Over the course of history, there have been major events that have changed the landscaped of real estate development, architecture, and design. We’ve seen recessions, rapid innovations in technology, changes in government policies, and most recently a pandemic. Eventually, these large-scale events alter the real estate market and all services associated with it! As we all know, the majority of the work force worked from home for the past 2 years, and some never stopped or will never go back into office full-time, resulting in many remote workers looking to redecorate their home office, signing up for co-working spaces, or moving to communities that fit their new work environment. SO, in this month’s blog, we’re discussing how the new “work from anywhere” lifestyle has affected multifamily amenity trends, and why we’re here for it!
WHY DOES BANKO LOVE CO-WORKING SPACES?
Since Melissa founded Banko Design 7 seven years ago, she has always been passionate about providing her employees with a flexible work schedule and the ability to work from anywhere. This goes for giving parents the ability to work remote when needing to take care of the kids, the ability to work around life’s appointments, and better flexibility with client office visits and onsite visits.
Why was this important to our founder? As a young, up and coming designer, Melissa worked for several large architecture and design firms. With egregious work hours and a young family, Melissa implored her employers for a more flexible work schedule. For the most part, the answer was “no” because occasional remote work was simply not the industry standard. So, when she started Banko Design, she immediately gave all employees laptops and offered flexible schedules, giving working moms, dog moms, and the ability to better fulfill their responsibilities at home and at work!
This is why Melissa provided a multitude of spaces within our studio for all types of work and workers like – small and large conference rooms with tricked out video conferencing equipment, a huge breakroom with bar seating, dining table seating, banquette seating, AND kids seating 😊, sample pin up and lay out space throughout the office, green room for recording social media content, living room seating, and a mother’s room with a private bathroom, fridge and rocking chair! Melissa believes that if she invests in her team and their needs, then they will in turn invest in Banko, and we can honestly, say, this investment has paid off! Giving our team the space and resources they need to collaborate has resulted in an unmatched culture and superior design!!
All that to say, our team clearly has experience in communal workspaces, giving us the ability to really crush this upcoming trend in multifamily!
HOW HAS THE NEED FOR WORK-FROM-HOME CHANGED MULTIFAMILY?
It’s no secret that the pandemic has left a lasting impact on how we design spaces, especially multifamily buildings. As new multifamily projects come through the door, it has become increasingly obvious that communal workspaces are the hot ticket item! The world is working differently! The traditional work life and schedule has significantly changed and ultimately created a need for spaces that have flexible use. Today, we see more people reveling in remote work with no intention of return to the traditional office or are looking for jobs that are fully remote. Another change is the amount of people that are now pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in 2020 alone, 4.3 million new business applications were filed. For perspective, that is 24% more than 2019. So how does this change how we design?
HOW ARE WE APPLYING WHAT WE KNOW TO DESIGNING COMMUNAL SPACES IN MULTIFAMILY?
NEWS FLASH! – The traditional office is no longer in one, centralized location! Teams can now work from quite literally ANYWHERE! Because of this, developers and owners are now requesting fully equipped communal workspaces in all of their multifamily projects. Gone are the days of a coffee maker, a printer, and a couple of tables. These communal workspaces require phone booths, office pods, multiple breakout spaces, conference rooms with TVs and high-quality cameras for virtual and in-person meetings, high speed WiFi and, of course, POWER EVERYWHERE!
Not only does this amenity require high technology but also high design! Banko Design is allocating the best square footage in the community with the best views because they want these areas to be the pinnacle of their property. We are applying specialty finishes, luxury FF&E, and creative design to make this amenity a highly used space that will lure new residents in and be utilized fully. Some are taking it a step farther and really leaning into the content creator generation. We are including areas for residents to record content like podcast and TikTok rooms, and they expect several instagrammable moments throughout for social media savvy residents. We want to create communal workspaces for remote or new entrepreneurs that need a quiet place with a great view and all the tools they need right within their own community!
The beauty of these spaces is that not only are they ideal for remote workers, but they can also be designed to be used for events, evening hangs, entertaining clients and coworkers, and so much more. The sky is the limit! Banko is providing a workspace with all of these elements for residents right within their communities!
If you’re looking for a design team with a passion for flexible work schedules AND a love (and know how) for great design, we’ve got great news for you! Banko Design is ready to take on your project! Interested in chatting with us? Reach out to our business development team at brittany@bankodesign.com and steph@bankodesign.com.
Will you be at Marcus & Millichap Multifamily Southeast on March 31st in Atlanta, GA? If so, we’d love to meet up! Brittany and Steph will be there representing Banko Design. Email them at brittany@bankodesign.com and steph@bankodesign.com.