Coliving: the remarkable trend that’s putting down roots
What is coliving, and how do we explain its spiralling popularity?
Or: How to find the perfect home, a vibrant social life and a congenial workspace in one extraordinary package. The Singular Space is here to fill you in on this up-and-coming lifestyle trend and its rapidly growing fanbase.
We only get one chance at life, so be sure to live it well. Today’s generations are living this maxim like an article of faith. They want to create a life shared with others, whose experiences complement their own. The coliving model offers a new way to live together in independence. Housemates share generous communal areas, usually fitted out in chic modern style or using reclaimed materials, where they can mix with others and take part in group activities. Many coliving spaces offer a chance to buy into a truly exceptional property.
Geared towards young professionals, digital nomads and travellers with itchy feet, it’s a more sociable way of life that promises a ready-made community: a way to cultivate new ties and enjoy all the enriching benefits of being part of a collective without sacrificing privacy and independence. Coliving is here among us, and it appears to be putting down roots.
All-in-one living
As a general rule, coliving spaces combine individual or shared workspaces with bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living areas and group amenities. Many offer gyms, swimming pools, ping-pong tables, chill-out zones or barbecue pits, all the better to foster a sense of conviviality and belonging.
The blend of personal and social benefits they propose can be a perfect match for anyone longing for frictionless, all-in-one living.
In some cases, the model is taken further with varied activity programmes, featuring yoga classes, language lessons, film nights and even group dinners.
The home office: the coliving trump card
The circumstances forced on us by the pandemic meant we all had to carve out a workspace in our homes. This sudden lifestyle switch has given a powerful boost to the coliving model, which is going from strength to strength in the USA, Germany, the UK and Japan.
Other countries, including Spain, are vying to put themselves on the map of coliving-friendly destinations. Spain’s two largest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, are home to a thriving ecosystem of coliving communities, and new converts have an array of extraordinary properties to choose from, all offering a different kind of experience.
Think co: a new lifestyle philosophy.
New generations have a growing affinity with all things “co”.
We might think of the coliving concept as a three-legged stool, sustained by three “co” values: collectivity, collaboration and community. This new lifestyle philosophy has inspired a residential model forged not through the rewards of individual effort, but through social ties and shared experiences.
“Coworking”, a now-familiar term, proved merely the precursor of a larger phenomenon, shaking up our understanding of what a workspace should be and laying the groundwork for new vision for cohabitation: coliving. The logic first applied to the professional sphere has been extended to all aspects of life: who works at the desk next to mine, whom do I socialise with, who is there to share a special moment or help lay down happy memories for the future?
Friendship unbound in properties that will blow you away.
Another benefit of coliving is the chance to mix with people from all over the world, forming lasting friendships that span vastly different backgrounds.
Living in a diverse, multinational community can be an eye-opening experience. What’s more, many coliving spaces occupy refurbished historic buildings or other extraordinary properties – a real plus for many “colivers”. The privacy of your own space, plus shared spaces for social connection whenever the mood strikes, is a winning combination – clinching the argument for this new paradigm in the weird and wonderful world of human relationships.