Q2 2021 30/06/2021

W W W. C O L I V I NG I NS I G HT S . CO M

N°6
FOSTERING THRIVING
COMMUNITIES IN
SHARED LIVING
 FOREWORD

Stepping out onto my local high street in April, just As we move forward into this exciting and uncharted
5 days after the relaxation of lockdown rules, I was new era of modern living, operational residential
awestruck by the buzz of the city around me. Before assets will continue to support our changing habits
long, I too had joined the crowds, seated at a table and lifestyles, adapting to the fast-evolving trends that
positioned in a cordoned off parking bay, watching have caused fundamental shifts in the way we live
the world go by, whilst sipping on my first pulled pint and interact with the places around us. Safeguarding
in a year. the vitality and vibrancy of our town centres through
spaces that connect people and place, is now more
Don’t ever bet against cities like London, nor the than ever, intrinsically linked to our collective social
communities from which they are built, we’re a resilient and economic progress.
bunch! That same resilience and inherent adaptability
has been mirrored across residential living assets Yet, most importantly, within operational residential
around the world, fuelling global investor demand real estate, we have a unique opportunity to elevate
into a sector which has offered relative stability in the shared living experience, creating happier,
times of unprecedented uncertainty. healthier, more inclusive places to live, work, gather
and connect. After all, it is these deep and meaningful
community ties that lie at the heart of delivering real
and lasting social change. As Jack Johnson would
say, “Yeah, it’s always better when we’re together…”.

RICHARD LUSTIGMAN - CEO of Manner

Richard Lustigman is the CEO of Manner, a vertically integrated developer and operator at the forefront in the
evolution of modern living, designing innovative spaces that create long-term, sustainable solutions for the city
dwellers of tomorrow.

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 INDEX

LONELINESS AND COMMUNITY ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY-

DRIVEN COMMUNITIES
Addressing urban loneliness through coliving communities 14
By Jelmer Ikink
How IKEA’s research lab is curating professional 64
communities to co-create people-planet-centred design solutions
An interview with SPACE10

Catalysing a thriving community through sustainable practice 70

By Naima von Ritter Figueres & Penny Clark

CATALYSING B2B COMMUNITIES USING TECHNOLOGY TO

ENHANCE COMMUNITY
Insights from the largest coliving event of 2021 20
By Gui Perdrix & Virginia Scapinelli
How Wifirst supports the B2B shared living community through WiFi 80
Tapping into Frame’s design community to support market  30 as a Service
consolidation, innovation and sustainability By Vincent Jouan
An interview with Leah Heaton-Jones 86
Onboarding through the cloud: How access control can ignite
a sense of belonging and community in coliving
By Christian Schmitz, Anya Doshi & Caterina Maoilini

How to use technology to foster communities and facilitate connection

92
to the neighbourhood
By Digital Estate

USING DESIGN THINKING TO BUILD HOW COLIVING OPERATORS

THRIVING COLIVING COMMUNITIES ARE FACILITATING AUTHENTIC
COMMUNITIES
Using service design thinking to build a coliving community 40
By Stuart Scott
Episode, where various ideas and stories of life come together 102
It takes a community to build a thriving coliving brand 46 An interview with Si-hyun Lim & Joo-hyun Lee
By Aitana de Jong
Together Co-Living – Building coliving spaces as a new way 110
Understanding user community experience 52 to connect
By Gui Perdrix By Alex Chakrabarti
114
Everyone Does The Dishes
By Jay Standish

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 SUMMARY

Given the world – and more particularly, the housing This edition of Coliving Insights will take you through
market – we live in, it is understandable to focus that wealth of knowledge, accumulated and shared
on what drives immediate success: the burgeoning by our diverse and experienced set of contributors
of financial value and capital returns. What makes from throughout the coliving ecosystem. From the
coliving so exceptional is that its success, while implementation of environmentally sustainable
certainly predicated on this, nonetheless involves practices, to the use of digital solutions, to the
a “back-to-the-roots” approach to commercialised application of service design methodologies, we
living. It allows us to address what concerns the explore what you need to do to make a coliving
consumer (and humans) at their core – that longing community tangible, memorable and marketable.
for belonging, that innate social drive that defines
our social character as a species. And so, in a time when coliving has proven its ability
to not just withstand but also consolidate during a
It is then important to understand this core pillar of global health and affordability crisis, the focus ought
coliving, and why success naturally flows when it is to be on perfecting that core, community-driven
facilitated properly. The word community relates to service that coliving uniquely offers. These are just
the idea of commonness (or ‘common unity’); that there a couple of many immense challenges to address,
are certain things that bring us together, that manifest and with coliving you are quite literally in the business
lasting and colourful relationships. Tapping into this of addressing quite a few of them. In doing so, you
very human experience during a time of widespread yourself can contribute your own innovative approach
loneliness, unaffordability and insecurity is not only to the wider world of impact-makers and community-
instinctually (and morally) correct; we are furthermore builders in real estate, and help foster a vast network
doing so during a time of unprecedented emerging of meaningful human relationships along the way.
technologies. As a result, the possibilities to facilitate
thriving communities are endless, and the wealth
of knowledge and practical resources available to
coliving operators have never been more at-hand.

