Amenities have a profound effect on the value of a building, and new unique experiences make a lasting impression for consumers, employees, hotel guests, and residents. Our mixed-use teammates set out to explore current and future amenity trends in our latest blog series, The Amenity Effect. Follow along as we dive deep into the environments where we work, shop, live, and thrive and take a closer look at the amenities that help make these environments flourish.

___________________________________________

Over the past few weeks we’ve pointed out experiential design opportunities within the realm of live, work, shop, and stay environments, and how amenities can add value to these environments.

While each of these sectors can stand on their own in the market, we are seeing an elevated interest to bring them together in mixed-use developments.  As many urban dwellers of the millennial generation begin having families and settling down, they seek walkable communities with the same  access to services, restaurants, grocery, and entertainment they had downtown. Gen Z seeks the same energy as a college campus, and there are older generations that seek to exchange the empty nest at the end of a cul-de-sac for a more vibrant community surrounded by entertainment, convenience, culture, and activity. Multi-family developments, both urban and suburban, can provide for those transitions.

_______________________

“There is no recipe for a great mixed-use development, but there is definitely a secret sauce. This secret sauce is blended together to create an active, engaging, and creative atmosphere, while making guests feel safe and entertained.”

—Michael T. Lentz, Managing Principal,  NELSON Worldwide

_______________________

There are several combinations that go into the recipe for an engaging mixed-use development, and we’re breaking them down in this edition of The Amenity Effect:

Inclusive Connectivity

Engaging mixed-use destinations should be inclusive to all types of transportation including cyclists, pedestrians, public transportation and vehicles. Parking amenities like valet, stacked storage, personal garages, ride share nodes and lounges, car washing and detailers stations are all examples of amenities that bring value to a development. Mixed-use developments have a valid role in reducing the need for personal vehicles and encouraging alternative opportunities and amenities. Projects with walking trails, bike paths, and safe sidewalks are  more inclusive and promote connectivity.

NELSON Worldwide’s project Avalon, a premier mixed-use destination located in Alpharetta, Georgia, features dedicated areas for ridesharing and public transportation. And as parking ratios went down, the team was able to transform the underutilized parking decks into valuable, usable, square-footage. 

Avalon – Alpharetta, Georgia | NELSON Worldwide

Convenient Resources

Anchoring a development with a grocer or neighborhood convenience store can shore up a strong retail component, as well as provide value to the residents. Dry cleaning and laundry services add value to the multifamily components, along with style salons and pharmacies. As noted in our residential edition, more people are getting pets and we need to design for the cohabitation, care for and pampering of pets, and mingling of owners. Some seek concierge service to provide housekeeping, care service, delivery services for restaurants and groceries, and even pet sitting or walking.

Fenton | NELSON Worldwide

Community, Creativity & Co-Working

The most lively mixed-use destinations blend community and creativity to bring energy  to the environment. Amenities like community halls and event space for private events and communal gatherings bring value to those who work or live at a development.  

As the work-from-home phenomenon continues, there is a paradigm shift that demands a larger variety of workspaces, going beyond traditional offices and buildings dedicated to specific companies. Now, more than ever, there is a greater need for individual and co-working space, as well as entrepreneurial lounges. Places where people can collaborate, host a presentation, or simply work remote, away from the home will see a broader market. Buildings with indoor, outdoor, and rooftop offerings, coupled with proximity to residential and restaurants aptly position these amenities.  

Creating a district of offerings for creatives; a sort of Maker square can add a layer of richness to the neighborhood. A hub for boutiques and pop-up brands could co-mingle with tech startups that offer access to tools, space, and classes in 3D printing, machinery, creative software, or glass blowing for hobbyists and budding entrepreneurs. Sprinkle in options for the food and beverage arts with cooking and mixology demonstrations.

Industrious – Scottsdale, AZ | NELSON Worldwide

Flexibility to Meet Consumer Demands

The pandemic has reinforced the need for spaces that are easily converted to different uses depending on what the current needs are. Providing pop-op or quick build opportunities for local startup boutiques,  can change up the experience with short-term leases to cycle in new experiences of food, retail,  and health and fitness.

