As soon as an architect friend showed him a video of the Ori system, Matt Branagh knew it was just what he was looking for. The fourth-generation Owner/CEO of Branagh Development, Lafayette, Calif., saw that Ori could make his studio apartments feel like junior one-bedroom units—perfect, he said, for the “huge wave of people” coming to Oakland from San Francisco to get more space at lower rental cost in a first-class building.
He leased five Studio Suites and purchased eight Pocket Closets for Maya, his firm’s 47-unit apartment building in Oakland, which opened in March. He’s bundling a $275/month premium into the leases for units with a Studio Suite and $95/month for those with a Pocket Closet.
Branagh said tenant adoption for the Pocket Closet was “really strong.” “People get it,” he said. “It’s a price point that they’re willing to pay for, and it’s unique—their friends don’t have it.” He said some prospective tenants were “a little intimidated” working the robotic keyboard at first, but “once they did it a couple of times, they loved it.”
He said Ori turned his floor plans around in 3-4 days and suggested several options. The manufacturer flew in two technicians from Boston to install the systems. They had to do a work-around for the Pocket Closets because the nonmoving section of the two-part system would have bumped into the apartments’ mini-splits. Even so, “the installation was quicker than expected,” just a few days, he said. Branagh has ordered six more.
For Nova Quincy, a 171-unit mixed-use rental community in Quincy, Mass., 10 miles south of Boston, Jonathan Miller, Vice President of LBC Boston, has ordered 40 Studio Suites. “Our prospective tenants are young professionals looking for value outside Boston but close to transit in a lively downtown center,” said Miller. The MBTA Red Line stop is a seven-minute walk.
Nova Quincy will open in September, but already there’s been “a ton of interest” in the Ori system from prospective tenants “looking for something innovative.”
Studio Suites will be installed in 10 studio apartments and 30 micro-units (330–400 sf). “One of the primary benefits of Ori is your usable square footage is much greater”—about 100–150 sf more, he has calculated—“than what you’re paying for.” LBC Boston will include a $200–250 monthly rental premium for what they’re calling “Ori Smart” Studios.
SEE ALSO: Robotic interiors: How to make a studio apartment feel as big as a one-bedroom unit
Miller said he wants to see how the leasing goes for the Ori-outfitted units, but so far he’s “definitely bullish” on using Studio Suites in future projects in Quincy, Allston, and Brighton, where LBC Boston has permitting for 1,500 apartments.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Jul 23, 2019
Is prefab in your future?
The most important benefit of offsite construction, when done right, is reliability.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 17, 2019
Robotic interiors: How to make a studio apartment feel as big as a one-bedroom unit
Meet Ori Living's robotically controlled, space-saving furniture system.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 17, 2019
Cost of living: Apartment construction costs for 2019
Using RSMeans data from Gordian, here are the most recent construction costs for low-rise and mid-rise apartment buildings across 10 U.S. cities.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 15, 2019
Call for entries: Student housing roundup
We're looking for the best new "student housing" communities for our Fall Issue of Multifamily Design+Construction.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 15, 2019
7 new multifamily developments to track this summer
Ballpark living in Anaheim, Calif., and a water-friendly apartment complex in Seattle highlight the noteworthy multifamily developments to open in 2019.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 27, 2019
David Baker Architects wins 2019 HUD 'best in affordable housing' honor
The firm's Williams Terrace project is the first dedicated housing for Charleston, S.C.’s low-income seniors. It's one of four developments to win 2019 AIA/HUD housing awards.
Building Tech | Jun 26, 2019
Modular construction can deliver projects 50% faster
Modular construction can deliver projects 20% to 50% faster than traditional methods and drastically reshape how buildings are delivered, according to a new report from McKinsey & Co.
Design Innovation Report | Jun 25, 2019
2019 Design Innovation Report: Super labs, dream cabins, office boardwalks, façades as art
9 projects that push the limits of architectural design, space planning, and material innovation.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 25, 2019
Historic New York hospital becomes multifamily development
CetraRuddy designed the project and Delshah Capital is the developer.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 25, 2019
New Joint Center housing report foresees steady rental demand over the next decade
However, supply shortages, especially on the affordable end, are likely to push rents even higher.