism is on the upswing – a complete about-face from 2020. Coresight Research tracked 8,953 store closures last year with 3,298 openings. However, for 2021 year to date, the firm tracked 2,548 closures with retailers announcing 3,199 store openings. This is the first time in years that store openings may surpass store closures. With space available and rents on the decline, let’s not count the retail sector out just yet.

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Considering the community

Students at some architecture schools are now being taught to think differently. Winka Dubbeldam, chair of the architecture department at University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design, tells The Philadelphia Inquirer, “students have to deal with race, gender, diversity, and climate change, as well as the simple fact that cities are reaching maximum density, and architects are thinking of extensions of existing buildings rather than new buildings.” This means students are looking at how school design can contribute to their communities and include features such as food banks and green spaces.

Post-vaccine school design changes

With the ravages of COVID-19 still ongoing, forward-thinking, post-vaccine design changes are being looked at for the traditional classroom. This could lead to better utilization of spaces that were previously underused. As Prakash Nair, AIA, founding president and CEO of Education Design International, based in Lutz, Florida, tells Architect Magazine,

“…the appetite for outdoor learning has increased because of social distancing, but being outside has other benefits. We want to create spaces where students can spread out and not waste all of that hallway space. The schools that we’re designing now in the U.S. and abroad are as innovative as they’ve ever been, if not more so. I’m hopeful that when we come out of this, we are going to be moving toward a more humane and student-centered way to educate children.”

In terms of fighting the virus and planning for future out breaks, ventilation remains a key component in limiting transmission. As California-based architecture firm SPGA provides an example on its blog,

Creating a pathway for fresh air circulation allows the room to be refreshed, removing any pathogens or other air particles. In our Kearny High School Design & Innovation Classroom building project, windows were relocated to be higher on the walls for the student’s safety. This allowed the space to maximize daylighting but also created an air funnel that went through the main entrance and out of the windows. A garage-like door was also installed to foster an indoor/outdoor learning environment, thus increasing the opportunity for natural ventilation.

School design will continue to evolve as technology advances as well. Incorporating flexible design to accommodate future needs is a must. As use of digital devices is now the norm the amount of space required for storage areas, like bookshelves and lockers, is decreasing. With a desire for more nontraditional, collaborative spaces, this may open up more opportunities for creative spaces where students can communicate.

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The generally accepted definition of a tiny home is a dwelling of 400 square feet or less. Though the lifestyle may not work for some, these homes can cost about $30,000 and can even be built on wheels.

Tiny homes hit sales boom

The tiny home market is hitting a sales boom thanks to the coronavirus. The allure for consumers, according a survey of 2,000 Americans via financial company IPX1031, found that half of respondents would consider living in a tiny home. The reasons for this allure are:

• affordability (65%)
• efficiency (57%)
• eco-friendliness (48%)
• the ability to live a minimal lifestyle (44%)

A major hurdle to tiny houses is that they have no set legal definition, making for conflicts with local zoning codes (especially in urban environments), and they are also difficult to finance. If the home has wheels, it can be seen as a recreational vehicle to municipalities, where parking regulations will apply. However, zoning regulations have passed recently in some states.

Architects on board

Still, well-known architects such as Bjarke Ingels Group have come on board, designing homes such as their 150-square-foot A45 house. The off-grid structure is made of wood, glass and canvas and carried into remote areas and DIY constructed.

The pandemic has seen niche builders of tiny homes grow their business, as city dwellers relocate to rural environments where these homes are more accepted. As Dan George Dobrowolski, founder of the Tampa Bay Village and CEO of Tiny House Escape Villages, in Rice Lake, Wisconsin tells The Washington Post, “Our business has gone from growing rapidly to growing exponentially.” In the past six months, sales of the tiny houses jumped 120 percent, he says. “There’s been a dramatic change because of the virus.”

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Success hinges on vaccine distribution

With tight vaccine supplies currently prioritized for nursing homes, senior living centers, where residents tend to be more independent from a care perspective while still living in a congregate setting, are for the most part behind this queue. Because assisted living facilities are not federally regulated, where senior living facilities stand in the line-up is set by the state.

President Joe Biden’s new National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness plan, however, has industry groups optimistic. The plan has federal government agencies set to work together to provide surge assistance to assisted living communities and long-term care facilities.