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 A GLIMPSE INTO THIS EDITION

COLIVING INTELLIGENTLY RESPONDS

TO THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC
THROUGH HOSTING A COMMUNITY
A THRIVING COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT FACILITATES THE FLOURISHING OF AND NETWORK OF PEOPLE, ENSURING
COMMUNITY IS NOT A TRANSACTIONAL
EACH INDIVIDUAL AND OF THE COLLECTIVE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THIS THAT RESIDENTS FEEL PART OF A
PRODUCT THAT CAN BE BOUGHT AND
MEANS THAT THE COLIVING SPACE, THE EVENTS, THE INTERACTIONS, READY-MADE NEIGHBOURHOOD. FOR
CONSUMED. IT IS AN AUTHENTIC SET
THE FOOD ETC., ARE ALL GEARED TOWARDS NURTURING THE HIGHEST TODAY’S SUSTAINABLY CONSCIOUS
OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT IMPARTS THE
POTENTIAL IN EACH HUMAN AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND IN THE COMMUNITY YOUTH, FOR WHOM OWNING LESS
GREATEST BENEFITS TO THOSE WHO
AS A WHOLE. A THRIVING COMMUNITY IS ONE IN WHICH EVERY RESIDENT STUFF IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE
NURTURE IT.
IS ABLE (AND ENCOURAGED) TO SHARE THEIR GIFTS WITH OTHERS. TRADITIONAL MATERIAL SYMBOLS
OF SUCCESS, IT’S A GREAT WAY TO
Jay Standish
Penny Clark & Naima von Ritter Figueres SHARE RESOURCES AND FOSTER
OpenDoor
Conscious Coliving MORE COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITIES.

Leah Heaton-Jones
Frame

THE MAIN DRIVERS FOR COLIVING ALL IN ALL, WE BELIEVE THAT

ARE AFFORDABILITY, CONVENIENCE RESIDENTS CAN INCREASE THEIR
IDENTITY AND PRIDE IN LIFE BY BUILDING A THRIVING AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY REQUIRES DESIGN
(E.G. ENHANCED UX), LONELINESS
RECOGNISING AND CONTROLLING THINKING SPANNING SEVERAL DISCIPLINES. UNLIKE TRADITIONAL INTERIOR
AND FLEXIBILITY (E.G. FLEXIBLE
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CAUSED DESIGN, SERVICE DESIGN IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT BLENDS BOTH THE
LEASE TERMS). THESE DEMANDS ARE
BY THEIR ACTIVITIES AS MUCH AS PHYSICAL SPACE AND CUSTOMER-CENTERED INSIGHT. WHEN DEVELOPING
OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE THREE
POSSIBLE. THEY CAN ENJOY THE COLIVING WE USE SERVICE DESIGN THINKING TO ENSURE THAT EVERY PART
CS OF COLIVING: YOU COME FOR
SERVICES THEY WANT AT ANY TIME OF THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY IS OPTIMISED TO HELP ENABLE A COMMUNITY
THE COST, AND YOU STAY FOR THE
AND BECOME HEALTHY CITIZENS WHO TO FORM.
CONVENIENCE AND THE COMMUNITY.
ARE MORE AWARE OF THE IMPACT Stuart Scott
THEY WILL HAVE ON SOCIETY. Co-Living Spaces
Gui Perdrix & Virginia Scapinelli
Co-Liv
Si-hyun Lim & Joo-hyun Lee
Episode

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 A GLIMPSE INTO THIS EDITION

COLIVING IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS

AN ‘EXPERIENCE’ OR ‘MOVEMENT’,
CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN BE
BOILED DOWN TO ITS FOUNDATION:
COMMUNITY. MOST HOUSING MODELS
MAY OFTEN PRIORITISE FACTORS EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT IDEAS
SUCH AS EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY AND NEEDS TO MEET IN THEIR
IN TODAY’S ERA, CREATING ORIGINAL DIGITAL EXPERIENCES TO OR SOCIAL INTERACTION OVER ONE EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN REAL ESTATE
SUPPORT THRIVING COMMUNITIES IS NOT ANYMORE A “NICE TO HAVE”, ANOTHER. COLIVING FOCUSES ON BUSINESS, BUT OVERALL THE
BUT A NECESSITY. THE POSITIVE SIDE IS THAT TECHNOLOGY OFFERS PLENTY ALL OF THESE IN EQUAL CAPACITY, CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY REMAINS
OF POSSIBILITIES TO EXPLORE, INCLUDING PLATFORMS AND DIGITALLY AND TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POWER UNIVERSAL. TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY,
ENABLED FRAMEWORKS CONNECTING BUILDINGS TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TO COMBINE THEM. CLOUD-BASED WE HAVE BEEN CREATING MANY
AND LOCAL ECONOMY, WHICH CAN BRING NUMEROUS BENEFITS FOR ALL ACCESS CONTROL CAN DELIVER THE SCENARIOS TO FIT MANY OF OUR
PARTIES INVOLVED. TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY TO IGNITE CLIENTS’ BUSINESS NEEDS.
Digital Estate A SENSE OF BELONGING IN COLIVING
BY IMPLEMENTING THESE SOLUTIONS Vincent Jouan
FROM THE ONBOARDING PROCESS Wifirst
AND BEYOND.

