Designing Student Housing for the Next Generation: A Focus on Wellness, Safety, and Style
STUDENTS WANT IT ALL THESE DAYS. BANKO DESIGN MAKES IT POSSIBLE.
It wasn’t that long ago that student housing wasn’t the most glamorous thing on the block. With the exception of the “cool” properties, which were often more expensive market outliers, the developments were outfitted with furniture, upholstery, and general vibes that felt a decade or two behind the times. Think 90s bachelor pad style… in the middle of the 2010s. Not great.
Well, it’s 2025, and student housing has caught up. Filled with modern amenities, layouts, and furniture, there’s now a sense of trendiness and vibrancy the moment you walk in the door. The wants and needs of student lifestyle are being met with top-tier amenities, sleek, innovative designs, and thoughtfully crafted spaces provided by yours truly. These developments are better aligned to the way students live, study, and socialize than they’ve ever been. Makes us wish we were back in school sometimes.
So how do we at Banko Design approach student housing? Grab a seat. Class is now in session.
What Do Students (and Parents) Want in 2025?
Our first non-negotiable of student housing is safety and well-being. And since Banko Design’s Founder and Visionary, Melissa Banko, is a parent of a college student herself, it’s something we are extremely keen on. We take into account everything from well-lit entrances and on-site team members to safe communal spaces and easy access to deliveries of things like essential medicines and food.
We’re also focused on maximizing the residents’ potential as students. How can we incorporate amenities that make their day the most efficient and productive: quiet spaces, access to coffee and light meals, building maintenance. Socialization isn’t sacrificed either, as we take into account rooms for group activities and hangouts.
Our team has been diving deep on upcoming trends in student housing that will continue to help progress and evolve this vertical and respond to student demand. Some we are super excited about include:
Sundry Shop/Bodega - Students are constantly on-the-go (and sometimes forgetful), so a convenient little pop-in could make the difference in their day… and where they choose to live
Digital Detox - Rooms without devices and screens. Rooms with red light therapy, pink Himalayan salt, hot showers, and more.
Wellness and Mental Health Support - Telehealth rooms for privacy or joint ventures with local pharmacies for safe med pick-ups can all help contribute to students' mental well-being.
Artist Studio and Maker’s Space - Pottery, painting, and photography, oh my! Everyone, even STEM majors, need creative outlets.
Listening Lounge/Recording Rooms - For listening, think a sweet vinyl or music exchange library. For recording, your residents could start the next big podcast.
Community Gardening - Residents can work together to grow and harvest shareable produce and flowers.
Outdoor Play - Get outside and move. We’re innovating on outdoor yoga, pickleball, tennis, rock climbing, and even hammock parks.
Majors in Many Verticals – Maximizing the Interior Design Experience
No two student housing developments are alike. Nor should they be. There’s a lot to consider that ultimately creates differentiation: mission, focus, location, size, the list goes on. But to make the absolute most of each element, you need an interior design partner that can maximize the potential of each element to help bring the whole thing to market. That’s something we do in all our verticals, not just student.
And it’s our experience across verticals—particularly senior living and multifamily—that helps inform our student housing strategies. For example, health and wellness are central in our design for senior living; and while the health and wellness needs of college kids are much different, we’re well versed in incorporating physical and mental well-being components to both types of developments.
With a multi-vertical approach, we’re no stranger to designing for durability and longevity. In senior living, residents often put furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) to the test, much like students in multifamily. Our experience specifying robust materials that stand up to the demands of these active groups gives you an edge. Having worked with seniors, we've honed the ability to choose fabrics and materials that are not only durable but also aesthetically pleasing and functional for long-term use.
Our wide experience also helps us speak to what’s working in local markets, allowing us to tailor how we approach student housing for said market. And as we see a lot of brands aiming to be more like market-rate multifamily, that’s music to our ears as we’re able to apply our vast multifamily expertise into the student vertical. We’re able to up the level of quality, innovation, and creativity of student developments to be on par with more ‘adulting’ multifamily developments.
Your Interior Design Partner
We’re drawn to student housing because it is ripe with innovation and energy. The calendars for student projects are tight, sure, but we don’t miss deadlines and we design within budget. The challenges excite us. Yes, we were that kind of student.
Our approach is proven across a number of verticals, including student housing. We believe in curated and custom communities that fit the residents’ stage of life and stay ahead of the curve on emerging trends. We conduct focus groups and locally driven research to help develop a strategy unique for your development in your market. Nothing cookie-cutter, kitschy or cheesy, just a bad-ass place students would want to live in.
So, want to make something stand out? Let’s partner up for a group project.
Reach out to us at business_development@bankodesign.com to get started.
The Banko Buzz by Banko Design, An Unmatched Studio: Commercial Interior Design from Start to Finishes. Marietta, Georgia-based with projects nationwide.