Imagine Amazon filing for bankruptcy. Imagine Apple, imagine Starbucks. To many, especially in the older generations, Sears was just such a giant. Once ubiquitous in every day life, it would have been inconceivable for Sears to hit such a bottom. At one point you could even buy homes through the store! But on Oct 15, 2018 Sears did just that – filed for bankruptcy.
We aren’t experts, of course, in retail department stores, so we cannot speak to all the factors that led to Sears decline, and most likely, eventual demise, but we suspect, and research calls this out, that it was a lack of innovation and willingness to adapt that were contributing factors. This cautionary tale is just one of the many reasons that we are SR/A take innovation seriously.
The pandemic has been a great time for us to do what we call Innovation Challenges during our team meetings. We take current pain points facing our industry and collectively brainstorm solutions. It’s an excellent opportunity for the team to collaborate and for everyone to stretch their mental muscle (and practice our sketching skills, too!).
Some questions we have sought to create solutions for are:
How might we allow those with COVID-19 symptoms and others to safely co-habit without transmitting the virus?
Some ideas that were shared were:
- Pop-up isolation “tents”
- Wearable isolation suits
- Use unoccupied units for unaffected people to live during roomates quarantine
We also sought to ask ourselves questions about trends that are being accelerated by social distancing. Online grocery and food delivery systems are now normalized, and virtual property tours continue to increase, so we asked ourselves:
How might we design a project to create a more seamless experience for delivery people, property management, and residents?
Some ideas that were shared were:
- The Dumbwaiter with UV lights that can be accessed by an app and delivers food directly to peoples apartments
- Refrigerated package rooms
- Bank Teller like tubes to send food up to residents
- Package rooms on every floor accessible only via elevator by delivery people
How might we design projects and model units to heighten the virtual tour experience?
Some ideas that were shared were:
- Create Instagrammable design moments
- Consider sightlines that are easily picked up on camera
- Trigger emotions by telling people about things they can do in the spaces
- Work with leasing staff to point out design highlights to share with potential residents
- Work with leasing staff to ensure the lighting is good and the mood is appropriate
We don’t know if any of these ideas will ever become reality but we trust that the exercise of brainstorming will keep us from growing complacent and continually looking for ways to improve the multifamily living experience.