Changing priorities for operators

Once highly-prized amenities like hospitality, gyms, pools and gathering places will need a fresh look with the potential for future outbreaks in mind. Healthcare offerings will need to be bolstered for a vulnerable population.

Senior housing operators will be looking at enhancing long-term strategies to keep their buildings safe yet remain attractive to potential clients. Per Senior Housing News,

More providers are likely to get on the Medicare Advantage bandwagon, as the ability to offer more coordinated care now has taken on even more luster. CapEx projects and new developments will reflect the lessons learned in the pandemic, and feature more outdoor access, ways to isolate residents more comfortably, more touchless technology, more intensive air purification systems, dedicated telehealth spaces and on-site clinics, and other health-focused adaptations.

Senior housing market need will increase

With the number of Americans aged 65 and older set to double between 2018 and 2060, senior housing supply will be challenged to keep up with demand. Jeffrey Jaeger, co-founder and principal of Standard Communities tells Multi-Housing News that this means safe, affordable housing will be more critical than ever.

“We need to be thoughtful about the extra steps needed to preserve the quality of life, safety and peace of mind of our residents, thereby enabling them to stay as connected to their communities as circumstances will allow,” says Jaeger. “It is essential that we think critically and creatively about how we can support our residents.”

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Virtual care services

When lockdowns occurred, a shift towards virtual care services immediately became necessary. Some healthcare experts are expecting this measure to gain a foothold, as those in remote communities stand to benefit from virtual and telehealth models for both consultations and the potential for remote health monitoring, digital pharmacies and e-commerce opportunities. Per Health Catalyst,

Health systems must start preparing to evaluate its long-distance care, both in terms of patient satisfaction and outcomes, looking particularly for quality gaps and ways to be more effective. Evaluation of virtual care must involve understanding the level of complexity telehealth and other remote options can deliver as well as alternatives for care that can’t occur virtually (e.g., hospice care).

Changes to the supply chain

At the onset of the pandemic, challenges in securing personal protective equipment (PPE), like masks, gowns and hand sanitizer, quickly became apparent. Securing PPE from global sources immediately became a source of panic and frustration for governments across the globe. Quality control remains a concern. The vulnerability of the supply chain has led to the need for domestically-produced solutions.

Hospitals give way to health campuses

Raphael Radowski, CEO of healthcare company Medically Home, predicts a future with large health campuses integrating the many facets of care into one community. Per his article in Scientific American,

Large hospitals will give way to health campuses, carrying the hospitals’ brands, that provide an integrated community experience of complex care, assisted living, employee housing, health clubs, restaurants, and retail. Following the model already underway in medical facilities across the country, the assets of these campuses will be owned by real estate investors and operated by experts in each field. Healthcare and wellness will melt into one another in this environment.

Nursing homes and long-term care

With deaths in long-term care facilities accounting for over 40 percent of all COVID-19 deaths, care homes are now in the spotlight. Strict protocols are in place to keep the virus at bay, but long-term commitments from providers and governments will be required to prevent repetition of this tragedy in the future. This may lead those members of the aging population looking for more home-based, in person support. Health Affairs offers some insight into the future of facilities in its article, Building The Long-Term Care System Of The Future: Will The COVID-19 Nursing Home Tragedies Lead To Real Reform?

Replace aging and outdated facilities, particularly in low-income communities. Moving forward, nursing homes and other institutional settings should be smaller, with single-occupancy rooms and low staff-to-resident ratios. Environments that offer a more homelike setting can help with infection control and can lead to better health outcomes for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. These efforts can be accelerated by strengthening federal and state standards on nursing home size, room occupancy, and minimum staffing ratios.

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A rapid transition is already underway, forcing event planners to think on their feet and use new technology. Technical blips are almost guaranteed among attendees and are a massive fear for organizers. Trade show vendors are understandably concerned at the prospect of showcasing items virtually.

With a vaccine on the horizon, will virtual conferences be a passing trend, or will they have staying power as technology advances and fear of mass gatherings instills in the masses?

The economic benefits of in-person conferences ripple throughout industries: cities, airlines, hotel and hospitality industries all suffer. Until a vaccine is distributed, business will have to adjust to a new normal. Per Small Business Trends,

The one thing this pandemic has accomplished is to force organizations to reassess the way they do business. And business events have been adapting by holding virtual and even holographic conferences. The [Virtual Summits and the Future of Business Gatherings in a Post-COVID Era] report says by 2021, video and web conferencing will account for 80% of all internet traffic. This means both businesses and consumers are now comfortable with this form of communication and interaction.

