Architecture and Design

After student housing developers slowed construction amid the pandemic, they are once again building at a brisk clip. Some 46,000 student housing beds are under construction, most of which are at large universities, and nearly 30,000 beds are expected to be completed this year, according to Yardi Matrix, a commercial real estate software provider and research organization. While new developments are trending down from the previous two years, they are well above the total of 23,500 student housing beds added to the market in 2022 and are expected to remain …

As the sector readies for a new generation of students to enter campuses — Generation Alpha — a few of the ‘tried and true’ amenity spaces that were hot with millennials or Gen Z have fallen by the wayside. Golf simulators, movie theaters and bohemian styling with baskets and lots of greenery are just a few of the once popular design choices that are now on the outs, according to Lucy Harrison, brand marketing manager with SouthPark Interiors.   Gone, too, are the days of designing one ‘Instagramable’ moment for …

While some things change, others remain the same. The need for multi-functional, durable furniture remains at the top of developer and owner wish lists when it comes to interiors. But the desired look and feel of this furniture has changed significantly.  Bright, bold furniture pieces are being replaced by muted, more sophisticated designs with a focus on sustainable materials and colors that evoke the feeling of being out in nature. Pops of color remain, but they’re more elevated to capture the eye of design-minded students in keeping with the industry’s …

If there’s one thing that’s ever changing, it’s college students. Their opinions, preferences and needs evolve during their four-year (hopefully) college careers. They are the opposite of, say, buildings, which are relatively permanent, immoveable and oftentimes iconic.  Yet, one has to serve the other. Again and again. And not just those students for those four years, but student after student, year after year. Just as one cohort exits their college career, another will begin, ushering with it a whole new set of opinions, preferences and needs.  This creates a tall …