Water Features Are The Coolest Multifamily Amenity

It’s no secret that the multifamily amenities war is well underway.

Amenities can significantly enhance the value of a multifamily development, and today’s owners, developers, and managers are continually striving to deliver out-of-the-box offerings that will ensure their community stands out.

While there is no cookie-cutter method to choosing which multifamily amenities to offer, there is one amenity that’s sure to please current and prospective renters and buyers: water features.

Humans are naturally attracted to water for its mood-lifting, health, and aesthetic benefits. Fountains in multifamily projects deliver these benefits directly to people where they live, while also serving as a focal point for gathering, reflecting, or snapping photos for social media.

Below are examples of several water feature options and why they make ideal multifamily amenities.

Pools with Rockwork

Swimming pools are more than just functional. When thoughtfully designed and embellished with high-quality rockwork, they become works of art, bringing properties to a whole new level.

For example, at a private estate in La Jolla, California, OTL enhanced the owners’ landscape design with a detailed pool and rockwork feature that created an inviting retreat and highlighted the beauty of the home.

In an apartment community, pools with rockwork add to the overall appeal of the landscape, providing a calming oasis for residents.

Intricate rockwork also augments the sound of flowing water, and the hard stone makes the perfect sensory counterpoint to soft, fluid waves of water. The combination is both refreshing and relaxing – a welcome multifamily amenity to today’s amenities-focused renters.

Ponds and Zen Gardens

Many studies have shown the healing properties of water, as it encourages people to de-stress and connect with nature.

Drawing on this insight, today’s multifamily developers will find that ponds and Zen gardens are valuable additions to multifamily communities.

Adding these features to an apartment community’s common area invites residents to visit the water feature regularly to meditate, journal, or merely reflect on the day, providing a beautiful place to unwind and commune with nature – all in their own home.

These calming destinations also make an ideal setting for a yoga or tai chi class – giving owners and developers yet another in-demand amenity to offer to residents.

Architectural Fountains

A fountain can connote many different moods, from peaceful to invigorating, depending on its structure and design. The sight and sounds of a fountain can enhance a property’s ambiance and even raise its value.

For example, in a multifamily lobby, entranceway, or courtyard, a fountain can serve as an establishing landmark, immediately communicating the developer’s vision for the atmosphere of the community.

Whether it be a soothing place of respite or a lively, activity-filled community, an architectural fountain will serve as a focal point that ensures the multifamily community stands out from others in the region.

As developers, owners and managers continue to seek the most profitable multifamily amenities to add to their properties, water features such as pools with rockwork, ponds, Zen gardens and architectural fountains will increasingly serve as attractive amenities, and may ultimately be the key to winning the proverbial amenity war once and for all.