With the rapid growth of e-commerce and a global pandemic causing retail developments to limit capacity or temporarily close, transforming underutilized space into creative pickup and return concepts is a clever and valuable way to meet consumer demands now and in the future. There is a real planning shift in how we design street scape, traffic flow to handle merchandise pickup and returns.  Developers can provide a controlled, branded experience by setting up automated storage pods throughout allowing shoppers to quickly drop off returns or pick up orders without having to go inside a crowded store. Balanced solutions can be planned for within our mixed-use developments with flexible design that can handle adversity to swiftly adapt and evolve through the next pandemic or natural disaster.

Curbside Services- Parking Garage Parcel Pickup pods | NELSON Worldwide

Ghost kitchens continue to fill market demand within communities, whether it’s for office event catering or a family meal.  While the exit of anchor tenants within shopping centers are providing real estate potential for third-party food delivery concepts, there are opportunities within a mixed-use project located in areas that may not be suitable for traditional tenants due t a lack of foot traffic or visibility. Leveraging the localized delivery efficiency can serve as a valuable amenity to a neighborhood. 

Recreational Hobbies 

Fitness opportunities such as rock climbing, CrossFit, and yoga are traditional staples that have found their way into retail settings over the years as the activities have become more popular. However, more of these active hobbies like racquetball, tennis, pickleball, and cornhole are becoming more desirable. Adding these perks to a development differentiate it from others around it, while adding value to the overall community.

In addition, youth travel sports programs have long had a need for facilities within proximity of family lodging, food and beverage, and entertainment, so mixed use developments could promote a valued partnership.  Field house buildings can provide for baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf simulators, and batting cages. Creative nuances are sometimes all it takes to transform a standard amenity to an epic one. 

Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon took a standard track design that traditionally has an open infield and with a simple gesture, threaded it through the woods, creating a unique running experience. Blurring the lines of traditional will also be seen more in seasonal environments. Summer jogging trails and kids’ parks could transition to a winter wonderland by converting a winding trail to ice skating like The Central park Ice skating trail in Maple Minnesota.  Allowing year-round activation promotes outdoor wellness as well as business for the local vendors. 

Wellness

In recent years we’ve noticed a dramatic shift in the way consumers view healthcare. In an era of self-care and “treat yourself” mantras, healthcare is no longer seen just as treatment for an illness or injury. The meaning now expands to beauty, wellness, fitness, and more, and consumers are demanding these services be more accessible. And according to CB Insights, the global wellness industry is worth almost $4 trillion. 

Other examples of health-centric concepts for mixed-use developments are what we call medi-retail offerings. Most of the time, hospitals and health clinics are far away from the city center, with inconvenient parking, and long wait times for appointments. Malls and other retail settings make sense because of their location, ease of access, and dark anchor space, making it a win-win collaboration.

Medi-retail tenants come in all shapes and sizes. From pharmacy extensions and alternative health solutions, to dispensaries and boutique fitness centers, medi-retail opportunities run the gamut.

Medi-Retail Concept | NELSON Worldwide

Mixed-use projects can highlight the features in design supporting our environment and celebrate the invisible amenity features that enhance our experiences, through Wellness integration.  Developers can drive green initiatives for carbon reduction goals by responsible and calculated material sourcing and energy efficiency. A centralized cooling plant can free up rooftops that traditionally house equipment allowing those rooftops to support green roof amenities.  We can elevate workspaces, lounges, fitness and recreation to capture views or an urban farm atop that parking garage.  New building materials and systems can reduce noise and utility bills, while improving indoor air quality that tenants and owners will buy into. 

_______________________

“We don’t just reduce our energy consumption to save money, we do it because we care to have a healthy enough planet that enables us to have commerce and therefore buildings to operate our businesses within.”

—Nicole Keeler, Director of Sustainability, NELSON Worldwide

_______________________

Rock Row – Westbrook, Maine| NELSON Worldwide

Rock Row located just outside Portland, Maine is an example of local repurpose and transformation. An existing quarry was transformed to provide unique amenity offerings for water recreation, trails and a light and water show called the quarry spectacular.

