Designing Residential Spaces to Build Community

Increasing urbanization and the pace of modern life is depriving us of a sense of closeness to our neighbors. For most, our typical workday starts with a commute to work, then grinding through the nine-to-five, and finally coming home for dinner. Occasionally, we catch our neighbors at the elevator and greet them customarily, though the conversation ends as we reach our floors.

Is there a way for us to build a sense of community despite our hectic schedules and demanding obligations? Is there a way for our kids to experience growing up with their neighbors? Is it possible to still form meaningful relationships with those that we share a street with?

We’re glad you asked. We strongly believe that thoughtful residential design can evoke a sense of community, and help neighbors get to know each other better. 

Here are our three ways to build community living within residential spaces.

1. Create moments for connection through recreation

The previous trend of building design is to equip buildings with the most state of the art amenities. Over time, these amenities ended up being underused, owing to a mismatch between what residents needed and what designers wanted. 

Consequently, the new thinking behind building design is to design amenities that residents would actually need and use, even if it meant forgoing the trendiest gym equipment and largest infinity pools. In terms of designing for communities, this means designing spaces that create the most opportunities for residents to connect. This can be as simple as installing chairs and sofas in common areas, as well as benches and tables in gardens that invite people to sit down and have a chat. 

Beyond the usual amenities such as gardens, playgrounds and tennis courts, developers can also build dedicated spaces for shared activities. These include recording studios for the musically inclined, shared kitchens for aspiring cooks, as well as community vegetable gardens for those with green thumbs. 

2. Networking through co-working spaces

Cigna’s Loneliness and the Workplace Report found that three in five Americans have reported themselves as lonely arising from lockdown conditions, further revealing that lonely workers think about quitting their job more than twice as often as non-lonely workers. However, the same Cigna report also found that respondents who reported many quality interactions with other people were less likely to be lonely and unproductive at work.

Coworking spaces in residential buildings could remedy loneliness by enabling residents to network and exchange ideas with others from different backgrounds. Open and collaborative working removes the barriers to communication associated with segregated spaces. Shared kitchens and snack bars further increase the likelihood for interaction. 

Networking doesn’t have to be confined to physical spaces alone. Digital platforms within the residence can enable residents to seek each other out to find common interests or launch new products. Career development and self-development talks could be hosted live or streamed from channels such as TedX in these co-working spaces to build community.

3. Combine commercial and residential space

It’s a Friday night and you’ve just wrapped up work and it's nearly time to head to dinner. Wouldn’t it be nice to just go to a restaurant in the same building where you live and catch a show after?

Residential areas that employ mixed use development, combining residential and commercial elements are growing in popularity. 

How does this foster communities? Cafes and restaurants built within residential spaces give residents alternative spaces to congregate or work - just a few steps away from their units. Wine cellars can double up as a community space for wine aficionados, while serving the needs of the in-home restaurant. Live arts venues housed within the building provide additional options for entertainment and draw in non residents who are interested in the arts. 

Wrapping it up

‘Community is about doing something together that makes belonging matter’ - Brian Solis

Feeling a sense of belonging and community is possible, despite the increasingly frenetic pace of modernization, even in present times working from home during the pandemic. Creating opportunities for connection through smart building design, installing networking capabilities through co-working spaces, as well as combining commercial and residential spaces, can all help achieve this outcome. At the end of the day, it is the people you come home to, the things you do with them, and the memories made that people cherish most about their time at home.