2007 NAHB Pillars Award Winning Website

Zenith Apartments Screenshot

Rising twenty-one stories over Camden Yards, The Zenith Apartments is downtown Baltimore’s most striking high-rise apartment residence. The building’s unique architecture and luxurious homes make this the city’s premier rental address – a positioning captured in the cutting-edge property website.

Designed to appeal to style-conscious, status-seeking urban professionals, The Zenith Apartment website combines high-tech interactivity with a bold design. The building itself serves as the graphic centerpiece, changing from daytime to nighttime images on a 12-hour schedule. The sleek look and sharp copy are unlike any other apartment website.

In addition to the design, The Zenith Apartment website stands out because of its smooth, forward-thinking functionality. Instead of relying solely on a navigation bar, the website provides quick-links that are graphically integrated into the building image. These links change depending on which subject page the user is on, providing both easy access to in-depth information and a unique interface that enables “stickiness,” compelling users to explore the site (see previous blog for design strategy).

To make this real estate website as effective as possible, the design team included an interactive apartment home finder. Using the building image, users can select any floor, choose the specific unit they are most interested in, find out real-time availability of that unit and even reserve the home they want online. Additional interactive website elements include a 360-degree view available in night or day and a walking map that combines satellite imagery with pop-up neighborhood information.

By being the industry’s first property management website to provide real-time availability in a graphical format, the site is not just exciting to explore, it’s exceptionally useful. Prospective renters are initially enticed by the flashy appearance and then sold by the luxury finishes, top-line amenities and incredible floor plans. This integration of high-style and serious information perfectly plays into the target audience’s high-end tastes and discerning attitudes. This success made the property website The Zenith’s number-one source, generating 60% of leads and 80% of leases during its initial lease-up period.

Associate Creative Director: Jason Miller
Art Director: Heidi Landis
Copywriter: Alan Stewart Carl
Digital Art Director: Andy Freeberg