Photo: Max Tuohey; courtesy of JDS Development
Multifamily housing continues to be in high demand in many settings around the world including New York City where the Brooklyn Tower has been completed – designed by SHoP Architects for JDS Development.
Numerous publications have reported that urbanism, just like the human population, is on the rise all around the world. With that trend comes a denser built environment based on an urban fabric that promotes free circulation and multifamily, multistory housing. Even in predominantly suburban and rural settings, pockets of multifamily housing are found to create village-like atmospheres and walkable communities. In virtually all cases, good multifamily housing design includes comfortable, up-to-date living units combined with appealing common amenities with sustainable and green building design seen as a top priority for residents–and for sales efforts. In numerous housing markets, multifamily housing, such as condominiums or townhouses, is also seen as an affordable option for many with the purchase price of single-family housing out of reach for many first-time home buyers. With all of these considerations as a background, this course looks at some of the techniques, approaches, and latest product offerings available to satisfy some of these varied design criteria for successful multifamily housing projects.
DESIGNING OUTDOOR SPACES
While the tendency is to think first of the building when designing a multifamily project, the reality is that outdoor spaces are an important, and valuable part of any living arrangement. Such outdoor areas can be manifest in a variety of design features such as balconies, rooftops, terraces, and on-grade designs. These outdoor spaces allow residents and guests to enjoy the use of either an extension of indoor living areas or a separate, public outdoor amenity space. As such, they can provide users with desirable features such as outdoor kitchens, fire pits, bars, living areas, gardens, green roofs, pool areas, seating areas for reading, recreation spaces, and other desired uses.
Photos: John Cole; Courtesy of Bison Innovative Products
Standard outdoor deck components can be customized and used creatively to create sustainable and wellness-focused outdoor amenity spaces in multifamily buildings as shown here at the Reed Row Apartments in Washington, D.C., by R2L:Architects.
Such outdoor amenities are not only appealing and marketable to prospective residents, but they can also offer considerable benefits to the health and wellness of all who experience the natural elements of sun, wind, and vegetation. Rooftop decks help to boost morale and strengthen relationships within the community of residents in a multifamily building. They can also incorporate natural elements such as planters or vegetative materials and thus create biophilic design opportunities. Native plants and natural building materials offer occupants a visual and material connection with nature. Green spaces benefit occupants’ health and wellness by enabling programmatic flexibility; these spaces can be used for recreation, refuge, and/or restoration.
Raised Modular Decks
The means to create appealing outdoor spaces is often realized by using a raised modular deck system. Such modular systems are versatile and give architects and others the design flexibility to create unique and beautiful rooftop environments and outdoor spaces. By utilizing adjustable height pedestals to support the deck, uneven or sloped surfaces can be easily accommodated. Architects can include a mix of pavers and surface materials including wood, stone, structural porcelain, crushed rock, grating, artificial turf, concrete, and planter cubes and benches, to create unique, custom looks. Versatile, adjustable pedestal deck systems can be utilized over any structural surface–on bare structural decks, rooftop decks, roof membranes, green roofs, terraces, compacted grade, pavement, pool surrounds, or in water features. Through the modular design of surface materials and accessories, designers can create an abundance of different design visions without the need for custom or costly materials.
Sustainability Features
Some manufacturers are dedicated to decreasing their impact on the environment by designing products that are part of a more circular economic system, such as using recycled and recyclable content. Similarly, wood tiles can be crafted from premium-grade remnants and harvested in an environmentally responsible method designed to preserve the economic viability of rainforest hardwoods. Wood tiles can be associated with governing groups such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to ensure they address quality standards and best practices of wood acquisition and plantation farming.
Once installed, pedestal decks can help to reduce a building’s carbon footprint through a reduction in a roof’s ambient temperature, potential for green space, rainwater collection initiatives, and/or reduced need for roof replacement). A raised, air-permeable, open-grid pavement system can help reduce the cooling loads of the building and facilitate water drainage. Incorporating a pedestal deck system can also provide pedestrian access to green roofs.
