When most people picture urban living, they tend to picture cramped or sterile spaces far from any form of nature. City life has come a long way, however. City center homes and condos are rethinking how urban living spaces are designed. With the rise in technology and eco-consciousness, newer condo designs redefine city life. Style blends with efficiency and practicality to create innovative floor plans to meet more needs and reduce carbon footprints.
Eco-Friendly Features
The newest condo designs use innovative, high-tech methods to improve sustainability and energy efficiency. Natural materials in construction reduce carbon footprints and resource waste.
Renewable Energy
Many condominiums rely on renewable energy, such as solar or wind power. Solar panels or wind turbines can be attached directly to a condo’s roof for maximum efficiency. Renewable energy conserves resources, reduces carbon footprints, and saves residents money on utility bills. This type of energy can be stored and used at any time for peak sustainability.
Natural Materials
Modern condos utilize natural and recycled materials in their construction. Bamboo flooring is a stylish and popular option that is biodegradable and eco-friendly. Timber and stone used in construction are repurposed or recycled to prevent resource depletion. Some condos even use recycled glass. Natural materials also create a clean, calming look that many modern homeowners enjoy.
Eco-Friendly Roofing
With large buildings like condominiums, roofing choices play a huge role in sustainable design. Green roofing can refer to many eco-friendly features, such as natural materials, water recycling, solar shingles, and heat reduction. Cool roofs are made of cooling colors or materials that reduce a building’s heat to lower air conditioning usage. Biophilic roofing, alternatively known as living or vegetated roofing, comprises a waterproofing membrane to host plant life. These roofing types can add style, efficiency, and sustainability to a condo’s design.
Low-Flow Toilets
Toilets use a lot of water in large residential buildings like condominiums. Low-flow toilets reduce the water used per flush to conserve more water. As a bonus, low-flow toilets also lower residents’ water bill costs. These toilets are typically part of a more extensive water conservation system than a condo can employ.
Recycled Water
New urban condominiums are rethinking how they use and conserve water. Greywater recycling filters excess shower and sink water for reuse. Rainwater harvesting allows the building to collect rainwater to filter and use instead of solely relying on city water. Recycling and repurposing water reduces water waste and boosts efficiency.
Efficient Appliances
Many appliances drain energy even while not in use. Eco-friendly condominiums are incorporating energy-efficient appliances and systems in their condo floorplans. These appliances use less energy and are customizable to a resident’s usage, reducing energy waste, adding convenience, and reducing utility bill costs.
Home Automation and Smart Technology
Modern homes need to connect with modern technology to meet the needs of current homeowners. Smart technology connects devices, appliances, and even thermostats to the internet for a resident to control and customize from anywhere. Home automation allows all technology to be controlled from an app, device, or smartphone for added convenience.
Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats allow residents to schedule AC usage according to their needs, preferences, and occupancy habits. These thermostats also maximize energy efficiency by reducing HVAC workloads through smart programming.
Smart Lighting
The resident can customize Smart lighting in terms of brightness, color, and timing from anywhere. The use of LED bulbs can further reduce energy consumption and increase sustainability.
Smart Security
Smart security systems in condominiums can provide real-time updates, alarm notifications, and customization at any time. This technology improves building and unit security, awareness, and convenience.
Flexible Spaces
More people are working and learning from home, requiring a flexible living space to meet the needs of many different functions.
Retractable Walls
Retractable walls can open up a space or add privacy at a moment’s notice, allowing for maximum flexibility in a space. A small office can open up into an entertaining space and vice versa.
Fold-Away Furniture
Fold-away furniture, such as Murphy beds or collapsible tables, can change the vibe and function of a single room with little effort.
Open Floor Plans
Open floor plans allow condo owners to customize and create a space they like. They can even close a space with dividers, walls, or furniture.
Minimalism
Minimalism focuses on subtle looks, clean lines, simplicity, and neutral colors. The minimalistic design adds a futuristic, modern feel to mimic society’s trends of focusing on life over material goods.
Biophilic Designs
With modern technology limiting society’s exposure to nature and the outdoors, biophilic designs look to fix this by bringing the outdoors inside through creative interior and exterior design. Condos are no longer cramped, cookie-cutter spaces. Those looking for a house for sale in Philadelphia, New York, or Chicago can still find nature in these urban spaces.
Rooftop Gardens
Rooftop gardens can add an eco-friendly community space for condo owners to enjoy without taking up additional space. A rooftop garden can create a sanctuary for plants and insects in a concrete jungle.
Large Windows
Oversized windows or window walls help bring natural light and scenic views as a focus point in a new condo design. These windows can even filter certain light rays to reduce overheating in the home. Large windows also add a sleek, stylish, and modern look to any space.
Plant Walls
Plant walls are an innovative way to incorporate indoor plants into a home without taking up floor space. They add a natural, creative design to a condo in the middle of the city.
Conclusion
Condominiums are changing the way we picture city living. The advancement of sustainability and technology in residential spaces allows condos to design their buildings and floor plans with better efficiency, customization, and flexibility. Biophilic designs, flexible spaces, smart technology, and other eco-friendly features combine to create a modern, innovative condo design that reflects current societal trends and needs.
