Prominent Multifamily Architect Seeing Return To Garden-Style Designs
Steinberg Design Collaborative principal Sanford Steinberg has a better scope into Houston's multifamily future than most, since design typically begins 18 months to two years before communities open. With experts predicting a market turnaround by 2018, Sanford has seen dramatically renewed interest in garden-style assets in the last months, moving away from podium/mid-rise design. Sanford says the reversal began around 2014, when multifamily developers started developing heavily in the suburbs, and is picking up steam. Another major factor in developing the trend is construction cost. Garden-style apartments can sometimes be done for just $60/SF, which has become more attractive as prices have continually risen. Of course, talking is one thing—financing another, so it's TBD if the trend will really take hold.