Christian Schmitz, Anya Doshi &

Caterina Maoilini
SALTO Systems

TAKING A PAGE FROM OUR

ANCESTORS’ LIFESTYLE, COLIVING
OPERATORS ARE PROMOTING IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
COMMUNAL LIVING AS AN ANSWER OPERATORS AND OTHER PARTNERS
TO LONELINESS. THE ANSWER TO INVOLVED TO CONSCIOUSLY LISTEN
LONELINESS MAY BE TO FOCUS NOT AND FINE-TUNE TO FOSTER AN THERE ARE SO MANY INSPIRING AND BRILLIANT PEOPLE OUT THERE, SO
ON OUR ONLINE SOCIAL LIVES, BUT AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY THAT RATHER THAN COMPETE WITH THEM, WE PREFER TO INVITE THEM IN AND
RATHER THOSE WE CREATE OFFLINE. RELATES TO AND ENGAGES WITH THE CREATE SOMETHING TOGETHER. WE ENABLE AND EMPOWER PEOPLE
EVERYBODY COPES WITH LONELINESS BUILT ENVIRONMENT. SIMILARLY TO TO IMPROVE THE WORLD USING THEIR PARTICULAR EXPERTISE IN A WAY
DIFFERENTLY, AND THE BEAUTY THE FLOWER THAT NEEDS WATER THAT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT. THIS APPROACH ALSO SECURES
OF BEING PART OF A COLIVING AND NUTRIENTS TO BLOOM, THE CONTINUOUSLY FRESH PERSPECTIVES, MOTIVATION, SPEED AND EXPERTISE
COMMUNITY IS THAT ONE PERSON’S COMMUNITY BUILDING PROCESS, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT FIELDS, ALLOWING US TO DELIVER PROJECTS
STRENGTH COMPLEMENTS ANOTHER’S ROOTED IN THE BRAND, IS A WITH A RANGE OF DIVERSITY AND CREATIVITY BEYOND WHAT JUST OUR
WEAKNESS. THIS HAS WORKED FOR CONTINUOUS LOOP OF NURTURING, PERMANENT IN-HOUSE TEAM CAN DO.
US FOR CENTURIES, AND SEEMS SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING. The SPACE10 team
TO CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST
SUSTAINABLE WAY OF LIVING. Aitana de jong
Spatial Experience
Jelmer Ikink
MyTown

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 LONELINESS
AND COMMUNITY

In a world with unprecedented levels of connectivity, it is truly paradoxical that social isolation is so widespread
around the globe. Exacerbated by the pandemic, loneliness is forcing us to reimagine how we operate real estate
assets; an exercise that coliving is uniquely and essentially positioned to address. We kick off this edition of Coliving
Insights with MyTown, who shows us that while loneliness is by no means a new phenomenon, it is a growing crisis
that coliving is ready and able to respond to given its community-centric character.

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 The COVID-19 pandemic that has swept the world
LONELINESS AND COMMUNITY also forced everyone in the Philippines to isolate
themselves. The Philippine Red Cross and UNICEF
partnered to establish a ‘mental health hotline’ to
provide psychological first aid at the time of the
pandemic. The Department of Health (DOH) also
partnered with the World Health Organization in
ADDRESSING URBAN LONELINESS ensuring the mental health wellness of Filipinos.

THROUGH COLIVING COMMUNITIES A recent study on COVID-19 and mental health of

By Jelmer Ikink older adults in the Philippines cited depression and
anxiety, unmet spiritual needs, poor social wellbeing,
a decline in physical wellbeing and the fear of dying
alone threatening older adult Filipinos.

