How Digital Lifestyles are Reshaping Modern High-Rise Residential Building Design and Infrastructure
Multi-story residential buildings and commercial real estate are the face of every modern urban city in the world, showcasing innovation, ambition, and maximizing land utilization. Over the years, architects and engineers have prided themselves on pushing design and engineering boundaries, from ensuring resilience against severe weather and seismic events to implementing sustainability and energy efficiency solutions. But beyond physical structure resilience, buildings have also adapted to residents’ evolving lifestyles, incorporating amenities such as fitness and wellness facilities, pet-friendly features, childcare services, smart-building technologies, and free internet services.
However, a more recent shift is redefining modern high-rise residential buildings – the growing influence of digital lifestyles. As digital-native generations establish themselves as the primary consumers in the housing market, their expectations are shaped by the way they interact with technology and experience convenience. From the explosion of the convenience economy to the rise of work-life integration and digital nomadism, residential buildings are being reimagined to accommodate these shifts. Older buildings are retrofitting their spaces to remain competitive, while new developments are reshaping traditional architectural models to integrate these emerging needs.
At Boston Residential Concierge (BRC), our firsthand experience working with leading developers and building managers allows us to witness these changes as they unfold. In fact, many of these shifts influence how we refine our processes to align with the evolving needs of residents and anticipate new demands. This article draws from our concierges’ reports, highlighting the intersection between architectural design, infrastructure, and the digital lifestyle revolution.
The Convenience Economy and Residential Adaptation
Since the commercialization of the internet, businesses have continually innovated to sell products online, with companies like Amazon leading the way. Over time, this digital shift has expanded beyond durable goods to include grocery and food delivery – particularly accelerating since the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise of services like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Amazon Fresh has led to an unprecedented increase in deliveries to high-rise residential buildings, straining existing infrastructure such as package rooms. In some buildings, we have introduced designated package handlers to oversee inventory management, a role traditionally handled by the concierge.
Beyond the sheer volume of deliveries, the size and nature of packages have also evolved. Residents now frequently receive furniture, electronics, and home fittings, requiring buildings to rethink storage solutions. As a result, many residential developments have implemented solutions such as expanded package rooms, inventory management software, secure lockers, and food pods to efficiently handle this surge.
Package Rooms and Storage Optimization
To accommodate growing delivery volumes, some buildings have converted specific areas to package rooms. These rooms are crucial not just for storage but also for sorting and facilitating effective collection. We’ve observed that in buildings where package rooms are undersized relative to demand, misplaced package reports increase, especially when residents retrieve their own items. By contrast, concierge-managed pickups reduce lost package incidents. Optimizing package room design based on resident density and package volume is key to improving efficiency and the resident experience.
Inventory Management Software
Another innovation addressing this challenge is package management software, which streamlines delivery tracking, notifies residents of arrivals, and logs pickups. Some systems allow concierge-assisted distribution, while others enable direct resident access, reducing administrative burdens.
Inventory Management Software
Another innovation addressing this challenge is package management software, which streamlines delivery tracking, notifies residents of arrivals, and logs pickups. Some systems allow concierge-assisted distribution, while others enable direct resident access, reducing administrative burdens.
Smart Lockers and Food Pods
Another technological response is the use of secure lockers and food pods. This technology allows deliveries to be placed in a secure locker, which can only be accessed by the designated resident – typically through a code. This is mostly used for food deliveries; however, Amazon utilizes a similar technology for its Amazon Hub apartment lockers.
Package Handling Policies
In addition to infrastructure and technology-based solutions, package handling policies play a crucial role in managing the convenience economy. Building managers are implementing standardized policies for perishable item storage, retrieval deadlines, and unclaimed package disposal. These policies help streamline package management, prevent clutter, and ensure a seamless experience for residents.
Work-Life Integration and the Demand for Quiet, Flexible Spaces
The pandemic ushered in a new era of remote work, accelerating the adoption of productivity and collaboration tools that support remote work. While some companies are gradually pulling back on fully virtual arrangements, hybrid work has become the prevailing model, allowing employees to work from home part of the week. This shift has profoundly impacted residential design, with many buildings incorporating meeting rooms and office pods into common areas to offer dynamic work environments for remote professionals.
However, while the addition of coworking spaces has been widely embraced, noise sensitivity remains a significant concern. A 2021 study foundthat 57% of workers reported being highly sensitive to noise, which aligns with one of the most common complaints our concierges receive – noise disruptions from neighbors. Poor soundproofing in residential units can significantly impact productivity for remote workers, making acoustic design a critical consideration for developers. Incorporating soundproofing measures in new constructions, such as insulated walls, resilient channels, and acoustic-friendly materials, is becoming essential in creating functional work-from-home environments.
Digital Nomadism and the Shift Toward Flexible Living
Closely linked to the rise of remote work and the convenience economy, digital nomadism has introduced a new paradigm in residential living. Digital nomads – professionals who work remotely while traveling – do not establish long-term residency in a single location. Instead, they move between cities, often staying in short-term rental units, co-living spaces, or furnished apartments designed to accommodate their lifestyle.
According to a report by MBO Partners, approximately 18.1 million American workers now identify as digital nomads, a dramatic increase from previous years. As a result, traditional long-term leases have become less attractive to certain demographics, leading to a surge in demand for short-term, highly flexible living arrangements.
To cater to this growing demographic, residential buildings are evolving in design and leasing structure. Co-living spaces, which blend private living areas with shared kitchens, coworking lounges, and networking hubs, are gaining popularity. These models allow residents to stay for weeks or months without the burden of long-term commitments, offering a balance between independence and community living. Similarly, the increasing availability of fully furnished, move-in-ready apartments with all-inclusive amenities reflects the shift in housing preferences, as digital nomads prioritize convenience and flexibility over traditional leasing models.
The impact of digital nomadism on housing extends beyond the buildings themselves. High-rise residential building developments are increasingly adopting hospitality-style services, including app-based concierge support, and automated maintenance requests. This blurring of lines between hospitality and residential living has led to greater investment in smart building technology, where self-service check-ins, remote-controlled utilities, and contactless security systems are now becoming standard in new developments.
The Future of High-Rise Residential Living in a Digital World
The increasing integration of digital lifestyles into everyday living has fundamentally reshaped modern residential design and infrastructure. As the demand for convenience, flexibility, and work-life integration continues to grow, high-rise residential buildings are evolving to accommodate these shifting expectations. The convenience economy has not only redefined how residents shop but also introduced new logistical challenges in package management, prompting innovations in storage, inventory tracking, and secure delivery solutions. Similarly, the rise of remote work and digital nomadism has pushed developers to rethink common spaces, prioritizing co-working areas, soundproofing, and flexible leasing options.
These changes are not temporary adjustments but long-term shifts that will continue to drive the evolution of residential design. Developers and building managers who embrace these transformations by integrating technology-driven solutions, adaptable layouts, and resident-centered services will position their properties as future-ready living spaces. As digital lifestyles become increasingly dominant, the success of high-rise residential buildings will depend on their ability to adapt, innovate, and anticipate the evolving needs of a connected, mobile, and convenience-driven generation.