Digital conferences also allow some users who otherwise would not be able to attend a chance to participate. Per The Scientist,

Another benefit of meeting virtually is how many more people can access the conferences. Researchers with caregiving responsibilities, disabilities, travel restrictions, scheduling conflicts, or limited funds are more likely to be able to attend a meeting online, says Sarvenaz Sarabipour, a computational biologist at Johns Hopkins University.

While all of the changes of the present may not have staying power, it seems inevitable that some will stick around. The wearing of masks may be compulsory for some time, and items like paper handouts will need to be replaced. Distancing requirements may require traffic monitoring on show floors and at entry points. Buffets will need a re-think, as individually boxed lunches may become the norm.

It’s been oft-said of late that no one holds a crystal ball. Reactionary measures of today may not be trends tomorrow, but some companies have heavily invested in virtual events that look incredible. Check out these nine amazing virtual event stages, courtesy of Bizbash.

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Allaying current fears and planning for future outbreaks is a must for hotel operators. Design will be impacted, and enhanced housekeeping measures will not only need to be undertaken but clearly demonstrated to occupants.

Technology to play a key role

Contactless measures like self-checkout and keyless entries will be in demand. Technology can go much further, with hotel apps allowing for users to control televisions, lighting and blinds.

Facilities where people gather, like restaurants and gyms will need to be re-thought. This means some amenities are being shifted to private experiences. Per The New York Times,

Gyms are also expanding their in-room presence beyond the yoga mat in the closet. The newly renovated Gansevoort Meatpacking hotel in New York City features a fitness-on-demand service called Mirror that broadcasts fitness classes on a full-length mirror. Weights are available on demand.

Food service offerings changing

Some hotels have dropped their food service offerings altogether. Those that have kept their kitchens open been forced to make some major changes due to social distancing requirements and lesser demand from guests.

“No more buffets, mostly packaged counter breakfast,” John Russell, CEO of Red Lion Inns, says in Restaurant Business. “Room service will look a lot different. Those that have restaurants, the way [they’re] seated and the way you order your food and get your food will be different.”

Developers cautious

With 2019 a banner year for the hotel market, this year appears to be the beginning of a major market shift. Per global industry consulting firm HVS’ U.S. Hotel Development Cost Survey 2020,

The impact of COVID-19 on the supply pipeline has been twofold. While projects under construction generally still remain under construction, developers are now much more cautious in undertaking future hotel projects. Additionally, some hotels have suspended operations (temporarily or permanently), causing a decrease in supply in many submarkets. Even as we approach the end of the year, travel demand remains subdued, and it is more evident that while a recovery is on the horizon, the new reality is that it will likely be one that is slow and steady until individuals are comfortable traveling again and economic conditions improve.

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Banks are now hesitant to lend money, which could create a massive ripple effect on economic recovery as a whole. Falling rents and rising vacancies will lead to many building types losing their value. Per The Washington Post,

If U.S. banks absorb big losses on their $2 trillion in commercial real estate loans, the entire economy will suffer. Just the fear of looming bankruptcies and defaults has prompted banks in recent months to restrict new lending, at a time when the virus-ravaged economy needs all the help it can get.

Still, many commercial real estate operators remain optimistic, although with a long-term view. Law firm DLA Piper’s recent State of the Market Survey, which has predictions from some of the larger names in the commercial real estate industry, was taken before last week’s announcement from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on its potential breakthrough vaccine candidate. As reported in REJournals,

The survey found that more than half of respondents anticipate a return to pre-COVID-19 economic growth within 18 months to two years. A total of 76 percent of survey respondents said the development of a vaccine will have the greatest impact on the global CRE industry. And in good news for many markets across the Midwest, the CRE leaders said that smaller cities will emerge as the top U.S. markets for investments during the next 12 months.

Not all areas of commercial real estate have suffered equally. Industrial real estate continues to boom thanks to the surge in e-commerce, and pharmacies and grocery operators are, for the most part, continuing to perform.

