City Scoop: Rochester Housing Trends Despite Pre-Pandemic Forecast
Before COVID-19 outbreak, value of new contracts was expected to increase 29%
Forecasts had called for a jump in the non-building and non-residential sectors and a decline in residential.
Jennifer F. Takatch, President, AIA Rochester
City Grill
Jennifer F. Takatch
President
AIA Rochester
Multifamily four-story buildings “with community spaces or business on the first floor” are a big trend for new construction in Rochester, says Jennifer F. Takatch, a principal in design firm Architectura who is also president of the American Institute of Architects’ Rochester, N.Y., chapter. Landscaping done for these projects “tends to be using indigenous plants,” she says.
Takatch also notes that “renovation of existing apartment buildings, along with repurposing office buildings for housing, is strong.” These different types of residential projects are in demand, she says, because “people want to live downtown. There is a lot going on in Rochester, and people are simplifying their lives.”
She adds that “materials being used for the most part are low maintenance, in order to maintain a long-lasting quality appearance.”
It has also become more popular to use bold colors paired with neutrals to make buildings look individualistic without adding costly architectural elements. “What differentiates the buildings is the color palette and glazing,” Takatch says.