Programing events with a variety of options to fill the calendar year-round has been fruitful for many mixed-use developments. Coordination of schedule for holiday events, fitness programs, kids crafts, auto shows, movie nights, artist guilds, farmers’ markets, live music, fashion shows, game day tailgates, and more is key to keeping a well-oiled machine. Harnessing social media can leverage the FOMO culture by creating must have experiences. Many centers look to set up, look-at-me now installations like murals, sculptures, and interactive showpieces for those Instagram selfies which in-turn drive traffic. Designing in technology and infrastructure to support the activities of today and planning for tomorrow is important to activate and coordinate with other areas of the center to give people real experiential amenities. 

A diverse and active community will continue to be the cornerstone of a successful mixed-use development for decades to come and it will be the evolution of the experiences we collaboratively create that will make them thrive.

_______________________

“Amenities are often the driver which transforms a ‘place’ into a ‘destination’ providing a range of service, comfort, and unexpected delight. Coupled with a program of events, well thought out amenities have a direct impact on dwell time and return visits.”

—Eric Arter, Vice President, NELSON Worldwide

_______________________

WEBINARS TO WATCH

Inspired Discussion

Workforce Webinar Series  |  Office Space 2021 |  Adjusting to the Connected Economy

Sensible Solutions for Real Emergency Situations |  (Re)dustrial Revolution

TOP TRENDS

Expert Insight

The New Connected Economy  | Asset AdvantEDGE   |   Reframed Rituals

Leveraging Environmental Graphic Design to Create Engaging Experiences

BEST OF OUR BLOG

Creative Fuel

The Future of Retail is Fluid  |  COVID-19 Can’t Cancel Workplace Collaboration

Evolving Workforce Expectations  |  Return to the Great Outdoors

Ready for what’s next?

See our upcoming webinars and events in 2021

Shopping is an experience. You can have all the sparkling jewels, intricate designs, and sophisticated styles in-store, but if people don’t want to come, they will stick to online shopping from the couch. Taking this into consideration, NELSON Worldwide designed London Jewelers’ newest jewelry boutique in Short Hills, New Jersey to be a retail destination, allowing visitors to peruse endless jewelry displays, try things on, and have fun with it – because the selection process should be just as exciting as the final purchase.

Read more with Retail Focus here.

“Let’s sit down and sign a contract. It will last for 10 years, and it will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions. What you’ll get out of the deal will be an office. Yes, an office: the physical real estate that was deemed unsafe by the pandemic, and which continues to be an uncertain space for human use. The remote work of the lockdown days has evolved, post-pandemic, into here-today-­gone-tomorrow hybrid work. As a result, office spaces are often occupied only some of the time, and in some cities they are virtual ghost towns, stacked in vertical ghost buildings, filling ghost blocks.

With high vacancy and low demand, the debts coming due on many of these buildings may simply be unpayable. But office spaces in general are not dead.” (Fast Company)

Haril Pandya, Principal and National Practice Leader, Asset Strategy, shares why it’s a good time to be a tenant with Fast Company.

NELSON Worldwide’s Evolving Workforce Expectations study explores employees’ sentiments about returning to the office, and the impact COVID-19 has had on work environments and employee engagement. As part of our Evolving Workforce Expectations blog series, we’re taking a closer look at each of the key themes that stemmed from our research: communicate, activate, control, and support. Follow along to learn more about each theme and how your brand can pull off a successful re-entry strategy.

As today’s workforce evolves amid the current global pandemic, we predict the role of the physical office will do the same. Leveraging data from our recent study, we’ve identified three themes that will redefine workplace environments of today and the future. Examining this idea from macro to micro level, these themes start by looking at overall real estate strategy, new roles, and finally, dynamic design solutions that can help get employees excited to return to the office.  Below, we’re taking a deep dive into each of these themes and exploring how to activate them in the workplace:

Portfolio Strategy 

As many businesses reevaluate their real estate portfolio, there are many strategies employers and developers must consider to adjust to new working styles and health and wellness concerns. Actions include:

