Designing Student Housing a Challenge

IRVINE, CA-“Student housing is not simply targeted market-rate apartments , and any apartment developer thinking of jumping into this arena has to understand that not only is the 'lingo' different—we talk about beds, not units—but designing for people who you know will move out after nine months, or for people who will have roommates that they may not even know, is a very different process.” So says David Senden, principal with KTGY Group Inc. Senden will be speaking on student housing at RealShare Apartments 2013 on October 24.

“It means considering everything, from how the common wall between rooms is constructed in order to ensure privacy to how several individuals share a pantry,” Senden says. “How should you heat hot water if four people will be getting ready for the day at the same time, each in their own bathroom? It's just different—and that's just the unit.”

Designing student housing can be a challenge, particularly from an aesthetic perspective, he adds. “Aesthetically, you want it to feel fresh and forward looking, like the population it serves. The problem is it needs to serve generations of students and the myriad of changes in taste and preference that accompany them from year to year.”

Also important is not making the buildings look childish, even though you are designing them for young people. “Today's students are worldlier and more design savvy than ever before,” says Senden. “The focus is less is more—simple, clean, adaptable and ultimately, timeless. Not timeless in the sense of fitting into some historic mold, but timeless in a way that it's not trendy or edgy or filled with the fad of the moment—on the outside, that is.”

Student housing design, in some ways, borrows from hospitality design, he adds. “The exteriors, which are not easily changed, are simple and straightforward with a few flourishes that can be changed with the times. On the interior, we assume a remodel every few years. Students are going to wear it out anyway. So, the furnishings, technology, paint and interior materials will push boundaries. They'll be fun, of the moment and offer the latest in connectivity and comfort.”

Also, while students go to college for learning, it's important to remember the collegiate “experience,” says Senden. “We want to create an environment for the students that allows them to have the best possible social experience in a setting that is safe and still fosters an academic mission. It needs to speak to the students' sense of fun and adventure, but also to the parents' sense of practicality, security and pocketbook.”

He adds that well-programmed amenity spaces are critical, such as rooftop pool deck that offer lounge spaces, fire pit chat areas, expansive sun decks and fitness facilities. “We want the student amenity spaces to offer a variety of experiences and levels of community. A ground-floor amenity creates the opportunity for the residents to be a part of the larger community and opens the door for that interaction and integration to occur with a visual and physical connection to the street and nearby campus.”