A 20 Year Evolution in Student Housing

Why Student Housing Has Changed

Over the past 20 years, student housing interior design has changed dramatically to accommodate the evolving needs and desires of new residents. Today’s student living environments stand in stark contrast to the institutional-style cells that passed for housing years ago. There are many reasons why this needed change is transforming the landscape of student housing interior design, and developers, owners, and apartment managers need to act now to embrace the change if they have hopes of attracting and retaining residents.

When Did Students Get So… Needy?

While some might attribute the sudden change in student living to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, student housing design has been at the forefront of many property owners’ minds long before COVID-19 was ever a concern. In 2013, college campuses opened their doors to an entirely new population of students known as Generation Z. Born and raised in a society heavily influenced by mobile devices and modern technology, Gen Z students are used to having their needs prioritized.

As technology continues to dominate everyday life, tomorrow’s students will only come to expect more from their college living experience. Properties that fail to adapt to these changing needs will ultimately fall short of their leasing objectives.

What Do Today’s Students Expect from Their Living Experience?

So, what exactly do these students expect from their living environment? The answer to that question is a little different for each property; however, there are a few general rules of thumb that property managers should keep in mind when revamping their student housing interiors.

Amenities Are Everything

First and foremost, students expect access to a broad range of amenities. This doesn’t just include things like on-site laundry facilities and fitness centers: Properties need to expand their reach to include more high-end amenities that speak to residents’ unique surroundings. Such amenities might include:

• Resort-style Pools
• Dog Parks
• Luxury Finishes
• Private Bathrooms & Bedrooms
• High-speed Internet
• Indoor-outdoor Living Areas
• Game Rooms
• Full Kitchens

When choosing which amenities to include in your student housing property, it’s important to take stock of the local competition. Find out what other properties are offering residents that your apartment is currently lacking to easily fill the void and attract new students.

The Social Media Factor

As we mentioned earlier, today’s students are heavily influenced by mobile devices and social media in particular. Students want to have a “cool apartment” to show off on their social media profiles like Instagram and TikTok. Status signaling is a big part of today’s student culture, so it’s important to include unique architectural aspects in your student housing design that will make it stand out more on social media. This is why many student living managers are turning to skilled interior design specialists to help reimagine their spaces and attract more residents.

How Does SouthPark Interiors Approach Student Housing Design?

For nearly 20 years, SouthPark Interiors has remained on the cutting edge of student housing interior design. We pride ourselves on delivering living spaces that withstand the test of time but are still funky, cool, and edgy while offering unique amenities and luxury finishes. Our design specialists are capable of creating one-of-a-kind student housing properties that stand out from the crowd. With our years of student housing design experience, we are eager to help you refresh your space and attract new residents to your apartment. Discover how we can help transform your student housing design by connecting with our interior design team today!

Today’s student is excited to be back on campus after spending time learning remotely for the past year, but has different expectations for what they are looking for in their next off-campus apartment. Students want to live in a community that reflects their social and cultural values and has the amenities and technology they need to study and connect with friends. Incorporating a few of these trends into your student housing communities is a great way to stand out from your competitors and be the place students want to live this school year and for years to come.

Here are a few of the top student housing trends that students are looking for in for 2021.

State-of-the-art technology

Today’s students are more tech-savvy than ever. After spending over a year on Zoom, many students have gotten accustomed to online learning and many will elect to continue taking virtual classes even after schools return to campus. Even those attending in-person will still use streaming platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime for group projects, study sessions and just connecting with friends who live elsewhere.

Students expect to live in a place with high speed internet so they can attend their online meetings without skipping a beat. They also are looking for places to study with upgraded technology and amenities to support these platforms, including streaming and screen sharing capabilities, as well as private sound-reducing pods or rooms to collaborate with their peers. Outside of their studies, students are also drawn to smart technology and apps in their apartment units that can control lighting, thermostats, and the entry to their units for added security.

Dynamic community spaces

Beyond just their studies, college students are hoping to build new friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Designated community spaces are important for residents to gather with their peers and also for property staff to have areas to host property events. Additionally, they seek communities that have both indoor and outdoor amenity areas that are designed for both organic and planned gatherings.

More privacy

Traditionally, college students lived and gathered with multiple roommates and peers. However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s student prefers the option to have more space and privacy. Instead of multiple large, open gathering spaces, today’s student prefers to have both the option to gather in a large open space and the option to study or lounge in a private area away from the crowds of people. Students today also prefer living spaces with fewer roommates or even studio apartments. Providing these options for students is crucial to leasing out your apartment units.

Alternative Transportation

Fewer students are choosing to bring cars to campus as they are opting to use public transportation, bikes or ride share services when they can’t easily walk to the grocery store, a friend’s apartment, or a restaurant. Because of this shift in transportation preferences, students need spaces to store, repair, or charge their bicycles, e-bikes, and electric scooters.

