Often dismissed as mere transitional spaces, hallways and lobbies play much more of a crucial role in shaping the residents’ daily experience.
These spaces create the first impression of home – giving comfort, warmth and sense of belonging not only for the residents but also to guests.
WHY are these spaces crucial in the residential context?
These spaces are the face of the building. They shape how residents, guests, and prospective buyers or renters perceive the property. Entering a well-executed lobby and hallway can create a calming and relaxing transition from chaos to calm – entering a place called home. It also often indirectly shows the personality of the residents.
HOW can these spaces evoke a sense of belonging and calmness?
Co-design: Collaborating and engaging with residents in the design process would make them more invested and emotionally connected to these spaces. Gathering input through resident surveys can guide the design direction and ensure it reflects the residents’ needs and preferences. This participatory approach encourages a shared sense of ownership, helping individuals feel more connected to their space and to one another.
Design: Creating a sense of connection in a space doesn’t require extravagant design schemes or costly renovations. Even small, thoughtful adjustments—like choosing a certain type of textured wallcovering, incorporating soft and balanced lighting, or adding mirrors, benches, and consoles to create pause moments—can make a big impact. Strategic elements, such as establishing visual interest at the end of long corridors, also help enhance comfort and engagement.
WHAT design features in these shared spaces promote community and connection?
Shared spaces like lobbies and hallways become more than just physical links when they are consciously created to promote social interaction. Lobbies foster interaction and create a sense of community among neighbors. These spaces pull-in residents to interact, relax and connect with one another. Provision of comfortable seating, open-floor plans and amenity spaces support the development of neighborly familiarity and trust.
To conclude, hallways and lobbies are often underestimated to be plain semi-public spaces that connect an exterior public area to an interior private space. In reality, these spaces play an extremely pivotal role to create a warm, welcoming and calm transitional experience for the residents and guests.