• Consider the location of an office and understanding the value in urban vs. suburban, the access to transportation and parking, the connection to the brand, and geographical opportunities that are available.
• Reevaluate real estate usage while considering new opportunities for consumers/users to interact with the space. For example, is the current space client facing? Is there optimal collaboration space? Is there enough back-of-house space?
• Put people at the center of the decision. If a new location or space can’t recruit and retain top talent or loyal customers is it worth it? On the other hand, have new consumer/employee behaviors impacted how a current space/location will be used?
• Don’t double the footprint if you don’t have to. When assessing real estate, it is more important than ever to question the amount of space or the model needed to support staff and business while keeping flexibility and capital planning in mind.

45% of respondents listed “location and neighborhood of office” as the aspect that they most appreciated about their company’s physical workplace.

Habitat for Humanity | NELSON Worldwide

Redefined Role  

As companies start to plan their re-entry, brands and businesses must understand their unique priority of functions to better redefine their space. In most organizations, there are various teams that perform different tasks and use different space types for work. From research-based roles, to client facing roles, the purpose of each space must be redefined. There are various roles and activities that should be considered along the way:

• Customer-Facing Role: As COVID-19 restrictions ease, more people are open to in-person meetings. In many cases, there are employees that will opt to utilize the office for customer-facing meetings rather than virtual meetings.
• Dependent Workers: Fostering a safe and engaging environment for employees that must be onsite (i.e. R&D, IT, etc.) should not be forgotten, especially as other employees are introduced to the space.
• Cultural Immersion Opportunities: A strong culture is crucial for any business, so for employees that are opening to in-person interactions, the office environment should become a touchpoint of your brand/culture for existing employees and new employees to connect (safely, of course).

54% of respondents selected “a sense of teamwork and sociability” as the thing they miss the most about being in the office.

Pandora | NELSON Worldwide

Dynamic Design

If so few employees want to come in the office, how can you utilize design to get employees excited about the office again? By using human-centric design solutions to support the workforce today and the future, organizations can create environments that not only provide safety, but drive and support innovation. This approach may include:

• Developing dynamic space types that can be a COVID-safe hub for brand/culture events or a space for hosting formal, client-based meetings.
• Taking inspiration from other industries to create fluid environments that provide more convenience-based amenities or micro-experiences (i.e. in-house food concepts, outdoor experiences).
• Presenting a partnership model by tapping into co-working spaces or even a hotel brand that has empty private suites for employees to use as a Zoom studio or podcast suite.

Generally, when we work with clients on developing their brand purpose and brand personality, we talk about creating a purpose that resonates with the core of who they are and what they do. We tell them it should be something that lasts for the lifetime of the brand, not something that should change based on shifts in the market. However, during unprecedented times such as these, brands will need to acknowledge how the crisis affects them and react in a way that supports their loyal consumer base. As humans, we elevate different parts of our personality to match the situations we’re in. If brands are a reflection of ourselves shouldn’t they do the same?

Here, we explore a few brands that have adapted successfully, and share a few tips for other brands to follow:

1. Be Human – act with sensitivity and compassion, like a real human, not just a brand
2. Lead Purposefully – authentically and consistently lean into your brand values
3. Act with Intention – back up your adapted tone of voice with actions

Skyscanner

Skyscanner, a travel company based in the United Kingdom, transformed their normally humorous tone of voice (TOV) to be more compassionate and sensitive. They leaned into a sense of positivity even though they are significantly impacted by non-essential travel disappearing.

Instead of lamenting the fact that travel isn’t a possibility at the moment, Skyscanner leaned into their brand ethos of being “the travel company who puts you first” and posted fun ways to engage with consumers during their time at home. Their efforts include creating curated playlists on Spotify with travel-inspired songs, a blog that shares travel guide videos of places around the world, and travel-themed “play packs” for kids to do indoors, They even crowdsourced content from their employees.

YouTube

YouTube has long touted their platform as a “community.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, they are taking that a step further by encouraging their community to“Stay Home with Me.” They are sharing channels and videos from creators who are developing content ranging from crafts to exercise.