Modular deck systems can contribute to well-known sustainability rating systems including LEED, SITES, WELL, and other green building certification systems. Incorporating outdoor raised deck areas in multifamily projects provides multiple opportunities to create more sustainable and healthier living environments.
FIRE SAFETY
Fire safety has long been a primary concern in all multifamily properties. While property fires continue to happen across all building types, one-or-two-family dwellings annually account for the largest number of fires followed next by apartment or multifamily dwellings. Of significance, when multifamily dwellings burn, they often impact more people and more households than single-family homes and lead the way in injuries and fatalities. This has been exacerbated by the recent growth in wildfires which has impacted entire communities. As such, many localities are adopting Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) codes that require greater fire resistance in residential construction of all types in order to provide a larger time frame for people to escape fires. In all cases, the choice of materials used to achieve adequate or required fire resistance becomes a significant point of design and specifications.
One- and two-family construction is routinely based on wood framing and sheathing, but increasingly, so is multifamily housing. This is due to several factors. First, it is often the most economical choice that is easy to work with using well-known carpentry tools and methods. Second, wood is still one of the most environmentally friendly and energy/carbon-saving materials in construction. This has prompted the growth of multifamily buildings using wood structural systems and even mixed-use buildings with concrete “podiums” for the lower level(s) and wood-constructed dwelling units above. Finally, updates to the International Building Code (IBC) have recognized that wood members with larger mass or with fire-retardant treatment can be as safe or even safer than steel framing, which can lose its integrity during fires.
Designing with Fire-Retardant Wood
In light of all of the above, fire-retardant pressure-treated wood (FRTW) in the form of dimension lumber and sheathing are now readily available which are code-compliant solutions for exterior walls and roofing. In multifamily construction, it can also be used for separation between units in some cases. More specifically, FRTW is wood impregnated with chemicals during manufacture that, has been tested under ASTM E84/UL 723 “Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.” In order to be code acceptable, the tested product must have a flame spread index of 25 or less and meet a Class A rating of 10 minutes plus no evidence of significant progressive combustion when the test is continued for an additional 20 minutes. While still considered a combustible material, code-acceptable FRTW does not support combustion, and its burning rate is limited when flame is applied.
The greatest advantage to using this type of product is found in the construction of mid-height multistory buildings such as apartment buildings built of the code-defined Type III construction. Type III-A includes exterior walls that carry a 2-hour rating with combustible materials allowed on the interior, but 1-hour rated floor. Type III-B is almost the same as III-A, but floors and roofs are not required to be fire resistant. FRTW is also permitted in some parts of Type I and II construction (often used in high-rise buildings) in certain locations as permitted in the IBC. In some jurisdictions, there is growing interest in protecting against wildfires by using FRTW in other building types as well. That means it could apply to Type IV construction for exterior walls and roofs and possibly even Type V if that were to be adopted.
Photos courtesy of ProWood
Fire-retardant pressure-treated wood (FRTW) is recognized as a code-acceptable option for framing walls and roofs for many multifamily buildings.
While this is all good news for those who design, construct, or own multifamily buildings, it must be noted that the treatment process can affect the wood. Depending on the wood species (spruce, pine, fir, etc.), the type of product (stud, joist, plywood, beam), and its application (wall, floor, roof), the structural strength originally associated with the untreated wood is reduced somewhat when treated with a fire retardant. Therefore, the FRTW manufacturer is required to provide strength adjustments based on the intended use of the wood, which must be factored into the structural design of the building. In practical terms, that may mean that FRTW plywood is approximately 1/8 inch thicker than its untreated counterpart. Dimensional lumber may or may not be impacted enough to change any lumber sizing during design but is readily calculable.
Overall, fire-retardant-treated lumber must meet IBC code requirements for fire-retardant-treated wood as defined in IBC 2303.2 for wood used as a construction material. It must also be labeled according to the requirements in IBC 2303.2.4. With all of the familiar versatility of wood framing and sheathing, FRTW allows for creative designs that are safe, code-compliant, and economical.
