Common Space

Julia Tryaskina, partner at UNK Group:
The functionality of common areas has been gradually stepped up in high-end new buildings over many years. This allowed developers to play around with their ideas in the hopes of coming up with features that would boost apartment sales, if not the price tags. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public spaces’ evolution rate and people's willingness to pay to fill public spaces have been fundamentally changed.
According to our estimates, matching common space to target audience needs increases a residential complex's (RC) appeal by 15-20%. Sales increase markedly when a developer has already implemented a buyer-requested feature in a specific residential complex, and competitors are still working on it. Thus, a project including a co-working space, a fitness zone, a reception area, coffee points, and separate courier entrances has recently become a sales leader some time ago. But this method of arranging common space is fairly new to developers.

Creating a Common Space out of the Entrance Hall

This century's first two decades have seen an evolution of a standard entrance with the criteria "clean or dirty" to become a multifunctional common space with a variety of functions. In Russia, developers had to build the concept of common space from scratch. Houses with living conditions that met the strict elitist standards were not to be found anywhere in the country. The USSR's definition of "luxury" was limited to the janitors at the entrances. Not only in the USSR: a concierge room was considered a novelty of a new building even 20 years ago. Then there were reception desks with security guards and administrators which became popular. This was already a premium class criterion, for which buyers were willing to pay extra money. Then developers started creating designated areas for mailboxes, baby carts, and bicycles, as well as unusual solutions like "paw-washing rooms" for pets in some residential complexes (RCs). Some projects with "club" floors sprouted up, allowing residents to socialise and meet. This concept was successful in some RCs, but in 90% of cases, the "club rooms" were not used. Some of them were eventually converted into play areas where children could spend time when the weather was bad. As the common space expanded, the functions of adjacent territories expanded as well: sheltered playgrounds were "moved" to heated arbours in the yard, and the spaces within RCs were enriched with new functions. For instance, rooms for couriers and technical staff, as well as lounges, etc. were added.

Thus, by trial and error, the functionality of common space in high-budget new buildings grew gradually. However, 20 years is a blink in the grand scheme of things, therefore a transition from janitors to comfortable common spaces was accomplished in record time. Russian developers caught up with their Western counterparts and introduced a new residential culture to the country.