8 changes we will see soon in luxury buildings

The coronavirus has completely changed the priorities that are sought in a home.

People flee the cities towards the periphery and look for houses with patios and space for teleworking.

To accommodate people's changing preferences during and after the pandemic , luxury apartment buildings will likely introduce change in a number of ways, according to various architects and interior designers.

Experts agree that there will be an increased emphasis on outdoor spaces, a renewed desire for practical features like ample storage space, and a move toward more health- conscious building materials like antimicrobial surfaces.

Here are 8 ways luxury buildings are likely to change due to the coronavirus .

1. Luxury skyscrapers may lose their popularity

In places like New York, penthouses on the 80th floor are often sold for outrageous prices to tech billionaires and hedge funds looking to live in the clouds.

However, homes of this type may become less attractive after the coronavirus, according to Peter Darmos of the Los Angeles design firm Astéras.

"For example, riding a crowded elevator can contribute to the spread of germs and increased risk of contamination," Darmos told Apartment Therapy's Brittany Anas .

"Buyers and renters may be more attracted to low-rise buildings with fewer neighbors, " he added.

2. A greater focus on the outdoor space

The coronavirus will make outdoor space in luxury apartment buildings even more coveted , Mark Ellwood previously reported to Business Insider.

Interior designer Clodagh told Ellwood that he had been trying to convince one of his New York clients to make better use of the rooftop terrace of his luxurious apartment for years, but it was not until after the pandemic that he asked. to make it a more functional family space instead of a leisure space.

Sybille Zimmermann, founder of the Los Angeles-based architecture firm Studio Zimmermann, told Apartment Therapy that the pandemic has made it even clearer that people should be able to spend time outdoors and that it is safer to do so at home.

3. Nature will be introduced through plant walls and gardens

This desire for nature will likely extend to elements such as gardens and plant-covered walls at building entrances , Texas-based designer Melissa Morgan told Ellwood .

4. Use of colors that evoke nature

The drive to incorporate nature into design will even extend to colors , according to Dee Schlotter, senior manager of color marketing at PPG Paints.

This is called "biophilic" interior design , or design that mimics nature, which can come in the form of colors that give the impression of being outdoors, as Schlotter explained to Architectural Digest.

"These colors promote inner peace in an age when physical and mental well-being are critical," added Schlotter.

5. The practical over the aesthetic

Forget marble bathrooms - lavish pantries and laundry rooms can become the newest amenities.

Brooklyn-based interior designer and architect Adam Meshberg told Ellwood that the Pinterest boards sent to him by his clients have gone from opulent and aspirational spaces to more practical features like laundry rooms and closets.

"There are more useful concepts, instead of pretty pictures, instead of a nice marble bathroom, there are more storage solutions and cabinets," Meshberg said.

He stated that his customers are suddenly thinking of large pantries, as people cook more at home and go to the supermarket less often .

6. Copper surfaces and 'sanitizing sieves': a boom in health-oriented design

The coronavirus pandemic has made people more health conscious , and that could extend to the very surfaces that your home is built on.

More antibacterial and antimicrobial home materials and surfaces will be in demand , according to Clodagh and Meshberg.

Meshberg told Ellwood that he suggests to his clients that they look for a man-made alternative to a stone called Krion from Porcelanosa , which is strong and stays clean. There's also copper, which he says is a natural surface that fights germs.

Clodagh also indicated that he likes the "disinfectant sieve" that should be placed at the entrance of an apartment building or large house.

"It is a work of art that you can walk through, like a stone circle and when you walk, it is disinfected," he said.

7. Increase in rental space in luxury skyscrapers

Since suburban or semi-detached houses look more attractive than skyscrapers , some developers are likely to lean toward converting apartment blocks into rental units , as the New York Times reported.

About 20% of the space in luxury apartment buildings is typically leasable, but it is likely to increase dramatically due to the coronavirus , Meshberg predicts.

"Some of that additional profitable space could come in the form of autonomous workspaces," Meshberg told Ellwood .

"It's going to be almost like micro-offices that you can rent, so you can feel like you're leaving your apartment but still have an office inside your building," he said.

8. Non-contact elevators and UV disinfection

As Laura Bliss recently reported for Bloomberg , residents of high-rise buildings are using toothpicks, lighters and fingernails to avoid pressing elevator buttons with their bare fingertips.

"In the era of the coronavirus, new technologies like UV disinfection and non-contact systems are likely to become more common in high-rise elevators," Karen Penafiel, executive director of the National Elevator Industry , told Bloomberg .