A Blueprint for Essential Housing: Six Benefits of the Six Floor Plans

Grubb Properties’ focus on essential housing has led us to think long and hard about how we design and build our apartment communities. In order to offer rents that are accessible to those in the middle of the income spectrum, we examine every aspect of design and construction in order to find ways to economize without sacrificing quality or livability.

The floor plans we employ in our Link Apartments℠ communities have been a key area of focus. Through a careful design process refined over more than a decade, we have established six apartment floor plans that form the basis for all Link Apartments℠ developments. While, on the surface, this may not seem unusual, many other developers offer 15, 20, or – in some extreme cases – more than 50 floor plans in one community.

Ranging from studio to two-bedroom units, these six plans are one of the key reasons behind the success of Link Apartments℠, offering benefits throughout the design, construction, and leasing lifecycle of our communities.
 

Among the advantages of the six floor plans:

Livability

Our six floor plans are carefully designed to fit our residents’ lifestyles. We have refined these plans over the years to be as efficient as possible, minimizing wasted space to ensure that everything contributes to the flow and utility of the apartment. And we do that without neglecting the features our residents most want. Even our studios include walk-in closets and full-size vanities, along with contemporary finishes throughout.

Architecture and Design Benefits

We view our six floor plans as the building blocks for designing Link Apartments℠ communities. They can be adapted to numerous lot sizes and configurations, significantly reducing architecture and design costs – savings that can be passed on to our residents.

Construction Efficiencies

As a vertically integrated developer, we have experience in all aspects of construction, from groundbreaking to final finishes. Working with the same six floor plans allows our general contractor partners to be as efficient as possible in the construction process, minimizing construction waste and maximizing standardization of unit finish and fit-out. 

Economies of Scale

Because these six floor plans are used across the Link Apartments℠ portfolio, we can more economically purchase fixtures both for construction and for maintenance. For example, because our bathrooms use one bathtub across floor plans, we can buy these tubs in bulk which gives us significant negotiating leverage. This leverage significantly helped us to navigate supply chain disruptions and keep costs in check when construction prices were skyrocketing during the pandemic.

A Better Rental Experience

Having just six floor plans also aids our leasing associates in learning and explaining the benefits of these floor plans to prospective residents. And because these floor plans are uniform across Link Apartments℠, our team members can share best practices, or move to a different community without a steep learning curve. 

Environmental Advantages

Our six floor plans are designed for green living. The efficient use of space helps to minimize utility costs, as do our energy-efficient HVAC systems and ENERGY Star appliances. Lower utility bills are another way Link Apartments℠ is able to pass savings on to our residents.

For more information about Link Apartments℠ and essential housing, click here.