The apartment market has seen some fluctuation, as many in the younger generations have chosen to move back into their parental households as they look to ride out the pandemic. However, there may be a silver lining in some high-demand areas that have been seen as overpriced. Manhattan, for example, saw increases in rentals this October for the first time in over a year, as a drop in prices has lured back buyers.

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Functionality of the building material is also a big factor that can influence aesthetics. How will the materials age, hold up to the elements, or help achieve energy efficiency goals? As well, how efficiently, through cost and installation timelines, can the cladding be installed?

Glass

Many architects are choosing what can be a stunning look in the form of glass facades. Glass as a building material has come a long way. Per Think Architecture,

Not only does glass provide an impression of luxury, but it also flows with its surroundings seamlessly. Another reason many architects are utilizing more glass in their designs is new technological developments that help maximize insulation without losing any exterior views.

Glass can offer superior weather tightness, thermal performance, fire protection, custom colors and can even incorporate LED lighting and digitally back-printed with custom imagery.

Adaptive reuse

The trend towards adaptive reuse – where an existing building is repurposed for a use other than its original design – is also having an effect on building material selection for exteriors. With a good chunk of existing building stock outliving its original purpose, architects and designers are now selecting materials that must match the old while bringing in the new. This means a mix of historical colors along with repurposed textures are being blended with new elements.

Mixing it up

Mixes of metal, brick, stone, EIFS, concrete glass – the list goes on – have create some striking building exteriors. While too many material type mixes can overwhelm the look of an exterior, shaking up the look of a building with two or three building material looks can harmonize a look. Adding to the design arsenal, innovative products are now on the market, like StoCreativ Granite, that can emulate a look without the weight requirements and cost considerations of natural elements.

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Such amenities are designed to show employees they are valued and drive creativity while keeping them engaged. Exercise amenities, wellness centers and high-quality food options have become standard. Add in the convenience of on-site childcare, and employee loyalty can go even further.

Expensive guesswork

These large workplace campuses have often been located in the suburbs. This allows companies to purchase and develop land at a considerable cost savings and for employees living nearby to access more affordable residential real estate than that of a large urban setting. This type of plan requires forward thinking and some expensive guesswork. Per Workspace Design Magazine,

Companies do not build every day. If they build every 50 years, they want to invest in something that will last as far into the future as possible. This objective requires that they consider flexible workplace design that will adapt to changing business needs and support a new generation of workers. Big ideas for the 50-year plan need to focus on a demographic that is in middle school today. What will the new generation want and expect from its workplace? How will that compare with the values of current employees preparing to retire?

While having a property where people can work, play, and dine together has obvious perks for a corporation, the rise of work-from-home and coronavirus concerns are leading to some pushback that may be bad news for companies like Google that have 12-acre campuses. Google, along with Facebook, have extended their work-from-home policies into summer 2021.

Hub-and-spoke

With Amazon investing $1.4 billion to open six more offices in locations well outside of its Seattle headquarters, plans for the satellite office, or hub-and-spoke model, are already afoot. With the potential for large firms to decentralize their offices, it will be interesting to see if the massive office complexes of today will become a thing of the past and if large corporations do indeed decentralize.

Social media giant Twitter already has the wheels in motion. According to Business Insider,

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey recently said that Twitter has been working “for a year, if not two years” around decentralizing the way employees work, and that having a distributed workforce was “the whole promise of the internet” to begin with. The internet should have made a central office location “irrelevant,” Dorsey said.

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Closing down some lanes of traffic to open up more space for cyclists has had some immediate benefits, but it’s uncertain how long those measures will be feasible as cars inevitably return. The rising popularity of bike shares and e-scooters has meant more space is required for these vehicles.

Parking and sidewalk infrastructure

As businesses limit the amount of customers permitted to shop in-store, curbside pick-up has become more popular. This has meant increased space is needed outside the storefront. Restaurants have also benefited by repurposing unused parking space for more outdoor dining. If this changing behavior continues in any form, updates to parking and sidewalk infrastructure will be required.

Public transit

With public transit in New York City dropping 96 percent in April, fears of sharing space in crammed vehicles have kept commuters away and lead to budget crises for transit agencies. However, fear of transit may not be grounded in fact, argues Janette Sadik-Khan, Former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation and author Seth Solomonow in The Atlantic’s Fear of Public Transit Got Ahead of the Evidence article. They state that massive investments in transit will be the key to economic revitalization of cities.

