Creating Nationally Replicable, Regionally Adaptable Cost-Conscious Communities
As the build-to-rent market continues to grow, we’ve been leveraging our decades of single-family design experience to help developers create efficient, replicable designs that can work across different markets while adapting to regional preferences and site-specific constraints. Through this work, we’ve refined an approach to developing BTR prototype libraries for our clients that balance standardization with flexibility.
The Prototype Library Concept
Rather than designing each community from scratch, a prototype library provides developers with a collection of homes that aligns with their program needs – including floor plans and design systems that can be deployed across multiple projects. Our role is to help create these libraries for our clients, developing designs that are:
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- Efficient to build and replicate
- Flexible enough to accommodate different site conditions
- Adaptable to regional market preferences
- Diverse enough to appeal to varied renter demographics
Two Prototype Systems
When developing prototype libraries for clients, we’ve found success with two distinct product types, each suited to different development contexts and market needs.
Street to Court Prototype
This prototype pairs homes front to back, giving each home a private entry, while achieving higher density and maintaining a single-family feel. The system typically includes street-facing homes with garages and pedestrian court-facing homes without, with multiple floor plan options that can range from compact ranch layouts to larger two-story designs.
All plans share the same width, allowing them to be combined in various configurations to meet different market demands. Details like strategically placed windows provide privacy between units, and thoughtful interior features accommodate modern work-from-home needs.
Townhome Prototype
This system uses simple, modern forms with plans ranging from ranch to 3-story homes with 2 to 3-bedrooms. The plans are designed with aligned trusses, allowing homes to attach side-by-side in multiple combinations. This flexibility helps the homes adapt to both market demand and challenging site conditions like difficult topography.
Building in Regional Adaptability
The key to making prototypes work across different markets is building in points of flexibility that allow for regional customization without requiring extensive redesigns.
Elevational Character
One way to adapt prototypes regionally is through exterior character and materials. A single prototype can be executed in different architectural styles from Farmhouse to Prairie, Texas Hill Country, Low Country, Cape Cod, and Southwest to suit regional preferences. By changing materials and exterior details while keeping the floor plan constant, the homes can take on distinct regional character without losing construction efficiency. Regional color palettes work similarly, allowing communities to reflect local context through color choices in siding, trim, roofing, doors, and windows.
Programing Variations
Varying bedroom counts within the same design framework creates visual diversity while maintaining community cohesion. When homes share exterior materials, window sizing, and details like front porches but differ in bedroom count, the result is a streetscape that feels unified but not monotonous. This variation also broadens the range of renters the community can serve.
Site Adaptations
Prototypes need to accommodate different site realities—topography, climate, local codes—without requiring complete redesign. Building this adaptability into the initial design makes the prototypes more useful across different locations.
Serving Different Community Needs
Build-to-rent appeals to a range of renters, from young professionals to families to empty-nesters. A prototype library that includes various floor plan sizes and configurations allows a single community to serve multiple demographics, which strengthens both occupancy and community dynamics.
The Value of the Library Approach
Developing a prototype library for your portfolio represents an upfront investment in design, but it pays off through faster project timelines, reduced design costs per community, and the ability to enter new markets with proven plans. For developers working across multiple locations or planning several communities, having a tailored prototype library provides a foundation that can be adapted rather than recreated for each project.
If you’d like to explore developing a prototype library for your build-to-rent portfolio, reach out to our experts Kellen Kyger or Andy Nordhus at 303-832-4474.
