CHT Architects Group Founder and Director, David Carabott, believes the success of Build to Rent (BTR) development in Australia will be driven by flexible designs that take into account the holistic long-term needs of residential communities.
Speaking recently as part of a National Architects Panel at the Build to Rent Australia Conference, David said that designing successful Build to Rent developments will require architects to go beyond a moment in time.
“The briefs we are seeing for Build to Sell (BTS) apartments are really designed for a moment in time – at the selling point – and don’t necessarily place a high priority on elements such as energy efficiency, ongoing maintenance costs and flexible, long-term community amenity,” David told the Conference.
“By contrast, BTR developments – where the developer maintains long-term ownership of the entire asset – ongoing maintenance and running costs are critical, as is the need to account for the future needs of the rental customers. With BTR, you’re designing for the long-term, so you need a flexible design that’s easily adaptable, dynamic and allows for change. That’s because residents can choose to leave if they’re not happy with the built environment. It’s a lot easier for someone to leave a rental apartment than something they are committed to with a mortgage on.”
David explained that the BTR model is “all about community”, and this is an opportunity for architects to design a “strong, lasting community” rather than a place where many individuals share a space. He said BTR architects and developers should approach future flexibility in a way more akin to a “long-term hotel experience”.