Loneliness comes in different forms and has persisted throughout history; however, it hasn’t been quite as strong
MyTown, the Philippines’ first and largest coliving
as the last fews decades and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This global challenge has presented
company, conducted a similar survey amongst its
real estate with a distinguished issue – how do you help tenants overcome feelings of alienation and loneliness
thousands of young professional tenants in April 2021
as a collective effort to combat the crisis? The answer, according to MyTown, is community. In this piece,
to assess their mental wellbeing. Together with a similar
Jelmer Ikink, Group Director of MyTown, educates us on the importance of shared living in addressing
survey it conducted in 2019 right before the pandemic
loneliness, and showcases how they have been doing so since before the pandemic and onwards.
hit, they provide clear comparisons in how the pandemic
and resulting community quarantines have impacted
In a modern world where everyone is more connected Furthermore, loneliness not only negatively affects young professionals’ mental health in the Philippines.
than ever, it may seem counterintuitive to hear of one’s mental state, but also physical health in a way
a ‘loneliness epidemic’ among the youth. But empirical that is equally damaging as obesity and smoking. MyTown’s survey found that 87% of tenants believe
evidence shows just that: loneliness is the top fear of These different types of – and responses to - loneliness that the pandemic and community quarantine measures
young professionals today (ahead of losing their job or make it a difficult, multi-headed Hydra to tackle. have made life lonelier than before the pandemic.
their home) and a mental health issue that is as deadly A substantial 80% of tenants have felt depressed
as being a habitual smoker and more dangerous than Loneliness was seldom a concern in the pre-modern and anxious over the past year. Although these are
obesity. world as people tended to live in groups. But in the discouraging numbers, the survey also showed that
modern world, people have increasingly decided 71% of tenants believe that living in MyTown has made
Taking a page from our ancestors’ lifestyle, coliving to live alone. Indeed, the rise in relative wealth and them less lonely over the last year, up from 64% in
operators are promoting communal living as an answer the rise in single-person households are strongly 2019 before the pandemic broke out. Over 90% see
to loneliness. The answer to loneliness may be to correlated. This is due to the rise in social welfare MyTown as a “home away from home,” compared
focus not on our online social lives, but rather those states that enable people to live alone, but also to 80% in 2019.
we create offline. because of urbanisation, which requires more people
from close-knit rural communities to move to cities Finally, seven out of ten tenants believe that MyTown
A LONELINESS PRIMER that are notoriously poorly planned and seldom built cultivates an environment where they can make new
around social connectedness. More recent studies friends and connections despite the lockdowns, three
One of the earliest studies about loneliness came show that loneliness is increasingly better understood, in four tenants indicated MyTown helped increase their
relatively recently from Robert S. Weiss in 1973, which citing the importance of human connection and the awareness of mental health and two in three tenants
helped create awareness and reduce stigma around power of community. felt that MyTown helped them be more connected
the topic. His research showed that emotional and with others.
social isolation are two distinct forms of loneliness; the A PHILIPPINE CASE STUDY
former being the perceived presence of a ‘nurturing These results are the outcomes of hard and continuous
confidant’ such as a significant other, and the latter Although the Philippines has one of the lowest suicide work by MyTown to make its coliving portfolio more
‘quality friendships or family connections.’ A third rates in Asia, suicide rates have increased by over than just a collection of properties; from its tagline
form of loneliness that was added later by others is 20% locally since 2000, according to data from the (‘beyond accommodation’) and its social media handles
collective isolation, which is the perceived presence World Health Organization, making it one of the top (‘#colivingthedream’) to its mission (to structurally
of a meaningful connection with a group or social entity 20 fastest growing suicide rates globally. A Philippine “improve the quality of life of young professionals”
beyond the level of a significant other, family member study in 2013 showed that instances of depression in the Philippines) and operational innovations,
or close friends. are higher for those residing in urban areas. MyTown walks the talk around wellness.

14 15
 COMMUNAL LIVING AS A SUPPORT NETWORK #ColivingTheDream

The World Health Organization has included “social Inspired and fueled by the encouraging survey results, Everybody copes with loneliness differently, and
support networks” as a social determinant of health. MyTown is committed to continue to ease tenant the beauty of being part of a coliving community is
Single-person households’ main drawback is that loneliness, improve overall mental health and increase that one person’s strength complements another’s
participating in community activities takes more time awareness around the benefits of a coliving lifestyle. weakness. This has worked for us for centuries, and
and effort. A communal living setup can provide the With the end to the pandemic still unclear, and the seems to continue to be the most sustainable way of
best of both worlds; residents can choose privacy in threat of loneliness and other mental health concerns living.
their own space when they seek it, and participate unabated, MyTown believes that both the private and
in community activities when they feel the need for public sectors need to ensure that more direct and
human connection. accessible support systems are in place for young
professionals.
MyTown has spent significant resources over the
last decade on creating quality private micro-
condominiums, but also invested heavily in an
unparalleled range of amenities for its tenants to
create this healthy balance. In addition, MyTown has
structured its organisation to support several tenant-
facing teams that are explicitly there to keep an eye
on tenant wellbeing:
'3:-(19 has made ‘community’ more
• Tenant Engagement: this team comprises the
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VIWYPXW
go-to people for tenants. The Filipino brand of
hospitality and service is experienced firsthand
with their friendly, hands-on and extra-mile
“COVIDQEHI
assistance in all tenant concerns.
 life lonelier”

• Event Coordination: this team promotes

engagement with the community through weekly  
activities. The activities are curated based on the
current needs and interests of tenants, which are
assessed through quarterly surveys and daily
“I have felt anxiety
ERHHITVIWWMSRWMRGI
tenant interaction.
 XLI'3:-(
pandemic started”
• MyTown Ambassadors: these community “1]8S[R is my ‘home away “1]8S[R QEOIWQI
champions are MyTown tenants who take up a from home’” feel less lonely”
bigger role in the community by hosting events, 7SYVGI5ERH51]8S[R XIRERXWYVZI]W

educating prospective and new tenants on how Source: Q1 2021 and Q3 2019 MyTown tenant surveys
to make the most of the MyTown community and
sharing their experiences through social media.

JELMER IKINK - Group Director of MyTown

Jelmer Ikink established MyTown in 2012, one of the first coliving companies in the world, and is its company’s Group
Director. With over 4,800 beds in its portfolio in the Philippines as of 2021, MyTown helps young professionals achieve
work-life balance by offering a home close to work with rents starting at the cost of their typical commute, and helps
corporate clients achieve lower staff attrition and higher employee productivity with their affordable housing options.
Jelmer has a background in private equity and strategy consulting and studied law, diplomacy and international
business.