The way out of the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic runs along the rails and bus lanes of cities, and restoring urban transit networks to full force, expanding their service, and extending their reach across cities must be at the top of every nation’s economic-recovery strategy. Far from scaling back on public transit, cities across the country need a massive transit expansion that will enable them to avert the mobility meltdown that threatens to swallow them if even a fraction of former transit commuters take to cars. The nation won’t recover if it adds a traffic crisis to the ongoing health and economic crises.

Public areas may need to be reshaped to accommodate social distancing. As digital communication has enabled many of us to work from home and shrink social circles, there is a need to be outdoors and strengthen our ties to the physical community. Perhaps public spaces can go one step further, suggests Architecture journalist Sam Lubell for The Planning Report.

We’ll need to think more carefully about how to keep these spaces safe in emergencies. Perhaps the digital systems now being used to track and contain the virus — like the one being developed by Apple and Google — could play a role? They could, among many other things, assess potential threats where we congregate, act as early warning systems, help us maintain social distance, quickly alert authorities to close spaces, or ensure that those infected are not out socializing.

Access to more data is one indisputable item that urban planners will look to more in the future. Real-time, geo-location-based data will help urban planners identify trends across their spectrum and identify where action may need to be taken.

The post Predicting the future of cities: How urban planning and city infrastructure changes may be influenced by COVID-19 appeared first on Sto Corp..

The pandemic has caused a shift to remote work, and there are many differing opinions on what the urban office environment will look like in the future. There’s much speculation that a permanent shift of some sort will occur. With some companies now embracing remote work, a number of employees are looking to move from more expensive downtown cores and into the suburbs for more space at a better cost.

Hub-and-spoke

This has some large corporations considering the hub-and-spoke model. The concept refers to corporations reducing the footprint of expensive, urban head offices. The approach focuses on several, smaller regional offices (spokes) that are located across wider areas in support of the now smaller, central urban office (hub) which will still hold spaces for important events.

Demand for corporate offices

Research from JLL predicts that the demand for corporate offices will not decrease in the future. Occupancy levels will lower, but with the desire of the workforce to remain the in office with a balanced work-from-home schedule, existing spaces will have to be reworked with social distancing and the mobile workforce in mind. The lure of cities, with better employment opportunities, entertainment options and social scenes, will not greatly diminish, the company says, and employers may need to innovate – even with an eye to outside of the office walls.

In cities, the rapid rise in home working will see radical new approaches to apartment design, accommodating comfortable and productive home workspaces that do not intrude into bedrooms and sitting rooms. Companies may provide incentives or subsidies to help their employees kit out these spaces. Local community facilities, shared creative spaces and convenience retail will also evolve and flourish. Reliable, high-capacity internet connectivity will become essential.

Public transportation remains a struggle, as ridership has dipped across cities. Alternative options to the car must be considered. New York City saw subway ridership decreases by as much as 96 percent in April while climbing up to a 75 percent loss last month. With bicycle shops reporting record business during the summer, experts are predicting the city will see an increase in electric scooters and mopeds. More space will be needed as these vehicles share ever-congested road and parking spaces.

The only certainty at the present is uncertainty. As Jed Kolko, chief economist for job search site Indeed, tells The New York Times,

“How people behave in a pandemic is probably not a great guide to how they want to live their lives in normal times,” Mr. Kolko said. “We are living in the middle of a grand forced experiment, but we really don’t know how the experiment is going to play out.”

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The most obvious changes required in commercial office design are related to physical distancing. This not only refers to spacing out workstations, but also traffic flows in areas like hallways and elevators must be considered. Distancing markers and traffic guides in hallways can be effective, as are initiatives to make staircase use more attractive.

Flexibility of space

Flexibility of space is important. With employees working from home already on the increase pre-pandemic, the desire is now stronger. Many employees are now looking for a balanced approach, where they’re using their commercial office spaces while alternating with working from home as some companies employ rotating staff schedules to better maintain distancing.

Entrance and reception areas will require at minimum hand sanitizing stations but can also include temperature checking stations and areas for visitors to pick up masks or other safety equipment. Areas for deliveries should also be separated to minimize contact.

