Parcel Lockers in an Apartment Lobby: Space, Look and Flow

“We want parcel lockers in the lobby, but it has to look right, fit the space and not get in the way.” A lobby is the most natural place for a parcel locker: every courier and every resident passes through it. The trade-off is space and appearance. A lobby bank needs a few metres of clear wall, a finish that suits the interior, a plan for how it works alongside any concierge desk, and a position that keeps the entry clear for visitors and removalists. This page walks through each.

Finding the wall

Look for a straight wall of about two to five metres, depending on how many cells you need, that is:

• visible from the entry, so couriers find it without asking;
• out of the main walking line between the front door and the lifts;
• near a power point, or where one can be added without chasing through stone or feature panels;
• not a fire-rated or services wall you cannot fix to. Your building manager will know.

Mailbox walls are a good candidate: residents already go there daily, and couriers expect parcels to live near the mail.

Size the bank before you design the nook

Work out the number of cells from parcels, not apartments. Parcel locker sizes gives the rule: parcels a day × days waiting × 1.3 for peaks. Then design the space around the bank. Leave room for one more column, because adding cells later is cheaper than moving a joinery nook.

Making it look like part of the lobby

Option	When it suits
Standard powder-coat (dark or light)	Most lobbies; quickest and cheapest
Custom colour	When the lobby has a strong palette
Branded wrap	Build-to-rent and student buildings with their own brand
Recessed into joinery	New fit-outs or refurbishments; looks built-in
Freestanding against a wall	Existing lobbies where joinery work is not wanted

Keep the screen at a comfortable height and avoid placing it opposite a glass entry where the afternoon sun washes it out.

Working with a concierge desk

A lobby locker changes the concierge’s job rather than replacing it:

• Routine parcels go straight from courier to locker, and the desk never touches them.
• Exceptions (oversize items, signature-required parcels, damaged parcels) still go to the desk. The desk can log them in the same portal, so residents get one consistent message.
• After hours, the concierge can put parcels left at the desk into a locker so residents can collect overnight.
• Reports: the portal shows uncollected parcels by age, so the desk can chase them instead of searching shelves.

Visitor flow and noise

• Keep at least a door’s swing plus standing room clear in front of the bank, so a resident collecting a parcel does not block someone walking past.
• Avoid the zone where removalists bring furniture through.
• Lock releases click and the screen can beep. If the bank shares a wall with an apartment, set the volume low and choose another wall if possible.

Rough cost

A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand dollars, roughly A$3,000–7,000 ex GST. A building system of 50–100 cells is roughly A$12,000–30,000 ex GST. On top of that there is a flat monthly software fee of around A$150 per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Delivery and installation are quoted per site, and your quote fixes the price.

In a lobby, joinery, custom colour and branding add to the hardware, and are quoted with it.

Lobby checklist

1. Count parcels for a week and size the bank.
2. Pick a wall: visible, out of the walking line, near power, safe to fix to.
3. Decide the finish: standard, custom colour, wrap or recessed.
4. Agree how the concierge handles exceptions and after-hours parcels.
5. Confirm the approval type with your strata manager (strata guide).
6. Ask for a layout drawing showing the bank in the lobby before the meeting.

Where this is the wrong answer

• The lobby is a narrow corridor. A bank that narrows the entry is a trip hazard and annoys everyone. Look at the basement car park or a mailroom instead.
• The lobby is open to the street with no secure line. A smart locker is secure per door, but an unsecured lobby invites vandalism. Consider an outdoor-rated bank or a spot inside the secure line.
• Heritage or strict design controls prevent fixing anything to the walls. A freestanding bank may still work, but check first.

Related situations

• High-rise apartment parcel lockers, when one lobby bank is not enough
• Retrofitting parcel lockers into an existing building
• New developments, for designing the nook from the start
• Parcel theft in apartment buildings

Frequently asked questions

How much lobby space do parcel lockers need?

Mainly wall length. Our cabinets are about 620 mm deep inside, plus the cabinet itself, and each column is roughly half a metre wide, so a bank of 40 to 50 cells usually takes a few metres of wall. Add clear floor space in front for doors to swing fully and for someone with a pram or trolley to stand at the screen. Your layout drawing fixes the exact footprint.

Can the lockers match our lobby's finishes?

Yes. The cabinets are powder-coated, and branded wraps or custom colours are available, so the bank can match the lobby rather than look like a post office. Recessing the bank into a joinery nook is also common in new fit-outs.

We have a concierge. Do we still need parcel lockers?

Lockers take the routine parcels off the desk so the concierge handles exceptions: oversize items, signature-required deliveries and residents who need help. Many buildings keep both. The concierge can also load parcels into lockers for residents after hours.

Are parcel lockers noisy?

The door locks click when they release, and the touchscreen can beep. In most lobbies that is unnoticeable. If the bank shares a wall with an apartment, ask for the screen volume to be set low and avoid that wall if you can.