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 CATALYSING B2B
COMMUNITIES

Coliving has gone from being the ‘new kid on the block’ to a significant force within real estate in a relatively short
amount of time. Changes in global events, government policies and market trends have given this niche market
the stage to showcase its worth and why it’s here to stay. However, it is the community essence of coliving that
will determine its longevity; and as the contributors in this section will show, it is the creativity, specialisation and
innovative potential of the actors in this space that will determine its ultimate social value and sustainability.
With unique insights from Co-Liv and Frame, you will get a better understanding of where coliving is headed
and the dynamic businesses and professionals driving it forward.

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 INDUSTRY SECTOR OF CO-LIV SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS (682 RESPONDENTS)
CATALYSING B2B COMMUNITIES

INSIGHTS FROM THE LARGEST

COLIVING EVENT OF 2021
By Gui Perdrix & Virginia Scapinelli

Coliving has come a long way since its genesis. From being a relatively insignificant segment of the real estate
market to an influential force today, it is becoming clear that the right mix of market conditions and global currents are
positioning coliving closer than ever to the top. In this article, Gui Perdrix and Virginia Scapinelli of Co-Liv provide us
with a culmination of insights gathered from the Co-Liv Summit - the largest coliving event of the year - that will help all
coliving stakeholders get the most out of this booming niche and better understand where it’s headed.

HOW CO-LIV IS HELPING TO BUILD THE GLOBAL

COLIVING COMMUNITY AND WHAT INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS HAVE TO SAY

If you knew about “coliving” five years back, you were At Co-Liv, the global association of coliving
probably in the 1% who are part of the coliving industry professionals, we’ve experienced that growth too.
today. Our members increased 350% since mid-2019,
our newsletter subscribers quadrupled, we hosted
Even two years ago, coliving wasn’t mainstream: 80% 100+ events in 2020 and our inner circle team went 5 KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE GLOBAL COLIVING Insight #1: It’s about your secret sauce
of press articles mentioning coliving have been written from 4 to 45 active members, who mostly form part of COMMUNITY
only since 2019. LinkedIn posts with #coliving grew by the executive team or are official Co-Liv Ambassadors Half of the Co-Liv Summit’s participants are already
1200% during that time. in their current home country. There’s no doubt that During the Co-Liv Summit, we wanted to further active specifically in the coliving industry, while
coliving will continue to prosper. understand the current state and future needs of the other half come from adjacent industries and
Since 2019, the industry has been maturing: an entire the coliving ecosystem. With the help of one of see opportunity in the emergence of coliving.
ecosystem of operators, developers, consultants, It is in that context that we brought light to the coliving Co-Liv’s Executive Team Members, Virginia Scapinelli, The challenge ahead for both groups? Differentiation.
investors and service providers have been specialising movement with the Co-Liv Summit, a major 2-day event we asked our event attendees some key questions With many coliving players already established in
in the coliving niche. At the same time, support that brought the entire coliving industry together at the that will give you a better understanding of where the industry and new entrants coming from hospitality,
organisations have enabled this ecosystem to grow beginning of May 2021. With 70+ speakers and 800+ the coliving industry is today and what innovative student housing and other real estate sub-sectors,
more rapidly, from coliving media outlets to industry total attendees, the worldwide community of coliving opportunities still await. At Co-Liv we foresee a coliving it will be important to make your concept stand apart
awards, global (virtual) summits and local lobbying professionals gathered to exchange, learn gold rush in the coming years, and here are our 5 tips from the crowd. How to go about it? By leveraging
organisations. and connect at the Co-Liv Summit. on how to address this market along the way. your strengths and experimenting with new coliving
concepts (from the most eccentric to the low-cost
The growth of the coliving phenomena has taken over In this article, we will share key insights gathered / low-rent typologies), as well as coming up with
real estate trends list. The movement has been in a during our event which were collected from the global a unique set of services and solutions to increase
rapid growth phase and many are trying to understand Co-Liv community composed of our members, event operational excellence and user experience (from the
what coliving truly means. attendees, partners, ambassadors and wider following. most tech-enabled to the more human-centric ones).

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 Insight #2: Build a “Coliving System” Insight #3. It’s time for knowledge sharing
and networking
The coliving industry is composed of a multitude challenges and providing integrated solutions.
of actors alongside operators and real estate Integrating these services early in the process is According to our polls, the coliving ecosystem has two Other needs to address include providing operational
professionals (e.g. developers, investors and building key, and it’s clear that with such a diverse group of major demands: the availability of sector knowledge in problem-solving and help with product design and
owners). Specialised service providers, such as professionals interested in coliving, it’s going to require order to inform future strategic decisions (e.g. market user experience (e.g. architecture, customer journey,
technology platforms, architects, designers, planners a massive amount of collaboration to see the industry data, industry benchmarks, trends analysis, etc.) community building, experience design, etc.).
and consultants, are now part of the conversation reach its potential. and the need for networking opportunities as a way
and have a key role in addressing coliving’s major to detect future partners, clients and key resources.

