APRIL 2010 | www.opp.org.uk
Two millennia ago, they were considering the idea of civic space stimulating the imagination. Applying this to today, the property industry must consider the customer as a creative citizen. The leisure industry understands this already, and has utilised this to create loyalty and demand, but the rest of the property industry needs to learn from it.
particularly for family oriented purchasers like the Arabians and Italians. The earners want to enjoy a holiday with large extended families without having to worry about managing them all; a mixed-use resort can do that for them.
Central concept
But a major challenge for large community developers is the integration of diff erent nationalities and cultures. How can developers accommodate them all? “Think about national parks,
where everyone communes with the environment as equals regardless of who they are or where they come from,” says Kuhne. “The greatest public squares are where people pass a few hours mixing with those they would never normally commune with. Developers must provide the civic experience, like a village square or market. Present society as a blessing not a threat. “On any project, we have to shift the
mindset from ‘consumer’ to ‘citizenry’. To understand this approach, we need to go back to ancient Greece and their idea of eudimonia, which combines ‘eu’ (happiness) and ‘dimonia’ (spirit). The Greeks had two defi nitions of the spirit of happiness, one focusing on sensory pleasure and the other on the idea of the fl ourishing of the human spirit. “Two millennia ago, they were
considering the idea of civic space stimulating the imagination. Applying this to today, the property industry must consider the customer as a creative citizen. The leisure industry understands this already, and has utilised this to create loyalty and demand, but the rest of the property industry needs to learn from it. “This can be applied on any
sized project. For example, I’ve seen examples of archeologists from local universities visiting resort developments to give talks or tours. Developers need to consider two key ideas: empower guests with an educational experience and take leisure into every routine of their daily life.” Kuhne observes that the
expectations of today’s consumer have changed considerably, and they go beyond location or property spec to more intangible elements. “Looking at the intimate spaces
in these resort communities, they must combine fantasy, authenticity and anecdotal experience,” says Kuhne. “We need to restore story- telling to architecture and emphasise enlightenment. Design communities where kids learn more, or where you go to get healthier.” Perhaps not the best example of
enlightenment, but enlightening nonetheless, is Las Vegas, adds Kuhne. “A couple of years ago, Las Vegas saw non-gaming revenues exceed gaming revenues for the fi rst time as people were going there to enhance their lives rather than gamble their money away. The city has empowered them to be creative.”
Liberate your customer
Kuhne passionately believes that all sectors of the property industry have sought to pen the consumer like cattle rather than letting them roam, and this narrow view has cost them dearly. “The change in mindset is to consider the psychographic not the demographic,” he explains. “Demographic elements like age, salary and where people live tend to be immovable and in consumer terms you spend a little to stay where you are. Psychographic elements like hopes, ambitions, and desires are more fl exible and aspirational so it means spending a lot more to get where you want to be. Applying this thinking to intuitive sales, you ask a prospect how you can deliver what’s important to them with the property or project in question.” This last point has helped some in
the shared ownership industry to sell well over the last year but, despite the fl exibility off ered by fractional or timeshare with exchange, it has either declined or failed to grow at the hoped for rate. “This is simply because every market
is over-built,” says Kuhne. “People were more scared of not making money than losing it and developers were too
Executive Panel Profi le: Eric Kuhne, CivicArts | 31
Niche thinking | Eric’s design combines business, culture, and leisure around a new National Park and Wildlife Reserve - all enfronting the Bay, River and Gulf. The city is planned to accommodate nearly 700,000 people and create nearly 430,000 new jobs.
happy to take advantage. That’s why we need to go back to basics. Identify a market that is not served, create a product that they want, build a plan for delivering it, and then build the architecture for it. Development should be led by market research, not by cannibalising your competitor’s customer base.”
The OPP Executive Panel
Mark Jeff ery, Co-Chairman of the OPP Executive Panel, initiated the creation of this steering committee and aims to engage members in an inspiring cross- border real estate social enterprise initia- tive. “I’ve seen how the continuum of Gov- ernment initiatives, major political and economic events, tourism, and property developments can transform a country, region or city, and sometimes the industry needs big picture insight from major movers and shakers to help put it into perspective,” said Jeff ery, a founding shareholder and commercial director of Flamingo Lakes; Mexico’s largest master planned resort community. “As a globally recognised and respected architect, Eric Kuhne brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to the Panel and will soon be joined by some major infl uencers in the world of real estate fi nance, travel and tourism.” Find out more at www.opp.org.uk/executive_panel.asp
INDUSTRY
PEOPLE
DESTINATION
BUSINESS
DEVELOPER
MARKETING
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