Elevating pet-friendly living

Spotlighting the perks that are turning buildings into pet havens.

From on-site pet spas to penthouse dog parks and bespoke pet lounges, residential buildings are raising the bar—not just for humans, but for their tail-wagging companions, too. In today’s society, supporting residents’ lifestyles is paramount for multifamily developers, especially when it comes to amenities geared toward pet parents. In many cases, for new residential communities to lease up successfully or have residents continually renew leases, renters’ decision-making largely depends on whether or not pet amenities are in the picture, becoming a make-or-break necessity. Simply being a pet-friendly community doesn’t cut it anymore. These spaces, once seen as frivolous, luxe extras, have become standard and are now considered a must-have for prospective tenants.

In our mixed-use and multifamily portfolio, including architecture and interior design services, we have over 30 projects that include pet amenities, most notably, pet spas. As experts, our designers respond to residents’ expectations and thoughtfully meet their city-living needs. Clients often ask for pet amenities to be included from the outset, but when they don’t, we strongly recommend them and advocate for their consideration. Specifically for renovations within an existing building, these spaces are revenue-producing and are a long-term benefit that adds value for our clients and future residents. Most communities charge a one-time pet fee and monthly pet rent per animal.

We’ve highlighted three of our multifamily projects with pet amenities below and the design considerations that shaped them.

ALTA 801

At Alta 801, our lifestyle team provided interior design services for the apartment building, including community amenities, art curation, and FF+E. The celestial theme was pulled from a design charrette in a collaborative meeting with the architect of record. The landscape architect’s outdoor pavers reminded our design team of constellations and stars in the night sky. While the rest of the building’s shared amenities are much more refined, the pet spa and adjacent “hooman” lounge leaned into a playful and whimsical take on the outer space theme.

Upon entering the pet spa, residents are welcomed with a custom wall graphic of a quirky dachshund astronaut. The mural is designed to serve as a visually striking backdrop for social media-worthy photos. Equipped with spacious pet showers, dryers, a grooming station, and a pet treadmill for exercise on rainy days, the pet spa has direct access to the outdoors, perfectly convenient to wash off muddy paws after a long walk. To avoid human-geared amenity spaces, a separate elevator serves the unit floors. A vending machine also offers necessities, such as shampoo, treats, bones, and toys.

F1RST RESIDENCES

We provided architecture, interior design, and creative services for F1RST Residences, a high-rise, mixed-use development comprised of 326 residential units, a hotel, and street-level retail. In dense city neighborhoods like Navy Yard in Washington, DC, there is usually limited space for outdoor ground-floor dog runs. The alternative is a penthouse pet park that serves as a means for communities with limited parks and green space, allowing owners to exercise their dogs and take them for bathroom breaks without leaving the building. Supplying iconic views overlooking Nationals Park and the Anacostia River is a turf-outfitted rooftop pet park. From a safety standpoint, glass was chosen to enclose the space so owners can see if the space is crowded or unoccupied. Its location was strategic around the rest of the Upper Deck entertainment areas, avoiding grilling stations to protect food-motivated pups. The pet spa features professional stainless steel bathing tubs and grooming stations. Aside from owners being able to bathe their pets, they can invite professional groomers to use the space. This accounts for anxious pets staying calm and being more comfortable in a familiar area within their building.

4701 Willard Avenue (Willard Towers)

4701 Willard was introduced to us as a large existing residential community with over 500 units. At the time, more than half of its residents owned a pet. We fulfilled the need for a pet spa. In a community this large, our team was thoughtful about the size and use of the space to provide maximum value for owners and their pets. The 500-sf pet spa includes three industrial stainless steel tubs, a dryer, and grooming tables. When thinking about materials, the design team considered possible situations, such as two wet, slippery dogs running around and attempting to shake themselves dry. Because of this, subway tiles cover all wall surfaces, and finished LVT flooring was installed, allowing for easy cleaning up and overall maintenance.

At the intersection of thoughtful design and modern living, these pet-centric features elevate the daily lives of residents and the value and appeal of the communities themselves. Our team is committed to designing spaces that prioritize comfort, convenience, and care for every member of the household, paws and all.