PROFESSIONS OF CO-LIV SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS (682 RESPONDENTS) WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR ATTENDING CO-LIV’S 2021 SUMMIT? (268 RESPONDENTS)

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 Insight #4: Focus on regulations, technology WHICH CHALLENGES IN THE COLIVING SECTOR ARE HIGH-PRIORITY IN YOUR OPINION?
and community (167 RESPONDENTS)

All topics in coliving are open for discussion and Meanwhile, housing policies and urban regulations
need further development, showing how the industry is remain a big challenge for coliving developments,
still very much in a discovery phase. Technology and accompanied by the search for a viable equilibrium in
community facilitation are two subjects that are often the relationship between affordability and profitability.
on the radar, and at Co-Liv we have responded to that Deep-dive experimentations and the resulting
demand with dedicated knowledge-sharing initiatives innovations will be crucial in these fields in
with the Tech Community and the Community Manager the coming years.
Mastermind, respectively.

WHICH TOPICS INTEREST YOU THE MOST? (167 RESPONDENTS)

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 Insight #5 Build your strategy around impact IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE DRIVER OF THE COLIVING INDUSTRY?
(122 RESPONDENTS)
The industry agrees that coliving is here to stay, and as solution to that issue. However, for this movement
of today we’re just scratching the surface. New target to accelerate, a real green light from government
users could be populations such as families, single planning authorities is still outstanding and craved
parents and seniors; as a matter of fact, experiments for from the players in the industry. By bringing
in these categories already exist. Adequate housing housing units to the market, operators are helping
supply still remains a major unresolved issue for many individuals solve a primary need and this should
cities around the globe for a large variety of social be considered a social good.
groups, and coliving has proven to be a potential

DO YOU THINK COLIVING IS A NICHE PRODUCT? (122 RESPONDENTS)

KEY INSIGHTS FROM PANELS AND TALKS These demands are often referred to as the three
Cs of coliving: you come for the Cost, and you stay
More than 70 speakers, panelists and experts joined for the Convenience and the Community.
us during the Co-Liv Summit to share on the latest • For some municipalities, coliving is an essential
state, health and needs of the coliving industry. tool for achieving affordable housing requirements.
Out of all the talks and panels, we gathered some • “Coliving is not only a solution for young
key insights that stood out and summarised some millennials, but for people at every stage of their
key statements. lives. In recent years, the cities of New York, Paris
and London have evolved their definition of quality
Where is coliving today? housing to account for shared living and flexible
leases.” – Claire Flurin, Head of R&D at Keys AM
• Institutions being involved in coliving is what and Co-Founder of Co-Liv.
makes this a sector of its own right, giving it the • “25 million Americans live with roommates, yet this
opportunity to become a real force. Coliving is here demographic is under-addressed by those who
to stay and its popularity is starting to influence build and rent apartments” – Brad Hargreaves,
adjacent industries at a high rate. CEO, Common
• 899,000 people annually are looking for roommate • “It was just shocking to me that housing, which
housing in the USA. Investment committees need is a fundamental need for every person in the
to understand that coliving isn’t a fad, but rather world, is being so poorly provided for. There
a new way of living that younger generations hasn’t been a need to innovate because space
are demanding. Both the real estate industry is always scarce, but if you approach it from a
and consumers themselves are now looking at customer point of view, then we are scratching
residential units as a consumer product. the surface in terms of the amount of evolution
• The main drivers for coliving are affordability, and innovation around how housing is provided.”
convenience (e.g. enhanced UX), loneliness – Reza Merchant, Chairman, The Collective
and flexibility (e.g. flexible lease terms).

26 27
 What’s next in coliving? Quarters in the United States and their European
business acquired by Habyt), the coliving scene is
• “Coliving needs to adopt an evidence-based still in an exploration phase, in which operators are
approach where its benefits to society need to working to gain long-term stability in their financial,
be proven through data. Key indicators that can legal, experience and product verticals. Overall,
be used are: net promoter scores, percentage we saw that coliving has now secured a stable
of residents reporting improved work and living position within the real estate scene, yet is still in
conditions in coliving, overall housing cost burden the early stages of professionalisation and industry
and percentage of residents reporting improved consolidation.
social life and less isolation. This approach is not
limited to coliving.” – Claire Flurin, Head of R&D at The next decade will be about the other players that
Keys AM and Co-Founder of Co-Liv. have until now been waiting and watching. Actors
• “Coliving needs to set real ambitious affordability from adjacent segments like student housing, senior
goals. At this moment in time, the overall housing housing, build to rent, coworking and hospitality are
cost burden in large French cities for shared living now taking a closer look at coliving and pondering
spaces (including roomating) is almost always their next move. The wide array of coliving’s possible
greater than 45%, far beyond than the accepted variations across the residential vs. hotel spectrum
30% of rent burdenment.” – Claire Flurin, Head of is huge and gives plenty of room for creativity and
R&D at Keys AM and Co-Founder of Co-Liv. specialisation. Investors are ready, specialised service
• The future of affordable living will include shared providers are flourishing and user demand is massive
ownership options. and growing every day.
• Coliving has the opportunity to shift from a
temporary (few months only) and obligated We at Co-Liv have seen the growth of the global
(cheaper and easy to book) lifestyle to an coliving industry and strongly believe in a big future, GUI PERDRIX - Director at Co-Liv
intentional way of living (long-term and life- but the path still needs to be paved. If you want to join
Gui is the director of Co-Liv and author of the Art of Coliving method. Having been a coliving operator in the past,
enhancing). our organisation and grow the coliving movement with
he specialised in building out the coliving ecosystem with Co-Liv, Coliving Insights and Art of Co in the last years.
• Coliving is the blurring of lines between hospitality us, please get in touch! At Co-Liv, Gui drives the organisation to new heights, having led its recent growth since becoming director in 2020.
and residential. It’s not just about the bricks and
mortar, it’s about a way of living. You’ve missed the Co-Liv Summit?
• Common operates only half of its units as
coliving, while the remaining ones are operated No panic, you can still:
as multifamily. Coliving is seen as a unit typology Download the Co-Liv Summit Report VIRGINIA SCAPINELLI - Real Estate Advisor, Executive Team Member at Co-Liv
within build-to-rent. This way, coliving is an entry Listen to key Spotlight Talks
Virginia is passionate about analysing social trends and lifestyles and anticipating how these will translate into new
point into a high-quality building or residential Buy the Recordings (15+ hours of content)
space usages and business models. With a mixed background in architecture and consulting, Virginia has helped
area. major real estate groups in the creation of innovative concepts, including coworking and coliving brands.

