Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) is different than Millennials in terms of lifestyle preferences and unique needs in student housing. Gen Z is the most digitally engaged group of students, as they have never known life before technology. They are also the most diverse and well-informed, knowing exactly how to get the information they need to make decisions.
To this end, university housing for the Gen Z student needs to incorporate the digital world. For example, many housing providers are utilizing apps to field student complaints and needs, plus track and communicate with students in real time. Reporting something like the heat not working needs to be able to be communicated in real time, 24/7.
As digitally engaged as Generation Z is, they still value and desire in-person communication and socialization. This unique trait impacts the types of spaces and amenities that residence halls should incorporate, says KWK Architects Principal Paul Wuennenberg.
“Gen Z is more independent in their learning style, but they want to be in a communal space, not isolated – the concept of being ‘alone together,’” said Wuennenberg.
The Gen Z student is typically very value conscious as they saw their Gen X parents suffer through the Great Recession and understand the importance of maximizing value. That being said, Gen Z students are willing to pay for amenities, and will pay more if they see it provides them value.
Using digital technology comes naturally to Gen Z students. Wi-Fi and networking are simply expected in student housing. Shopping online is the norm for the Gen Z student, so universities need to accommodate the ability for them to receive packages and have safe access to those packages 24/7.
According to Wuennenberg, the values that Gen Z espouses will promote more studios and micro units in residence halls. Gen Z students will also want more opportunities to cook for themselves and social spaces where they can work in an ‘alone together’ scenario. Providing spaces for gaming will also be important, as a majority of this generation say they game at least once a week.
“I think the combination of wanting privacy, having fewer people share restrooms, and the desire for maximizing value will encourage these types of units,” he said. “Allowing them choices will be extremely important.”
Related Stories
| Dec 17, 2010
New engineering building goes for net-zero energy
A new $90 million, 250,000-sf classroom and laboratory facility with a 450-seat auditorium for the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign is aiming for LEED Platinum.
| Dec 17, 2010
How to Win More University Projects
University architects representing four prominent institutions of higher learning tell how your firm can get the inside track on major projects.
| Dec 6, 2010
Honeywell survey
Rising energy costs and a tough economic climate have forced the nation’s school districts to defer facility maintenance and delay construction projects, but they have also encouraged districts to pursue green initiatives, according to Honeywell’s second annual “School Energy and Environment Survey.”
| Nov 29, 2010
New Design Concepts for Elementary and Secondary Schools
Hard hit by the economy, new construction in the K-12 sector has slowed considerably over the past year. Yet innovation has continued, along with renovations and expansions. Today, Building Teams are showing a keener focus on sustainable design, as well as ways to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), daylighting, and low-maintenance finishes such as flooring.
| Nov 23, 2010
Honeywell's School Energy and Environment Survey: 68% of districts delayed or eliminated improvements because of economy
Results of Honeywell's second annual “School Energy and Environment Survey” reveal that almost 90% of school leaders see a direct link between the quality and performance of school facilities, and student achievement. However, districts face several obstacles when it comes to keeping their buildings up to date and well maintained. For example, 68% of school districts have either delayed or eliminated building improvements in response to the economic downturn.
| Nov 9, 2010
Just how green is that college campus?
The College Sustainability Report Card 2011 evaluated colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada with the 300 largest endowments—plus 22 others that asked to be included in the GreenReportCard.org study—on nine categories, including climate change, energy use, green building, and investment priorities. More than half (56%) earned a B or better, but 6% got a D. Can you guess which is the greenest of these: UC San Diego, Dickinson College, University of Calgary, and Dartmouth? Hint: The Red Devil has turned green.
| Nov 3, 2010
First of three green labs opens at Iowa State University
Designed by ZGF Architects, in association with OPN Architects, the Biorenewable Research Laboratory on the Ames campus of Iowa State University is the first of three projects completed as part of the school’s Biorenewables Complex. The 71,800-sf LEED Gold project is one of three wings that will make up the 210,000-sf complex.
| Nov 3, 2010
Park’s green education center a lesson in sustainability
The new Cantigny Outdoor Education Center, located within the 500-acre Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Ill., earned LEED Silver. Designed by DLA Architects, the 3,100-sf multipurpose center will serve patrons of the park’s golf courses, museums, and display garden, one of the largest such gardens in the Midwest.
| Nov 3, 2010
Seattle University’s expanded library trying for LEED Gold
Pfeiffer Partners Architects, in collaboration with Mithun Architects, programmed, planned, and designed the $55 million renovation and expansion of Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons at Seattle University. The LEED-Gold-designed facility’s green features include daylighting, sustainable and recycled materials, and a rain garden.
| Nov 3, 2010
Recreation center targets student health, earns LEED Platinum
Not only is the student recreation center at the University of Arizona, Tucson, the hub of student life but its new 54,000-sf addition is also super-green, having recently attained LEED Platinum certification.
