- Oversupplying parking could become common place in future developments
- Futurist appointed to Woods Bagot
- Mates with mates mean mélange of apartment options should be available
The predictions and outlook for property, residential or commercial, has fluctuated immensely since the start of the pandemic.
It’s buffeted the industry and predicting what builders, owners, and renters want will be tough in the years to come.
Some have taken to technology, creating apps to mitigate some issues, similar to the recently reported “Bike Hotels”.
Other times technology might come in the form of 3D printing, The Property Tribune recently reported on a development in Madagascar where the technology was used to drive down costs of building schools.
Experience is best
A little intuition and know-how is sometimes that answer under our noses, Director of Klopper and Davis Architects (Kada), Sam Klopper, told The Property Tribune they saw the market turning from an owner-occupier market to an investor-oriented market.
Mr Klopper said that with developments like the new city campus for Edith Cowan University in Perth slated for completion in 2025, student accommodation will obviously be in demand.
It’s not just students, Mr Klopper said the Perth CBD was occupied by young couples, and friends wanting to live close to each other.
Mates living together have made Kada consider factors such as “parallel units”, so friends can be just a door away, not across town.
Cars remain an important part of our daily lives, perhaps more so now with public transport becoming less attractive post-COVID.
Mr Klopper told The Property Tribune parking would be a big consideration in new developments, oversupplying parking space could become commonplace.
Futurist Francesca for Woods Bagot
Intuition can also come in the form of a futurist.
What’s a futurist you may ask?
They don’t walk around with a crystal ball, but the craft is in scenario planning. It’s near impossible to chart a single course ahead, but developing a set of plans based on data and research to see what’s on the horizon.
The global architecture firm Woods Bagot recently appointed futurist Francesca Birks to the team.
Ms Birks describes the role as “[Examining] a variety of sources – ethnographic, spatial analysis data, industry research, interviews with experts,” likening it to archaeology and excavating a fossil.
Company CEO, Nik Karalis, said the move isn’t just about “expanding a client’s existing offerings to new regional markets. Understanding the context in which clients are operating and offering an informed vision of the future is critical in new market exploration.”
