A large percentage of today’s multifamily communities are built with the standard pool, gym, and business office, but some developers choose to go beyond what’s expected and create amenities that wow potential renters. From cantilevering pools in Hawaii to dedicated spaces for hobbies in Tennessee and Washington, the following projects include unique building features that deserve acknowledgment.
Several of the projects were discovered and recognized in previous MFE Awards programs, from 2016 to 2018. The 2019 edition of the awards is now accepting submissions in categories that include inspiring projects, innovative leaders, and top-notch marketing programs. Submit your application before April 29 to be considered and check out the previous winners below.
Transparent Infinity Pool Hangs Off Condo Tower's Edge
A new 40-story tower near Honolulu called Anaha won a high-rise Grand in the 2018 MFE Awards program. Its most novel feature—a glass-bottomed, saltwater pool—extends 15 feet off the edge of the building's seventh floor and cantilevers 80 feet over the sidewalk below.
At Park Towne Place, Residents Live Alongside Art
Winning a best amenity Grand in the 2018 MFE Awards program, the Park Towne Place Museum District Residences in Philadelphia hosts hundreds of works of art in its lobbies and gallery spaces, with about 150 works in its permanent collection and more in a series of temporary exhibits.
Nashville Rooftop Music Venue Turns Residents into Rockstars
Broadstone Germantown in Nashville was recognized as a best amenity Grand in the 2017 edition of the MFE Awards. The building’s 5,200-square-foot Rooftop Sky Lounge taps into the city’s passion for music with an indoor and outdoor music venue.
A Unique Rooftop Pool Attracts Baltimore Residents
Baltimore’s 10 Light development received a best amenity Merit in the 2017 MFE Awards. The building had a 25,000-gallon rooftop water storage tank, which the company used to create a rooftop saline pool when adapting the historic former Bank of America building into apartments.
Versatile Workshop Creates Hands-On Crafting Space for Residents
AMLI Residential’s South Lake Union Phase II building in Seattle won a best amenity Grand in the 2016 MFE Awards program for its Maker Space. The plywood-clad workshop is complete with a 12-foot-long workbench and a variety of tools, including workshop vacuums and air compressors.
AVA BREW Blurs the Lines Between Retail and Residential Amenities
AVA DoBro in Brooklyn, N.Y., was awarded a best amenity Merit in the 2016 edition of the MFE Awards for AVA Brew, a publicly accessible coffee shop and beer and wine bar located on the ground floor of the building.
Texas Community Welcomes Food Trucks With Designated Parking
The Parkside at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, designated two parking spots next to the community’s leasing center and clubhouse for food trucks only. Plus, a gravel beer garden provides ample park-bench seating with umbrellas.
Arizona Student Housing Complex Boasts Numerous Sports Amenities
Rise on Apache in Tempe, Ariz., provides student residents with areas to ease their school-related stress, including an indoor “sky lounge” with virtual skiing, a rooftop running track, an open-air fitness deck, a rock-climbing wall, and yoga room.
Washington, D.C., Property Offers Variety of Perks for Residents' Pets
AVA NoMa, a two-time merit winner in the 2018 MFE Awards program, comes equipped with its own WAG Pet Spa and WAG Pet Park. Additionally, developer AvalonBay Communities takes pet-friendly living to the next level with its national WAG The Pet program.
NYC Development Will Include Its Own Indoor, Half-Pipe Skate Park
The 5-acre mega-development Waterline Square will house its own indoor, multilevel half-pipe skate park, the first of its kind in any NYC-based residential project. The park includes a half pipe that spans nearly 42 feet long and 4 feet high.