The right amenities attract users to the spaces you create. A winning combination of today’s most desirable and marketable amenities adds appeal and value. Without them, your development could fall flat.

Plan on These Amenities for a Highly Marketable Rooftop:

There are a lot different ways you can go when adding rooftop amenities, depending on your plans. Here are few ideas based on what we’ve seen to be popular among investors and occupants.

Pools

Pools are always desirable. Nearly every person in the world has come to expect them in resorts and multi-family communities. Even though they may not be the most used amenity in every climate, they always help sell housing of any kind. Pool areas, when designed correctly, are often a key part of the community and a prominent gathering place.

Hot Tubs and Spas

Across various communities and developments, hot tubs are an important amenity. For student housing especially, we’ve seen this is the most popular and most used outdoor amenity you could incorporate. They bring people together at night when most people are ready to relax from a long day working or studying. They have year round appeal and add even more value in the winter months when cold temperatures mean there isn’t much else to do.

Fire Pits and Built-In Seating

There’s something special about the mood and ambience a fire pit brings to an outdoor space. This is especially true when you consider the various design styles you can implement. Creating zones for outdoor seating around fire gives your tenants and guests a welcoming space to relax and enjoy each other’s company. It also allows your outdoor space to be utilized virtually year-round, which extends the value and attention your outdoor space receives.

Lounge Spaces, Resort Seating & Cabanas

Lounge spaces are always a hit, and if designed properly, can add extreme value to the space. With super sleek and comfortable seating, surrounded by elements of lighting, shade, and privacy, you have the perfect combination for relaxation and fun. These spaces are where you can really spice things up by adding furnishings with bright colors and cool accents that will differentiate your property. Embrace the fun of furnishings and make them relaxing, luxurious, and comfortable for people.

Shade Canopies and Overhead Structures

You can’t get enough shade in an outdoor space. Whether your tenants are playing sports, taking in your rooftop views, meeting with friends for dinner, or enjoying some rest by the pool, shade structures provide needed relief. They also create an architectural component of interest in the landscape and add a human scale to otherwise vast outdoor spaces. Shade canopies work well in courtyards or more confined areas to provide shelter where people are surrounded by architecture and windows that create a fishbowl effect.

BBQ Islands with Bar Seating

Every outdoor space in a mixed use development needs a place to grill and relax with others. These spaces are fantastic opportunities for gathering with friends, enjoying a classic outdoor meal, and catching up in conversation.

Hammock Gardens

People love great places to chill. What better way to relax than in a hammock? Hammock gardens or pole parks are making their way into the hearts of many tenants. They add an architectural component in any landscape. Combine them with really cool turf mounds where your tenants can connect their hammocks between a series of poles. Use shade structures and canopies, combined with shade trees, to make a truly unique experience.

Pickleball

Gone are the days of playing a full court tennis match – for the majority of people in a mixed use development, that is. Now your tenants can still get a similar experience by playing the popular game of pickleball. A sport with less of a time commitment played in a smaller space. Pickleball is a faster-paced game that more closely harmonizes our busier lives and has a much easier learning curve.

Cornhole

This game originated in the college tailgate and bar scene, but its popularity quickly grew. This is one of the go-to games desired for outdoor fun and relaxation. Cornhole is a low commitment bean bag game that your tenants can enjoy for five minutes or five hours. It’s an easy and relaxing game that brings friends together.

Bocce Ball

This is a more sophisticated and slower game, but it is still very popular among groups of people. Combine this with food, drinks, and a nice fire billowing in the background with some luxurious and comfortable furnishings, and you’ve got the perfect evening activity for your tenants!

Half-Court Basketball

Half-court basketball is a quick and popular way to play and have some fun. The courts are small enough that you can fit them in your amenity spaces quite nicely with room to spare for other activities.

Lighting

Most people enjoy outdoor amenities into the evening hours after they’ve worked a long hard day. Lighting provides great functionally, but can be even better because of the ambience and moods it can create. Whether your tenants are walking along a path with sleek lighting to guide their way, standing among lit up trees, enjoying dinner with bistro lighting, or lounging in luxurious spaces, lighting provides a wonderful experience that makes the space they are in truly unique.

WiFi

Technology is at the forefront of our human experience, and with that comes the need to be tied to the online world. Having WiFi in your space is a great amenity that will be sure to add value to the experience. Providing complementary WiFi enables people to stay connected to their friends and family and even to do business at their convenience while relaxing in these spaces.

Charging Stations

Adding plenty of charging stations and outdoor electrical outlets to keep your tenants plugged in, even though they’re probably in a cool outdoor space to unplug, allows them to keep their devices charged and ready to go. It also allows visitors the opportunity to work while enjoying the outdoor space if necessary. This is critical for young people and business professionals alike, so why not provide these plugins throughout your spaces? They can be installed at seating locations, fire pits, BBQ areas, shade structures, cabanas, and more.

Music

Always desirable in an outdoor setting is an inspiring soundtrack. This adds to the feel of the surrounding outdoor spaces whether at a hotel pool area, an outdoor fire pit, or in a lounge space. If you can provide ways for your tenants to have control of the music types, volume, etc., it’s an even better experience for them.

Use these outdoor amenities as the master list for outdoor amenities when selecting what features you are putting into your projects. Select the right combination and you will see in increase in excitement and use of your outdoor spaces.

Editor’s Note: Originally published April 25, 2018. Updated November 26, 2019 and again on March 16, 2021.