Rebekah Lavelle is using technology to help create a thriving modern community at a residential development in Dublin 18 …
How did the new year reset go for you? If plans for a healthy new lifestyle have been temporarily derailed or fully abandoned, you might envy the residents of one of the new build-to-let residential developments springing up around Dublin, where prioritising a healthy lifestyle is all part of the design process.
If you live in Hali, Cherrywood in Dublin 18, you can roll out of bed into the 2,000 sqm of amenity space which includes a Sky Gym which has a view of Killiney Hill and the Dublin Mountains, join Trib3 circuit training, a Collective Fitness class, or a complimentary evening yoga session without going outside the front door of the building. (Residents can also sign up for one-on-one training and tailored fitness plans.)
It’s just one of the benefits of this sort of living, says Rebekah Lavelle, Director of Marketing and Innovation at Hali, who spent time working in Australia and Spain before settling at home in Ireland with her two daughters and her husband. Lavelle brings experience in hospitality to the role (residents are somewhere between tenants and guests) and has implemented an engagement programme that actively seeks input from residents, inviting them to share their interests and preferences for events and activities. The feedback has overwhelmingly highlighted a keen interest in health and wellbeing, leading Hali to introduce complimentary weekly offerings like yoga classes, mindfulness discussions, and even vegan cooking lessons. She has even implemented resumé-polishing and life coach sessions, even painting classes.
And it’s all managed via the Hali app. This “hospitality meets technology” approach is Lavelle’s wheelhouse: she’s passionate about using technology to drive business and guest relations – she recently undertook a diploma in AI at UCD – and loves that she and the team can receive feedback, in real time, and act on it. And she has signed up Hali as one of the first organisations to test-drive Microsoft’s Co-pilot software, in conjunction with Hali’s tech provider, Dublin-based Nostra Systems.
Community living experiences, says Lavelle, are popular among an increasingly mobile workforce, those “young techies” who find where they live can greatly accelerate their integration into their new lives in Ireland, as well as among Irish people, young, middle-aged and older, singles, couples and families, who seek the security and ease that fully serviced community living provides.
Rent for these fully furnished apartment (from studio to three-bedroom apartment) includes enterprise level Wi-Fi, Virgin TV package, access to all amenities, events throughout the year and wellness classes. A 9-5 security and on-site maintenance presence means all repairs can be arranged on the spot or the following morning at the very latest, and deliveries can be managed throughout the day.
On a recent visit, Hugh Wallace of Douglas Wallace Architects said he was blown away by this development. There is great thought put into how the residents will use both the internal and external spaces with the inclusion of superb amenities such as state-of-the-art gyms, home working hubs and public entertainment spaces. The apartments themselves are spacious and light and the development itself enjoys plenty of exterior green spaces. With public parks surrounding the development there is plenty of space to exercise, walk the dog and to enjoy nature and the great outdoors.
Interior designer Suzie McAdam complimented on-site Hali interior designer Helen Walsh on her work: “I was really impressed with the art in both the public spaces and within the apartments itself. Large pieces with fantastic colour and texture have softened both the private and public spaces while adding interest and warmth. It’s nice to see Hali leading the way in supporting artists and in particular female Irish artists.” McAdam also commented that the location of the bedrooms on either side of the three-bedroom apartment offered great privacy for residents, while allowing generous circulation space in the centre.
Co-working areas include focus booths for phone or video calls as well as relaxing breakout rooms and lounge spaces. A smart communal kitchen and dining space can be booked for private dinners, parties or events.
Collaborations have been created with various local providers and partnerships with brands and services such as Tulu, MyPUP and YUKÕ car share mean that residents can easily hire domestic equipment, a printer for their home office or even book a shared car.
Hali Cherrywood of course is pet-friendly and dog walks in nearby Tully and Ticknick and Beckett parks, afford opportunities to meet the neighbours “off-campus”. There are two playgrounds. The Luas is nearby too, and plenty of shopping and dining options. Hali even has a magazine, Hali Connect, which features a star resident every month, and includes details of local shopping, dining and outdoor pursuits. Hali Connect reflects the diversity of the community, both in age and ethnicity. Residents might find themselves invited to a special celebration of Diwali, or Canada Day, or Thanksgiving. For Rebekah Lavelle, hearing how the community enjoyed these events, arranged by her team, is one of the many interesting and rewarding aspects of her role. “I just love seeing residents becoming neighbours, in a traditional sense, while living in apartments, and seeing them avail of everything Hali offers. We ask, residents give feedback, we act on it. Technology gives us that edge, while maintaining the traditional values of warm hospitality.”
With further new phases launching this year, Hali is in expansion mode. Watch this space. www.hali.ie