If, for example, a developer wants a community room that will encourage people to linger and perhaps form friendships with other residents, the firm examines existing environments, such as a high-end restaurant, where people already like to linger, says Josh Kassing, creative director. Elements from these spaces can then be used to help create equally appealing environments for multifamily dwellers.

A deep dive into tenants' history can really pay off, Cook says. The firm helped design Parc at Princeton Junction, an upscale apartment community in Princeton, NJ, which caters to many residents from India and China who work in the local biomedical industry. These residents tend to do a lot of cooking, and units were designed with chef's kitchens with non-permeable surfaces that can be easily cleaned even after heavy use.

Perhaps even more important were the special accommodations for families with children. Education is one of the chief values for these residents, and many have adopted the Kumon Method, a learning technique which encourages young people to study independently, but under the guidance of tutors. Parc at Princeton Junction has, therefore, set aside specially-designated Kumon rooms in the community area.

In addition to delving into the nitty-gritty details on how residents will use certain spaces, Cook and her colleagues also make sure a development will reinforce how its target audience wants to live. At Riverworks, a new apartment building in Phoenixville, PA, located on an old steel mill site, the mostly millennial-age renters can engage in the active lifestyle they crave. Amenities here include kayaking on the nearby Schuylkill River, hiking trails, an outdoor theater, bike paths, and a pedestrian footbridge that connects the community to downtown. “We also included a rock-climbing wall to speak directly to this demographic,” Cook says.

She believes more developers are getting on board with such strategies. Still, many just go with design firms that provide signature looks, but little deep background work on potential residents. “If you hire them they will impose that look on your property.”

Cook estimates that about 20% of their work is fixing properties designed by others. “Some end up learning the hard way.”

She says all developers and designers should, of course, do the traditional demographic studies on potential renters. “But after that, take it a step further.”