Common areas deserve the same design rigor as private units
Our approach is grounded in a straightforward observation: in residential buildings, shared spaces are experienced by every resident, every day. They deserve proportional investment in design thinking.
Design that begins with how people live
Chilean residential development has matured significantly over the past decade. Buyers are more discerning, building programs are more complex, and the amenity offer has expanded from a basic quincho to multi-space common area programs that include cowork, gym, rooftop terraces, and social rooms.
Yet the design investment in these spaces has not kept pace. The model apartment receives careful attention to finishes, lighting, and spatial flow — while the quincho on floor 14 receives a catalog grill, standard tiles, and whatever chairs fit the budget.
This disconnect creates a specific problem: residents move in expecting the quality they saw in the sales room, and encounter shared spaces that feel like an afterthought. That gap generates dissatisfaction, complaints, and long-term friction within the community of co-owners.
Shared spaces are the building's daily reality
The lobby is where residents arrive and depart, where packages are received, where neighbors meet in passing. The quincho is where birthdays are celebrated, where the building's social life happens. The cowork space is where remote workers spend productive hours. The terrace is where the building's outdoor identity lives.
These spaces are not amenities in the marketing sense — they are functional infrastructure for community life. When they are designed well, they reduce conflict, increase satisfaction, and contribute to the building's perceived quality in ways that sustain long-term value.
Molxedi exists to bring the same level of design intentionality to common areas that the best developers already apply to their private units.
What guides every design decision
These principles shape how we approach every project, regardless of scale or budget.
Resident-Centered Design
Every design decision starts with a question: how will the people who live here actually use this space? We design for real behavior, not idealized use cases. A quincho that works for a building of 80 units is different from one that works for 200.
Budget Proportionality
Good design is not synonymous with expensive design. We work within real budget constraints to make decisions that maximize perceived quality relative to cost — identifying where investment creates the most visible impact.
Conflict Reduction by Design
Ambiguous spaces generate disputes. We design with the co-owner assembly in mind — anticipating the questions about usage rules, capacity, noise, and maintenance that will arise once residents move in.
Integration with Architecture
We work alongside the project's architectural team, not in parallel. Our specifications must integrate with structural drawings, MEP systems, and construction timelines — which requires close coordination from the outset.
Maintenance Realism
A beautiful space that deteriorates within two years serves no one. We select materials and finishes with maintenance requirements in mind — considering the building's administration capacity and the realities of high-traffic shared use.
Visual Coherence
Common areas should feel like they belong to the same building as the private units. We develop a consistent design language that connects lobby, quincho, cowork, and terrace — creating a coherent identity rather than a collection of disconnected spaces.
Working within your existing team
We understand that developers work with established teams of architects, contractors, and consultants. Our role is additive — bringing specific expertise in common area design without disrupting existing project structures.
With Developers
We translate common area design decisions into terms that matter for project economics: cost implications, buyer perception impact, and long-term maintenance considerations.
With Architects
We coordinate design intent with structural and technical constraints, providing specifications that integrate cleanly with architectural drawings and construction documentation.
With Contractors
We provide documentation that contractors can build from — material specifications with supplier references, installation notes, and technical requirements that leave minimal room for interpretation.
With Future Residents
We design spaces with usage guidelines in mind — documentation that helps building administration communicate clear rules about shared space use from the first day of occupancy.