Monitoring technology may also play a role in larger institutions. Per Facility Executive,

Facility managers will be reliant on PropTech sensors for managing real-time data on the crowds within buildings and alerts that signify if too many people are in one place at one time. Furthermore, this technology and utilization data will be how we manage the transition back to work. As employers execute staggered returns where only a certain percentage of the workforce is allowed back to the office each month, demand will increase for real-time data that examines how building behavior is changing because of that.

Improved airflow and ventilation systems are also on the list. While a major investment, upgrading HVAC systems for better air filtration and circulation, though not seen on the on the inside, is a major step forward in improving occupant health.

Touchless technologies like keyless entries to minimize high contact areas are also an important investment, as is employing the use of anti-microbial materials. Gathering areas, like large kitchens, may need to be revamped into several smaller spaces so employees can more safely prepare meals while separated.

Multi-purpose functionality

Meeting rooms are being looked at with more multi-purpose functionality in mind and can be partitioned for other uses. The number of meetings occurring may decrease as well as the number of occupants in the room. Needs will also change as many meetings may employ a hybrid approach, where attendees will be present both in-person and virtual. This means quality AV equipment such as screens, cameras and audio are a must.

Some experts within the AEC industry predict that the changes will need to be more within occupant psyches rather than their environments. Per Building Design & Construction:

“Changes in workspaces will likely be more behavioral than physical,” observes Fred Schmidt, FIIDA, LEED AP, a Principal in Perkins and Will’s Chicago office. Associate Principal Michelle Osburn adds that companies need to alter their policies to make it more culturally acceptable for employees to stay home when they’re not feeling well. “The argument that you ‘need’ to be in the office to do your work has been proven false on a stunning scale,” she says.

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While biophilic design elements within commercial spaces were increasing in popularity before the pandemic, it now goes much further. It’s well established that COVID-19 virus transmission is more likely to occur indoors where virus droplets are more easily dispersed. With mobile technology allowing many of us to park that laptop on a bench and enjoy fresh air while working, working outdoors is both desirable and feasible.

Activating outdoor spaces

Many property managers are now looking to activate their outdoor offerings, adding desk space, plug-ins, Wi-Fi capabilities and other options to lure the slow trickle of the workforce who was working from home back to the office. Building managers are adding amenities like patios, eating areas and water features – with careful considerations such as shading, land grading, sanitization measures, privacy measures and keeping social distancing requirements in mind.

Adding walking trails is a quick fix, Gib Durden, vice president of business development for Austell, GA-based AHighGrove Partners, LLC, tells Facility Executive.

“People like to get out and be a little bit active,” Durden says. “I see a lot of times as I’m visiting sites you’ll see people just walking around the perimeter of the parking lot, which is not really probably the most ideal way to go get some exercise. So, you can create some sort of path system. It doesn’t even have to be paved. It could be on gravel or a hardwood mulch.”

A recent webinar titled Why Experience is the Next Big Office Amenity, by Urban Land Institute (ULI), explored some program offerings that building managers can include to make outdoor spaces attractive to occupants such as virtual fitness classes and contactless food delivery options.

Adding spaces for fitness options, like sports courts, are also increasingly popular. During the ULI webinar, per REBusinessOnline, panelist Tom Larance, head of experience management at JLL’s Chicago office, states,

“We’re fielding a lot of requests from our landlord clients, and we’ve seen some really beautiful, curated spaces that are also being redesigned to have more tennis courts, squash courts and whatnot,” he said. “We’re seeing these spaces evolve to more than just places to go outside and eat and socialize. We’re studying these spaces carefully and trying to figure out how they can contribute to health and wellness.”

Going even further, some architectural firms have revamped what were traditionally indoor spaces. Opening up a stale conference room to an indoor/outdoor space is a compelling example as outlined by ArchDaily.

…the main conference room, which is typically one of the largest spaces in an office, is being re-imagined as an indoor-outdoor space. Designed by SF Bay Area–based RossDrulisCusenbery, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s new Emergency Operations Center in Martinez, California, has a conference room that seats a crowd of 175 on risers. But the back wall can be opened up entirely to a shaded patio via a glass garage door, to accommodate another 100 people, and provide flexible space for training sessions.

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Buildings can generate their own power, produce local food through rooftop gardens, collect rain water for use in toilets or purify it for drinking, turn waste into garden fertilizer – to name a few. Some of these measures have building operators claiming that these buildings not only do not harm their locales, but benefit them through these extensive measures.