CONCLUSION

After a decade of experiments, trials and errors,

we now (pretty much) agree on what coliving is –
and this new kid on the block has passed its tipping
point. A bunch of brave entrepreneurs that believed in
the movement back in the early 2010s are now major ABOUT CO-LIV - THE LEADING ASSOCIATION OF COLIVING PROFESSIONALS
industry leaders and are right in the spotlight.
Their advantage: having demonstrated a functional Co-Liv is an international non-profit association dedicated to growing the coliving movement.
business model and after a few bumps in the road, With a team of 50+ representatives throughout the world, 500+ active members and 100+ events
capital has warmed up to the idea and is starting to per year, Co-Liv has been catalysing the coliving industry through its content, research and initiatives
flow into the industry as never seen before. since 2016. Co-Liv is one of our Think Tank Partners and has been collaborating on multiple editions
of Coliving Insights and was the Event Partner for Coliving Awards 2021. Join the widest network of
However, as we’ve recently seen with major coliving professionals as a member or partner today.
acquisitions (such as Ollie by Starcity, followed with
Starcity by Common) and bankruptcies (such as

28 29
 CATALYSING B2B COMMUNITIES

TAPPING INTO FRAME’S DESIGN

COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT MARKET 
CONSOLIDATION, INNOVATION
AND SUSTAINABILITY
An interview with Leah Heaton-Jones

Frame is dedicated to exploring what’s next in spatial design and is always on the lookout for what’s happening on
the cusp of innovation and creativity in the design sector. They believe that better spaces lead to better lives, and
if interiors help us to work, shop, relax and live better, they will make us happier and healthier. We could not agree
more and this is why we have established a Think Tank Partnership with Frame, in order to merge the best of the
design world with the best of the coliving world. Our aim is to showcase Frame and their curated community of design
experts to our coliving audience and get some insights into the latest and greatest of design innovation along the
way. In this interview we speak with Frame’s Head of Brand, Leah Heaton-Jones, to learn more about their design
community and hear their thoughts on the latest design innovations when it comes to shared living and housing.

Established in 1997 and headquartered in You publish bi-monthly future-facing print

Amsterdam, Frame is a global platform for all publications that comprehensively guide your
professional members of and stakeholders in the audience through what is driving the spatial design
spatial design industry. How have you been able industry today. What kind of innovations and
to grow this community and audience to what it is insights are you looking for from your contributors
now and how does Frame differentiate itself from and how do you decide on who to showcase
other design platforms?  throughout your platforms? 

Frame’s legacy means that many of our community We look for innovative projects that push the
members have been with us for years. Our history is boundaries of spatial design as we know it.
in print, but we are driving the brand towards a digital- Whether it’s in work, hospitality, living, retail, shows
first future, growing our community along with that or institutional design, we’re on the lookout for the
by opening up to new and different audiences. people and projects that drive the industry forward
Our vision is to evolve Frame into a platform that by responding to today’s challenges, while keeping
serves the entire scope of stakeholders within the their eyes on the future. It could be an innovative pop-
spatial design industry, across all sectors, and up store utilising sustainable materials and design
empowering them with the inspiration they need for practices, or a thought-leading studio hypothesising
their next project, tools for learning and upskilling, the future of housing. It’s in Frame’s DNA to always
as well as access to each other for connection and be exploring the next space, and our platform exists
collaboration. to amplify the thinkers and makers behind these
creations.

