As the concept of hybrid work and online socializing has settled into being the norm for many young professionals, residents are spending more time in their BTR schemes than ever before.
The change in the rhythm of how and where we work has led to the concept of what constitutes ‘home’ to be expanded from beyond the four walls of BTR residents’ apartments into the wider building. From our recent site visits across the UK, we have seen first hand that residents are treating communal areas as extensions of their own homes (with one notable example of a group of pyjama-wearing residents meeting up in their communal areas to socialise)!
Amenity spaces are evolving to reflect this. Gyms and wellness spaces are spacious, well-lit, premium additions to buildings, where residents not only can work out, but also catch up on the latest episodes of their favourite shows while working out. Communal work spaces reflect the working from home culture, with private booths for Zoom calls and "pooch pods" allowing residents to bring their four legged friends to work with them. Living and working from home in BTR is no longer confined to the four walls of the apartment - it now spans across a much larger footprint of the building.
Impacting IoT
If residents’ concept of home has now expanded into the whole of the building, this then has a big impact on the Smart home tech that many residents use within their apartments. In 2017, a study by ASK4 found that teenagers nearing university age owned, on average, 10.4 smart devices. Fast forward six years to 2023, these once teenagers have now entered the professional stage of their lives and are now living in BTR schemes, likely having acquired even more devices during this period. Devices such as smart speakers and AI assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, smart lights and heating systems all form a central part of a resident’s home experience. There is now the expectation that this technology should be accessible from anywhere within the building, or put another way, from anywhere within their home.
Private resident networks in action
Pervasive networks like ASK4’s 4Network help residents feel at home from wherever they are in the BTR building, allowing them to connect and use their smart home tech from anywhere in the building. 4Network provides a private network specifically for residents, giving them with building wide-access to their own home network, something traditional ISPs cannot do. Residents have the freedom to move through the building with no change in their WiFi connection and no need to connect to other communal networks or even 5G networks in busy communal spaces. Facetime calls to family members can begin in their apartment and continue as they make their way to the onsite cafe to meet up with friends, all on the same private network. Apartment heating can be turned off after an on site gym session, or urgently needed documents can be printed at home by the resident while they’re at reception.
Connecting residents to their home
While these examples may feel trivial, they actually have a huge impact on how the resident experiences the connection between the BTR scheme and their concept of home within it. Because this integration of smart home technology into daily life has become more than a convenience; it's now a necessity for a seamless living experience. The ability to stay connected to a personal network throughout the building, managing devices from smart speakers to heating systems, underscores a significant shift in residential living. It's no longer about the space residents occupy; it's about the experience and convenience that space offers. This is why 4Network is more than an Internet connection; it's a key component in delivering a holistic, modern living experience that resonates with the lifestyles of today's residents.
If you would like to know more about 4Network and ASK4's managed Internet service, you can book an appointment with our BTR team using the button below.