One of their other brand values revolves round the “freedom of information.” They previously used this to highlight how-to videos and news channels, but recently partnered with Khan Academy to help students “Learn @ Home.”

YouTube is staying committed to their efforts by changing all their social media accounts to say, “YouTube at …” and regularly posting new videos every few days. They are taking this time to focus more on the content that creates community, provides support, and enhances education rather than elevating some of the more lighthearted entertainment content previously hitting the trending pages.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’, known for their joyful and pun-filled TOV, pivoted to honoring all essential workers and making sure employees and consumers are staying safe.

Dunkin’ understands times are tough, so they are shining a light of positivity by donating from their Dunkin’ Joy in childhood foundation to organizations working on the frontlines during this crisis. They are donating coffee and donuts to hospitals, encouraging franchisees to support their communities, and posting the precautions they are taking to keep employees safe.

Instead of only offering discounts and deals, they are showing appreciation for people who are working right during this crisis. A simple cup of coffee and a donut could be just what a first responder or cashier needs right now.

Where do we go from here?

Brands will continue to adjust their response in an effort to react in a way that will draw consumer loyalty. They will also continue to measure consumers’ attitudes during this time. Right now, people are trying to pass the time, so brands will continue getting creative to keep everyone occupied and maintain share of mind.

Here are a few brands staying creative during COVID-19:

1. Madison Reed’s videos on how to dye your hair at home.
2. Headspace’s live Instagram videos called #TakeTen featuring the CEO and a special guest doing guided meditations.
3. P&G sponsored #DistanceDance TikTok videos to encourage younger people to stay at home. For the first three million videos posted, P&G is donating to Feeding America and Matthew 25.

Takeaways for Brands

Brands need to be strategic about what messages they want to communicate during this time because what they say and do now will impact how people will remember them when this crisis is over. Brands that make the right decisions could emerge stronger and have a more dedicated customer base, those that don’t might struggle “winning” back consumers.

As brands evaluate their next steps, there are a few questions they can ask to help find the right path forward:

1. Is your current voice enhancing your brand values and brand purpose?
2. Does your messaging and tone of voice reflect what your consumers need?
3. Are you providing levity where it’s needed and support/empathy when called for?
4. Will this message encourage safe reactions or endanger lives?
5. Have your actions supported your words?

Black History Month serves as a time to pay homage to the contributions, struggles and triumphs of Black Americans in our nation. However, many impactful stories never made it into the history books. This year, NELSON teammates are shining a light on some very important, but lesser-known stories of Black history.

Maya Angelou Quote: “When you know better you do better”.

Deed of Gift, Robert Carter III 

Robert Carter III was the grandson of Robert “King” Carter of Virginia. The Carters were a prominent slave-holding family and although their names are often forgotten in history books, their inner circle included Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. In the years during and immediately following the American Revolution, Robert Carter III went through a sort of religious awakening and began to question the morality of the practice of slavery. At the time, he had at least a dozen plantations and more than 500 slaves. Following the laws of Virginia (at the time), Carter decided he was going to free all his slaves. In 1791, Carter filed his Deed of Gift with the county courthouse. This Deed of Gift was a schedule that included the names of every one of his slaves he intended to free and the dates on which they would gain their freedom.

Carter’s Deed of Gift is significant for many reasons. It was the single largest case of a slave owner manumitting his slaves (more than 500) before the end of the Civil War. Many enslaved persons in this country cannot trace their lineage prior to the Civil War because records of the names, ages, birthdates, etc. were not documented. Carter’s Deed of Gift allows some descendants to find the names of their enslaved ancestors, what plantation they lived on, and in some cases, who their other family members were.

“…I have for some time past been convinced that to retain them (slaves) in slavery is contrary to the principles of religion and justice, and that therefore it was my duty to manumit them if it could [be] accomplished without infringing the laws of my county and without being of disadvantage to my neighbors and the community at large.”

-Robert Carter III, Deed of Gift, August 1, 1791.

Read More

How an Enslaved African Man Shared a Revolutionary Way to Prevent Smallpox.

In 1721, a smallpox epidemic struck in Boston. This highly contagious virus was killing hundreds during a time of lesser medical advancements. It was an enslaved man named Onesimus who brought vaccinations to America and changed everything.

