Our inaugural “Multifamily Kitchen+Bath Amenities Survey” of multifamily developers, architects, contractors, and other professionals provides exclusive data – 111 charts and tables – on the state of K+B amenity usage in multifamily housing.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE REPORT (SHORT REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Among the key findings:
Some products stand out as evergreens, based on their high response rates: dishwashers (used by 97% of respondents, including 89% “extensively”); Energy Star appliances (95% usage, including 83% “extensively”); and installed microwave ovens (used by 94%, including 84% “extensively”).
• Project teams had favorite K+B amenities that they use consistently in their work – but they were open to trying many new products, such as induction cooktops, for the first time as well.
• All 106 K+B products or specifications were employed by at least some respondents, although the adoption rate for some of these products or specification types was sometimes in the low single digits.
• Supply chain problems, notably for appliances and cabinets, had impacted project delivery.
• Some project teams installed specific K+B products for the first time; others said they intend to use various K+B products, like air filtration systems, that they had never used before in future projects.
Here's an example of one of the 106 K+B amenities featured in the report:
Participants in the survey included architects (45%), developers/property owners/property managers (25%), contractors (16%), interior designers (9%), product manufacturers (3%), and engineers (2%). They developed, designed, and constructed apartments (91%), senior living (54%), townhomes (51%), condominiums (39%), and student housing (33%).
REFRIGERATORS, CABINETS IN SHORT SUPPLY
One respondent described the supply chain mess this way: “As developers are attempting to nail down pricing early in the Design Phase … combined with logistic nightmares, getting the design team ahead of the curve and in line with the general contractor and pricing exercises is crucial.”
Appliances came up more often than any other product category. “We’ve been purchasing them early and storing [them] in our own warehouses or changing our spec to purchase models that are in stock/available,” said one respondent.
“It’s been difficult getting appliance packages with the same manufacturer,” said another respondent. “We’re needing to mix manufacturers and appliances.”
Refrigerators were the main culprit cited by respondents. “We’re finding whatever spec is available,” said one. “Need to order well in advance and be flexible,” advised another.
Cabinets were also headache cited by several respondents. “Unfortunately, [we’re] playing the waiting game,” moaned a cabinetless respondent. Another firm said it was using pantry cabinets in bathrooms instead of medicine cabinets.
One pleaded, “[We’re] trying to get locally sourced cabinets, made in the USA.”
The last word on “solving” the K+B amenity shortage problem: “Order way in advance,” advised a respondent.
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING TEAMS 'INTEND TO USE' NEW PRODUCTS
Project teams showed interest in trying new K+B products, styles, or features in the future, even with the usual caution about "experimenting" with anything new.
FIRST-TIME USERS TRIED A WIDE VARIETY OF K+B AMENITIES
Some brave souls had actually used one or more new K+B products, styles, or features for the first time:
CLICK HERE FOR FREE REPORT (SHORT REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2011
Nothing dinky about these residences for Golden Gophers
The Sydney Hall Student Apartments combines 125 student residences with 15,000 sf of retail space in the University of Minnesota’s historic Dinkytown neighborhood, in Minneapolis.
| Jan 21, 2011
Revamped hotel-turned-condominium building holds on to historic style
The historic 89,000-sf Hotel Stowell in Los Angeles was reincarnated as the El Dorado, a 65-unit loft condominium building with retail and restaurant space. Rockefeller Partners Architects, El Segundo, Calif., aimed to preserve the building’s Gothic-Art Nouveau combination style while updating it for modern living.
| Jan 21, 2011
Upscale apartments offer residents a twist on modern history
The Goodwynn at Town: Brookhaven, a 433,300-sf residential and retail building in DeKalb County, Ga., combines a historic look with modern amenities. Atlanta-based project architect Niles Bolton Associates used contemporary materials in historic patterns and colors on the exterior, while concealing a six-level parking structure on the interior.
| Jan 20, 2011
Worship center design offers warm and welcoming atmosphere
The Worship Place Studio of local firm Ziegler Cooper Architects designed a new 46,000-sf church complex for the Pare de Sufrir parish in Houston.
| Jan 19, 2011
Baltimore mixed-use development combines working, living, and shopping
The Shoppes at McHenry Row, a $117 million mixed-use complex developed by 28 Walker Associates for downtown Baltimore, will include 65,000 sf of office space, 250 apartments, and two parking garages. The 48,000 sf of main street retail space currently is 65% occupied, with space for small shops and a restaurant remaining.
| Jan 7, 2011
Mixed-Use on Steroids
Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.
| Jan 4, 2011
An official bargain, White House loses $79 million in property value
One of the most famous office buildings in the world—and the official the residence of the President of the United States—is now worth only $251.6 million. At the top of the housing boom, the 132-room complex was valued at $331.5 million (still sounds like a bargain), according to Zillow, the online real estate marketplace. That reflects a decline in property value of about 24%.
| Jan 4, 2011
Grubb & Ellis predicts commercial real estate recovery
Grubb & Ellis Company, a leading real estate services and investment firm, released its 2011 Real Estate Forecast, which foresees the start of a slow recovery in the leasing market for all property types in the coming year.
| Dec 17, 2010
Condominium and retail building offers luxury and elegance
The 58-story Austonian in Austin, Texas, is the tallest residential building in the western U.S. Benchmark Development, along with Ziegler Cooper Architects and Balfour Beatty (GC), created the 850,000-sf tower with 178 residences, retail space, a 6,000-sf fitness center, and a 10th-floor outdoor area with a 75-foot saltwater lap pool and spa, private cabanas, outdoor kitchens, and pet exercise and grooming areas.
