Connecting Communitites

A Calgary developer is taking social media to a whole new level when it comes to condo living in the city.

Bucci Developments Ltd. is partnering with tech company bazinga! to introduce a new approach to connecting condo owners to each other and their homes starting with the developers Tribeca project in Mission. "We were looking for a number of different solutions," said Mike Bucci, vice-president of development, adding their wish list included a platform that would contain building information and a community forum that would replace their current one. "And bazinga!, as we're researching these things and reaching out, they presented themselves to us and said 'Look, we can do all these things and under one roof', so it was a great fit."

Joseph Nakhla, CEO and founder of bazinga! explained the tool is a private social network and essential unit for buildings.

"We're changing the way residents interface with their homes and interact with their neighbours to help create remarkable, connected communities," he said.

On the functional side, bazinga! allows residents to communicate with building management for home information, updates and visitor parking while the social side of the platform allows residents to get to know their neighbours and organize events such as carpools, block parties and restaurant recommendations.

"In city spaces, neighbourhoods are becoming more and more vertical," Nakhla said. "High-rises are designed with security front of mind, so there is little to no opportunity to engage with our neighbours or realize the community building opportunities that surround us.

"We started bazinga! to empower the entire community with information, make amenities accessible, connect neighbours and create opportunities to enrich vertical living.

In a world where social media is at the forefront of everyday living Bucci explained new homeowners have come to expect buildings to be run with a platform such as bazinga!.

"We think by having all the building information in one great transparent open online source and in having one forum for discussing all the commonalities, the ultimate goal for us as far as a community building exercise is to stop that avoidance of eye contact in the hallways," he said. "It gives (homeowners) an opportunity to talk about the building, improve the building; gives them opportunity to meet each other, set up events, and ultimately you engage your neighbours when you run into them in the hallways and when that happens we think, we feel and we've observed, it's a better building."

Tagged: Calgary Condo | Calgary Real Estate | Calgary Real Estate News