Adding amenities such as locking bike storage, charging stations, and bike repair equipment will separate your housing community from the competition, and it also shows you are adapting to the new forms of transportation that students prefer to use.

Unique Amenities

As more and more students have lived at home and choose to live off campus, your student housing apartment or dormitory will need to have unique and fun amenities to attract students. Students are looking for amenities and services that will make their lives easier. They want to live in places that not only provide now standard amenities such as outdoor grills and kitchens, laundry and dry-cleaning services, pet wash stations, fitness centers that provide classes, but unique amenity areas like video gaming centers, podcasting or recording studios, and areas for creating the perfect Instagram or TikTok.

Adding unique amenities to your space will create an environment that will set you apart from the competition and become the favorite place for students to live.

Innovative and Functional Design

College is the first time many young adults live away from their childhood home for an extended period of time, and these students are looking for spaces that feel both luxurious and familiar. Many students associate college living with unattractive and cold spaces and old unit furniture. Creating student living spaces with modern and functional furniture and vibrantly designed spaces helps make your college student feel at home in their student housing community.

Tailoring your off-campus apartment design to the unique needs of incoming students helps ensure they are entering an environment that allows them to learn and grow. With each academic year that passes, a new wave of students come to experience the thrill of college life. But what the students of yesteryear required from their housing units isn’t necessarily what your new students will need to foster an effective learning environment.

Students entering the 2021 – 2022 academic year have faced many unique challenges that housing developments must consider. By incorporating strategic changes to your property’s interior design, you can provide your students with the surroundings they need to thrive in academia.

What Challenges Do Students Face in 2021?

During a year that turned many long-held institutions and traditions flatly on their head, college campuses were among the hardest hit. The COVID-19 pandemic completely transformed the way students learn and interact with one another overnight. As a result, high school graduates entering college for the first time face distinct challenges that freshmen from years past did not.

Connectivity

One of the biggest challenges that students faced during the pandemic was disparity in internet connectivity. Many schools transitioned to online “distance learning” in an effort to keep students educated despite the outbreak. However, this move to online learning failed account for the fact that some students did not have access to a strong internet connection. In some cases, students were unable to attend class altogether, causing their grades to slip. 

Especially as the trend to offer more online and hybrid learning opportunities continues, student housing properties will need to ensure that both their in-unit and amenity spaces are well-connected to keep students on-track for academic success.

Isolation

Because of the move to online learning, many students reported feeling socially isolated. Depression and anxiety were at an all-time high among these age groups, and studies showed how students craved either a hybrid learning or in-person experience. While it may not be possible to hold classes 100% in-person for some universities, it’s important for student housing centers to consider how they can promote connection to community while keeping students safe and healthy.

Burnout

Since students are forced to live and learn in the same environment (at home or in their off-campus apartment), this can lead to quick burnout. Lack of motivation and exhaustion from online learning are common side effects seen among incoming 2021 freshmen. These students require a clear separation from their studies and their personal lives in order to thrive academically.

How Can Interior Design Help Ease the Transition?

Perhaps one of the most impactful changes that student housing properties can make is to their interior design. In fact, each of the challenges discussed above can be made easier by incorporating strategic changes to your student housing design.

Study Pods & Private Study Areas

In recent history, interior design trends showed a preference for Starbucks-style open workspaces for students to gather and collaborate. However, post-pandemic students will require more privacy so they can focus on their studies and feel more productive. Incorporating study pods and more private study areas is a great way to overcome the academic challenges students face in online learning. These “pods” should prioritize comfort and strong internet connectivity, providing students with a powerful yet peaceful study space.

Community Spaces

While privacy is important as these students require a place where they can focus and catch up academically, it’s also imperative that they have places where they can work together. Consider incorporating intimate yet flexible community spaces in your student housing design where students can interact one-on-one. Providing small-scale community spaces will help students overcome feelings of isolation while still adhering to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) guidelines around social distancing. Making a space flexible and multi-use gives operators the ability to use the space in different ways as the needs of their residents change.

Work & Play

One of the biggest interior design changes that student housing properties should make is finding ways to clearly define which areas are for work and which are for play. Especially with increased reports of academic burnout due to at-home learning, helping students separate their studies from their personal lives through strategic design will go a long way in propelling their academic success.

SouthPark Interiors for Your Student Housing Design

Student housing apartments seeking to revamp their interior design ahead of the 2021 – 2022 academic year will benefit from working with a team of skilled professionals. At SouthPark Interiors, our designers have helped transform off-campus properties throughout the United States for nearly 20 years. We understand the unique challenges that incoming freshmen and new students face, and we have the interior design expertise to help you provide a space for your students to grow and thrive. Start strategically designing your student housing projects today by scheduling a consultation with our interior design team!