We walked into Interface's Student Housing Development Exchange in early May expecting to talk about the usual: financing, lead times, budget pressures. We didn't expect to come away with a completely new view on where student housing is heading. As a manufacturer of cast marble shower panels and pans, this event had us furiously taking notes and rethinking some assumptions we didn't even know we had.
Here's what developers are talking about right now, and why it matters to us as much as it does to them.
The NIL Effect: Doubling Down on the Top 20 Markets
The advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights has fundamentally changed the economics of college athletics, and student housing is feeling it directly. Developers are aggressively pivoting toward the top 20 major collegiate markets, where NIL money flows the heaviest and student-athletes now have real disposable income to spend on premium living.
For us, this is a meaningful signal. When developers concentrate investment in powerhouse athletic markets, the expectation for quality finishes and durable, upscale materials rises right along with it. These aren't students who will settle for builder-grade. They're looking for spaces that feel premium, and that includes the bathroom.
Upsizing for Athletes: The End of the 36x36 Shower
Here's the one that genuinely stopped us in our tracks: developers are phasing out the standard 36x36-inch shower.
Think about it - you're designing for a 6-foot-5 basketball player or a 300-pound offensive lineman. A 36x36 shower isn't a bathroom feature; it's an obstacle. Developers at the Exchange made clear they are moving toward wider, more spacious walk-in configurations to meet the physical needs of the athletes they're actively courting.
As a cast marble shower panel and pan supplier, we want to be in the middle of this conversation. Larger footprints, surfaces that are durable enough for heavy daily use - this is where Mincey shines! We'll admit, we hadn't thought about the student-athlete demographic quite this specifically before, and we're glad the industry pushed us to.
The Bathroom Conundrum: Tubs vs. Showers
This debate is alive and well, and it's more nuanced than we expected. The industry is genuinely wrestling with it, and we can see why.
The case for showers is strong. They’re space-efficient, they deliver a cleaner, modern aesthetic, and for the athlete-focused developments dominating the top markets, a well-designed walk-in shower is simply a better fit. That's naturally where our focus lands, and we believe a beautifully finished cast marble shower elevates the entire unit.
But tubs aren't going away without a fight. Pet ownership among students is up, and a tub doubles as a dog-washing station, something property managers say residents genuinely value. The flip side? Pet hair is absolutely brutal on drains, driving up maintenance costs in ways that give operators real pause.
The strongest argument keeping tubs in the blueprints, though, is ADA compliance. Many developers find that a standard tub is one of the more straightforward paths to meeting federal and local accessibility requirements, making it a practical default even when showers might otherwise win out.
Our take: the tub vs. shower question doesn't have a universal answer, but the trend lines are clearly favoring shower-forward designs in the premium, athlete-targeted segment. And that's a space we're well-positioned to support.
Watching the Competition
One thing was abundantly clear at the Exchange. Nobody wants to make the wrong bet. Developers are watching each other closely, tracking which amenities are getting value-engineered out, which floor plans are leasing fastest, and which innovations from the bigger markets are getting replicated nationwide.
We're paying attention too. As suppliers, understanding where the market is heading helps us make sure our products are ready for where developers are going, not just where they've been.
The Bottom Line
We came to this event as a shower panel and pan supplier. We left thinking differently about what it is that students need. Student housing is being shaped by the sports landscape in ways none of us fully anticipated, and the bathroom is right at the center of it.