Apartment living is becoming more and more popular, especially in busy urban areas. It appeals to a wider audience too, from young professionals to families and even elderly people. The latter like apartments because every part of their living space is on a single storey. As the popularity increases though, it becomes crucial to ensure the designs are right. We can help with this, giving clients the chance to work with top architects in London.

As more people choose the apartment life, new trends emerge. An interesting one is the push to make spaces and properties greener. We want to have a closer look at this today, exploring some of the numerous ways to get more greenery into apartments.

The benefits

Getting more greenery into apartments offers a number of benefits. Most importantly, it can improve the health and wellbeing or residents. Connections with nature have a calming effect. In addition, greenery can improve air quality and regulate internal temperatures. Ultimately, it can make the buildings more pleasant to live in.

There is also a social benefit in some cases too. Apartment buildings with communal gardens ensure people come together to enjoy the greenery and look after it. It can create a stronger community.

How to do it?

One of the best things about being architects in London is we get to create designs to suit different needs. There are always lots of options, so we can find the perfect one for each client.

In terms of making apartment living greener, there are two major options.

Firstly, you can design communal green space in the building. This can be courtyards, roof terraces, or gardens. Make sure they are accessible. Think of how to design it to get the most from it too. For example, you could have an area for growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers, pots for trees, climbing plants, and more. Water features are a great idea because they can offer a calming element.

Secondly, you can have greenery within individual apartments. Windows and balconies are a great place to grow things. You can grow herbs and sun loving plants on windowsills. A balcony could be a haven for pots, plant beds, or even green walls.

One thing to look at is how to get greenery without taking up too much floor space. A really good idea is to choose vertical gardens. You could have a series of slim shelves going up a wall. Or, you could have a modular vertical system. Hanging planters can be really good too, especially if you have trailing plants.

Speak to expert architects in London

Coffey Architects has experience with designing apartments and communal living spaces. As a result, we know how important it is to ensure the homes and buildings are comfortable. Including greenery can really help with this.

So, if you have a project in mind and would like advice from architects in London, you should speak to us. We can design for any kind of site, ensuring the building will fit perfectly in the setting.