Anyone stepping into a purpose-built student housing unit or college dormitory today is most likely to find the building looking like the lobby of a downtown apartment, with its recreational spaces, high-end furnishings, and contemporary lounge. Student housing facilities have a brand new, posh feel and look. As per the Department of Education of the United States, higher education enrollment in the nation is on a consistent rise. This implies that a growing number of students are attending college and hence would require housing. The needs of modern college students include greater privacy, comfort, and sustainability, all of which influence student-housing design, especially of the projects undertaken by renowned developers like Nelson Partners.
Today’s student housing facilities do not prioritize accommodating the distinctive privacy preferences of the incoming students. As a result, the communal elements associated with student housing are gradually changing. Owing to the greater emphasis on privacy is being given, the number of students sharing a room and a bathroom has typically gone down. In addition, newly built residence halls typically feature a suite layout for more living space, alongside private bathrooms.
With greater privacy in the students’ living quarters, many of their common areas have been transformed into functional spaces. Many student housing operators like Nelson Partners are gradually moving towards maximizing common spaces to encourage more significant student activity. For instance, the layout of student housing projects today features kitchens, study spaces, lounges, laundry rooms, etc. These spaces tend to be equipped with comfortable furniture that can be easily moved or reconfigured to accommodate varied settings. In addition, innovation incubators, maker spaces, ping pong, pool tables, green screens, and faculty-in-residence tend to present a stack difference from the dorms of yesteryears.
Environmental sustainability is another vital factor for college students of today. Many of them prefer housing facilities that promote a greener approach. These students grow up in an environment where the emphasis is given to the sustainable living, and hence, they adopt some of the associated behaviors as a norm. Many modern students are proactive about recycling, expect energy efficiency, and want to live in buildings that have been designed to be sustainable. Owing to this reason, many residential areas of student housing projects display certain sustainable features like efficient appliances energy, provision for water conservation and solar lighting, and so on.
The popularity of purpose-built student housing has mainly gone up in recent years. These facilities are meant for students who opt to live off the campus and come with unique features like roommate matching facilities, study rooms, individual leases, fully furnished units, and more. In addition, such apartment communities are customized as per the needs of students of today and come with amenities like outdoor living areas, coffee shops, pools, grills, hot tubs, and so on.
