The 2,000-square-foot business center at Citadel at Tech Ridge features several workstations.

AUSTIN, TX—Even before Covid-19 began its march across the US, a  new multifamily development, Citadel at Tech Ridge, was gearing up to provide an ideal work-from-home environment for its residents. The developer, Cambridge Development Group, was one step ahead of the curve when it incorporated a business center and co-working spaces into the design.

The 2,000-square-foot business center features a large conference room, several work stations, small group seating arrangements, a cyber cafe and lounge. All common spaces were custom designed by Austin firm Britt Design Group, with architecture by Davies Collaborative and builder NPR.

Britt Design Group founding principal Laura Britt sees a growing trend in co-working spaces and business centers within multifamily developments, especially now.

"More and more people had already begun working remotely due to increased traffic and longer commute times in Austin," says Britt. "We have seen the growing need for impactful co-working spaces in multifamily complexes for a while. Prior to the pandemic, at least 40% of residents in our multifamily projects worked from home in some capacity. We not only expect this trend to continue, but we expect it to grow due to the efficiencies garnered through this work from home period due to COVID. People are more comfortable with technology now more than ever before and will want a balance of being at home and being able to enjoy a different environment. These co-working spaces incorporate the best of both worlds."

The 332,000-square-foot 12-building complex spans 15 acres with close proximity to Dell, Apple and Samsung.

Britt Design Group finished out the common areas with a fitness center, swimming pool with cabanas, outdoor entertainment areas, an outdoor deck, dog park and a pet spa. The community's 308 units include one- two-and three-bedroom floorplans averaging 869 square feet. Each unit features an open space layout with 9-foot ceiling height, custom barn doors, washers and dryers, stainless steel appliances, private balconies/patios and garage spaces. Sustainable materials were used throughout, Britt says.

"In terms of Citadel at Tech Ridge, all lighting is LED,  along with wood flooring and quartz countertops throughout the complex," she tells GlobeSt.com.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, virtual tours were starting to get traction in the commercial sector, but most clients still wanted to view the property in person. Attitudes have changed significantly in just a few months, and now virtual tours could become a mainstay of the commercial real estate transaction process, according to a JLL report.

Citadel at Tech Ridge is giving virtual tours during the stay at home order, and likely beyond, GlobeSt.com learns.

"Virtual tours are new in the wake of COVID-19, but will be routinely offered moving forward," Rachel Ellis, Citadel at Tech Ridge community manager, tells GlobeSt.com.