Onesimus was purchased in 1706 by Cotton Mather, a prominent Puritan minister. Though Mather held a great distrust for Onesimus, he knew that the man was clever. Around 1716 Onesimus described to Mather the process of inoculation that had been performed on him and others in his society in Africa. This was a process where they would cut the skin and put in a drop of the “juice of Small-Pox”. Amid the spreading sickness of Small-Pox throughout Boston in 1721, Mather brought this vital information to Dr. Zabdiel Boylston, who, despite a major pushback against the idea, managed to successfully inoculate 240+ people. It is noted that Boylston first tried the inoculation on his 6-year-old son and two of his slaves first. As a result of the inoculation only six people experienced death compared to 844 deaths experienced by non-inoculated smallpox patients.

Read More

What is Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Why is it Under Attack?

CRT is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.

The topic has exploded in the public arena recently—especially in K-12, where numerous state legislatures are debating bills seeking to ban its use in the classroom. Several events of the last decade have increased public awareness about things like housing segregation, the impacts of criminal justice policy in the ’90s, and the legacy of enslavement on Black Americans.

Learn More

1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

The 1921 Attack on Greenwood was one of the most significant events in Tulsa’s history. Following World War I, Tulsa was recognized nationally for its affluent African American community known as the Greenwood District. This thriving business district and surrounding residential area was referred to as “Black Wall Street.” Greenwood Avenue featured luxury shops, restaurants, movie theaters, a library, pool halls and nightclubs. In June 1921, a series of events nearly destroyed the entire Greenwood area.

Read More

Bruce’s Beach

In 1912, Willa and Charles Bruce bought a parcel of land in Manhattan Beach, California. They operated a lodge, café, and dance hall on the property and the area became known as Bruce’s Beach Lodge. It was a refuge for Black beachgoers to enjoy a weekend away. Eventually the couple was harassed, threatened and forced out. In 1924, city officials condemned the property and forced the Bruces to sell and leave, robbing future members of the Bruce family of generational wealth from the land.

In the fall of 2021, the Bruce family got their beach back. The historic Bruce’s Beach case is inspiring social justice leaders and reparations activists to fight for other Black families whose ancestors were also victims of land theft in the United States.

Listen Now

Lewis Howard Latimer – Inventor

While Willis Carrier is credited with creating the first electric air conditioning unit in 1902, Lewis Howard Latimer is credited with creating the first evaporative air conditioner (swamp cooler) in the 1800’s. Lewis was an inventor and draftsman best known for his contributions to the patenting of the light bulb and the telephone. He held seven patents (below) and was recruited by Edison Pioneers where he created the ‘electric lamp’. Lewis is in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. 

Learn More

The Black History of Lady Liberty 

The iconic Statue of Liberty was built to recognize the end of slavery. Édouard de Laboulaye, of France, first proposed the idea of this monument in 1865. He was an expert on the U.S. Constitution and was sitting on a reparations committee overseeing payments to freed, formerly enslaved people. At a meeting of abolitionists at Laboulaye’s home, per Berenson, via the Washington Post: “They talked about the idea of creating some kind of commemorative gift that would recognize the importance of the liberation of the slaves.”

Ten years later, the sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed it. The initial iteration had the Lady holding broken chains in one hand. A final iteration has the broken chains at her feet.

Read More

MORE RESOURCES

Read

• The Women Who Preserved the Story of the Tulsa Race Massacre
• 10 Amazing Black Architects Whose Work has Shaped America

Listen

• The Institute of Black Imagination Podcast

Attend

• NOMA UNPLUGGED Conference, Nashville
  October 25-30, 2022

Get Involved

• ACE Mentor Program

Employees are returning to the office everywhere, but they’re using office space differently than they did before.

Most want the freedom to work remotely for at least part of the week and come in when they need to collaborate closely with others or focus on deep work.

A hybrid office gives them that flexibility while potentially reducing overhead costs for employers. Instead of needing a dedicated desk for every employee and leasing new office space each time the team expands, they can make workspaces reservable. Read more here.