USING MIRRORS TO ENHANCE INTERIOR DESIGN
The interior design of multifamily living spaces, particularly bathrooms, often focuses on ways to help small spaces look or feel a bit bigger than they actually are. At the same time, they need to meet functionality requirements for convenience, cost limitations of development budgets, and market requirements for overall design quality. Often, this combination of criteria translates into clean, elegant, contemporary solutions that include not only material selections but also the selection of components and accessories that enhance the overall look of bathrooms in multifamily projects. In particular, the use of mirrors in such bathrooms becomes an interior design element that can address all of these design requirements and contribute to an overall living experience. Framed mirrors could act the same way as a piece of art that enhances a room, particularly if powder-coated colored frames are used. The mirror itself can reflect different room elements or aspects when viewed from different angles.
Mirror Types
While mirrors and medicine cabinets are common design components for bathrooms, there are lots of options to choose from. When selected and incorporated into an overall design, they can enhance the appearance and perceived quality of the entire multifamily property. From a marketing standpoint that means good interior design that includes tasteful, cost-effective lighting and mirrors can improve customer perceptions of a living unit. It can also be more advantageous to consider manufactured mirror products that meet not only the design requirements for a project but the construction schedule and cost aspects as well.
With the above in mind, here are some of the basic options to consider.
Frameless Mirrors: This is a classic, economical choice with crisp, clean edges that allow for full-width visibility and edge-to-edge reflection. It is great for areas with smaller dimensions or a tight-fitting installation. Installation is very straightforward with multiple mounting options available such as clips (metal or plastic), aluminum j-channel, standoffs, and mastic. The edges of the mirror can be flat-polished, pencil-polished, or beveled edge. They can be ordered in custom sizes but will likely be more economical when ordered in bulk for multiple dwelling units requiring the same size.
Floating/Infinity Mirrors: A more elegant option uses a frameless floating mounted mirror. The frame is wholly or partly concealed with a depth that places the mirror edges out from the wall surface, thus giving it the illusion of floating or extending into “infinity.” The frame depth is customizable to suit different design needs and theft-resistant concealed mounting is available. Such products are generally made to order in custom sizes but ordering in quantities may help with the pricing.
Framed Mirrors: Rectangular mirrors with a metal or wood frame can provide a traditional or contemporary look that can be selected to meet a range of design intents. Wood-framed products can be specified by selecting from a wide variety of molding profiles. Metal framed mirrors can have a clean and simple look with a stainless-steel frame and mitered corners. A variation on a flush, framed mirror is an ADA-compliant fixed tilt mirror, which has a frame that is thicker on the top than it is on the bottom in order to achieve the needed tilt angle for someone in a wheelchair to use. In all cases, the mirror frame can be integrated with a concealed mounting system which can reduce the time and cost of installation.
Rounded Rectangular Mirrors: For a more contemporary look, mirror products are available with a metal frame that has rounded corners and a small floating gap. Not only are they more elegant, but some have a very easy, safe mounting system, saving the building owner expense in the installation process. Rounded mirrors or pill-shaped mirrors are also seeing a resurgence in popularity.
LED Lighted Mirrors: Most bathrooms require lighting around the mirror, and LED lighting technology is being directly integrated with the mirrors. Whether lighted from behind (through a frosted or etched area) or a simple halo effect around the edge, this approach is becoming very popular with both renters and owners. LED technology draws very little power while giving additional ambiance to the installation. Upkeep is simple as the lights typically last 30,000 to 50,000 hours. The lighting not only provides even and useful illumination for the user but can enhance the design of the space with controllable light qualities. Mirrors can be backlit or side-lit with different frosting options over the LED lighting which can range in color between 3000k, 4000k, 5000k, and 6000k. In all cases, UL-tested and rated products are available and should be selected for electrical safety.
Photos courtesy of Meek Mirrors, LLC
The use of mirror products with different framed or frameless choices and finishes can enhance the interior design of multifamily bathroom spaces.
Regardless of the type selected, manufactured mirror products can influence the marketability and design quality of multifamily spaces while helping to meet budget and scheduling constraints.
