May 31, 2024

5 Residential Developments Designed for Community Connection

Residential developments from New York to Prague, market-rate to luxury, are devised to foster tenant community—and respect their surrounding ones.

Check Out These Community-Focused Rentals, From New York to Prague

Overline Residences by Morris Adjmi Architects

entrance of rental building with covered ceiling — Photography courtesy of New City Properties.

An angular footprint and distinctive stepped profile lend this redbrick rental building dynamism while creating interstices for communal and private terraces and verdant paths that steer residents to the nearby BeltLine greenway and surrounding Old Fourth Ward district in Atlanta. The latter’s industrial vernacular informed the materials palette—masonry floors, patinated-steel paneling, rough-hewn timber—of the interior amenity spaces.

378 West End Avenue by CookFox Architects

outdoor patio with large statue and benches — Photography by Alex Ferrec.

swimming pool with slatted wall panels and ambient light — Photography by Alex Ferrec.

A 1915 edifice with terra-cotta cresting was renovated, restored, and then expanded via a modern brick addition and a below-grade excavation that allowed for a squash court, saltwater lap pool, recording studio, and more. The New York luxury condominium’s ground-floor public spaces are likewise a hybrid of classic and contemporary, from the garden terrace with sculptural stone benches to the lounge with vintage-inflected furniture and painterly carpet.

Brunson Terrace by Brooks + Scarpa

outdoor courtyard with flowerbeds and view of walkways — Photography courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa.

closeup of window — Photography courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa.

Connecting with and protecting nature, the affordable-housing complex in Santa Monica, California, orients apartments around a semipublic outdoor “room” with drought-resistant vegetation and colorful play structures. EV-charging stations, a living roof, an under-sidewalk infiltration system for stormwater runoff, and recycled, locally manufactured interior finishes such as formaldehyde-free MDF and FSC-certified oak make it net-zero to boot.

Iconik by Edit!

dining area with black chairs and table and artwork — Photography by BoysPlayNice.

view of balconies and garage below — Photography by BoysPlayNice.

A single low-rise in Prague looks like two, courtesy of staggered rooflines and different tones of ceramic-tile cladding, a device that suits both local building regulations and the scale of the surrounding secessionist gems and old factories. Its oversize windows are veiled for privacy by way of balcony railings, airy loggias, and, on the left-hand facade’s lower levels, aluminum slats mimicking the site’s previous street-front.

T46 by Fesselet Krampulz Architectes

exterior facade of rental building with multiple balconies — Photography by Roland Halbe.

stairwell with concrete stairs and skylights — Photography by Roland Halbe.

Perforated, corrugated aluminum sheeting tempers the glazed facade of and forms cantilevered balconies on this mixed-use building in Vevey, Switzerland, which stacks five apartment floors atop two commercial ones—including the firm’s own studio—and emphasizes well-detailed construction, use of ready-made materials, and efficient floor plans. Interior finishes juxtapose exposed concrete and custom terrazzo pavers with timber and exuberant tilework.

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