With pet adoptions consistently on the rise, fur-focused amenities and gatherings are naturally following suit. So what exactly does that mean in a multifamily setting? For SR/A, a team full of dog owners and lovers, it means another opportunity to flex our creative muscles while brainstorming how best to engage the communities we serve. Here are a few of the ways we’ve been catering to the furbabies out there with hidden amenity design opportunities:
PET SPAS
Keeping pets and corridors clean with a single offering sounds like a win-win to me! Whether it’s an entire room inside or a simple showerhead and basin at an exterior entrance, a spot dedicated to rinsing away the mud of the day is the perfect way to provide a helpful tool for residences while also keeping the corridors clean and pawprint-free. Where space is available, we’ve even had clients work in dryers, treadmills, and vending machines for treats to cater to all pet needs. The possibilities are truly endless!
Rendering of Dog Spa from an in-development SR/A project
OUTDOOR DOG PARKS
While our expertise may be interiors, that doesn’t mean we forget about all the opportunities to provide residents value outside the building’s four walls. Dog runs, gathering parks, and even agility courses are increasingly becoming more prevalent in staying competitive in the current multifamily market. We love to coordinate with landscape architects on how we can ensure design consistency between the interior and exterior amenities. Sometimes that may be by color palette, repetition of shape, or even just the flow of circulation and planning for the proper furniture.
PET-FOCUSED GATHERINGS
Maybe you don’t have the square footage to dedicate to pets, don’t worry! There are tons of creative ways to accommodate pets and owners that are easy to execute in older buildings or in those with modest amenity space. Before you drain your pool for the season, why not let the furry residents take a refreshing dip? Even better if you open it up to the public and let potential renters get a test run of what living in your building could be like! This provides a chance for current residents to meet new neighbors and maybe even invite a friend they can convince to move into that vacant unit down the hall.
Other service-based offerings that put pets front and center include “yappy hours “where residents seasonally get together for a chance to meet other pet owners in the building. There’s also the option of more concierge-style services that assist in getting pets to and from the vet or even bringing a mobile groomer to the building for a day. (As a busy dog mom, I can assure you this would be very appealing!)
So the next time you’re looking to differentiate your property from your competition, maybe think about how the four-legged members of the family might spend their days
Katharine Gatz is SR/A’s Projects Manager. Her four-legged family member, Graham, can be seen in the pool photos above.