While such buildings may cost more to build, operating costs are significantly less. As well, building owners can charge a premium for spaces where companies with strong environmental, social and governance measures desire to be in such a space.

Some projects really stand out. Per the New York Times’ Going ‘Deep Green,’ Office Buildings Give Back to the Planet,

Gerding Edlen, a developer in Portland, Ore., has joined forces with other companies on the five-story PAE Living Building in its hometown that will essentially operate its own on-site power plant (thanks to rooftop solar) as well as its own wastewater treatment plant (liquid waste from urinals will be converted to agriculture-grade fertilizer). Water that lands on the roof will be filtered so that it is drinkable.

Seattle’s Pax Futurama apartment community is the city’s first PHIUS+-certified Passive House project. It features 32 apartment units developed by Cascade Built and designed by NK Architects. The cost of development was $6.5 million. According to Multi-Housing News,

Among its Passive House elements, Pax Futura has a heat recovery ventilation system that supplies filtered, fresh air to every unit and captures energy through exhaust air. Sliding screen elements shield units from west-facing solar exposure, keeping units cool during warm months. Awnings on the south side minimize summer solar heat gain, but let light pass through in the winter. Other design elements include air-tight construction, triple pane windows and doors, extra insulation and the aforementioned solar hot water system.

Entire cities are taking note. Dallas City Council recently approved the area’s first climate action plan, which includes a mandate for net zero buildings for all new structures by 2050. Electrifying buildings and getting them away from fossil fuels is part of the plan, as is a goal to become zero-waste, along with water conservation measures.

“Efficient buildings are the result of thoughtful, integrated design. Improvements in light and daylight, views to the outside, air quality and ventilation, are all part of integrated design,” Dan Noble, president and CEO Dallas-based architecture firm HKS Inc. tells D Magazine. “This, in turn, contributes to a more healthy, equitable, and beautiful Dallas.”

A big advocate of such measures is the World Green Building Council. Its Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment has the lofty goal of 100 percent uptake in net zero carbon buildings by 2050. The organization’s status report, published in June, boasts 95 signatories to its Commitment, which includes 28 cities, 6 states and regions. California has signed on to the commitment with 16 million buildings.

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The concept of reduced commute times, easier access to lifestyle amenities, community engagement and proximity to work has grown in popularity, where living the suburbs may previously have been viewed as a healthier living option appealing to those who aren’t interested in shared living spaces.

COVID-19 brings mixed-use building challenges

While the benefits of mixed-use community living abound, not one developer could have foreseen the challenges of operating such a building in the wake of COVID-19. With lock-down orders and social distancing measures in effect, amenities in some areas have shut down, and general fear of isolated areas like elevators has creeped in to occupant psyches.

With the retail and hospitality environments struggling, some developers are rethinking their building offerings given the current climate. But many are still going all-in on the live, work and play concept, feeling that a return to normal is imminent and an address at a chic destination will continue to appeal to the modern renter or unit owner.

Developer Vibrant cities, currently working on Pivot Apartments, an eight-story, 75,000-square-foot development in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, will be forging ahead with its plan of 4,500 square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant space below 95 apartment units despite the current market concerns with those sectors on the ground floor.

“We believe that the current design will work well,” Vibrant Cities CEO James Wong tells Bisnow. “The urban devastation that people are predicting post-COVID is exaggerated. We believe people still want to live and stay near where they work and be part of this community.”

Cities within cities

On an even larger scale, Brookfield Properties is set to open a 6.2 acre, approximately $450 million development in downtown Nashville, billed as a city within a city and Tennessee’s largest mixed-use development. The development will feature 200,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space in an area of Music City ripe for revitalization. The development will also feature a large apartment tower, food hall and a new National Museum of African American Music.

Brookfield has altered its plans for opening the restaurant and food hall portions of the development, pushing back the date to March 2021, citing health concerns.

Not all real estate analysts hold a rosy view, but a cautious optimism for such projects appears to be resonating. Per Bloomberg,

“The honest truth is, at this moment, nobody really knows,” says Adam Ducker, senior managing director at RCLCO, a real estate consultancy. “Few people have woken up and changed their world view. They’re inclined to look at COVID’s impact in a way that supports their presuppositions. We believe the broader lifestyle and behavioral trends will be fundamentally unchanged. It would require years to shift people’s needs.”

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