30 31
 Frame believes that “spatial excellence results Coliving Insights and our partners are all about
from visionary clients working with talented helping consolidate the coliving sector and
designers and the best makers”. Therefore, you showcasing best practices and benchmarks to
aim to connect these stakeholders with each other, push the industry towards innovation and impact.
inspire and educate them. What kind of activities That said, we understand the importance of
and initiatives are Frame organising for your sustainable, future-facing and innovative design
community and is there anything exciting in the to ensure that coliving spaces are impact-driven
works?  and support the wellbeing of generations to come.
How do you see the role of Frame within the
We are always working to bring these three key coliving sector and how are you supporting these
stakeholders together through our content, events innovations yourselves? 
and digital strategy. Our newly redesigned website
includes a comprehensive taxonomy of content that Coliving is undeniably a burgeoning market segment
is searchable via typology, location, designer, year with opportunities for exponential growth. It clearly
of build, brand, colour and material. We’ve also addresses many of the current issues faced by
introduced a brand-new insights section focusing younger generations today, meanwhile providing a
on the business of design offered through expert solution to the urban living crisis, making city living
intelligence, market data and analysis. Behind the more affordable. Coliving intelligently responds to the
scenes, we are developing a soon-to-be launched loneliness epidemic through hosting a community and
membership programme, providing our members with network of people, ensuring that residents feel part of
exclusive, professional and high-value editorial content a ready-made neighbourhood. For today’s sustainably
such as masterclasses, workshops, market insights conscious youth, for whom owning less stuff is more
and analysis, as well as opportunities to connect with important than the traditional material symbols of
each other in the digital sphere and in-person at our success, it’s a great way to share resources and foster
events. more collaborative communities. At Frame, we want to
highlight these projects and drivers by participating in
the discourse of the future of this sector through our
content and events.

“Scaleable, economical, on-demand and site-specific”:

this is how the Frame Awards jury described coliving
complex Flatmates, by furniture and architectural
design studio Cutwork, who walked home with last
year’s Innovation Award just before the pandemic hit
this part of the world. This project really showcases
the impact that sustainable manufacturing techniques
can have on the housing economy, especially when it
comes to creating key moments of sociability. It’s both
affordable and scalable, and a project that Frame is
particularly fond of.

Coliving is a subcategory of its own within the spatial

design segment for the Frame Awards. Projects can
be submitted via our website throughout the entire
year with the annual awards ceremony taking place
in October, revealing the ultimate winners from each
category. We aim to set the standard in the spatial
design industry and bring the most innovative projects
to the forefront by celebrating these creations and the
people behind them.

32 33
 Lastly, what do you see as the benefits of
partnering with Coliving Insights and what are
you looking forward to in the coliving sector?
What do you think is needed within the coliving
sector to ensure its sustainable growth and
consolidation in the next few years / decades? 

Coliving Insights is fast becoming the leading voice in

the coliving industry, and we are glad to be partnering
to bring mutual benefits to both our communities.
We invite the stakeholders and audience members
of Coliving Insights to visit, read and become part
of the broader Frame community, which consists of
stakeholders not only within the living sector, but in
retail, hospitality, work, shows and institutions too.
We want to encourage co-creation and collaboration
within our community and feel there is ample
opportunity for interesting meetings, discussions
and new ideas to generate from this partnership.
We believe that coliving will certainly evolve, but for
me personally, the most exciting part of that lies in the
potential within the communities that occupy these
spaces.

LEAH HEATON-JONES - Head of Brand at Frame

Leah Heaton-Jones is a brand, content and communications strategist working at the intersection of culture and
digital technology. Connecting people and ideas within spatial design, she is experienced in the work, living and tech
sectors respectively, and has collaborated with the likes of Spaces, The Student Hotel, Orgatec, Design Post Köln,
Sonos and Bolon. As Frame’s Head of Brand, Leah is a key part of the 25-year-old publishing house’s strategic team,
focused on driving the company towards a digital-first future.

ABOUT FRAME
Frame is the world’s leading spatial design media brand and network. With over 20 years of
experience in the industry, Frame has today become a B2B tool and media platform that connects
makers, creators and clients with each other to create spatial excellence. Whether through its
interactive events, digital content, bimonthly print magazine or creative consultancy services,
Frame holds true to its vision that meaningful places enable people to work, shop, relax and
live better, making them healthier and happier.

34 35
 COLIVING VENTURES

COLIVING VENTURES IS THE Invest

with us
WORLD’S FIRST VENTURE
DEDICATED TO ACCELERATING
THE GROWTH AND CONSOLIDATION
OF COLIVING

Coliving Ventures is a platform dedicated to With the release of Coliving Insights N°6,
encouraging innovation, sustainable business the Coliving Awards x Coliving Insights Special Edition,
development and impactful growth within a Coronavirus Information Center and a successful first
Partner
the coliving industry. edition of Coliving Awards 2021, our portfolio projects
are starting to get beyond validation stage and into full with us
Through powerful and strategic partnerships within scaling phase. We have successfully built out a hyper-
the shared living scene, we build and (co-)manage niche audience and community of coliving companies
ventures that aim to positively impact the consolidation and specialist real estate professionals who are
of coliving as a sustainable and scalable asset class. seeking to redefine the way we live for years to come.
Our different ventures – including Coliving Insights
and Coliving Awards – are tailored to meet the Coliving Ventures is currently seeking investors and
demands of fast-growing specialist real estate asset strategic partners to help take us and our portfolio
classes. From research, product and business companies to new heights, in order to help consolidate
development to award ceremonies, we focus on the shared living sector as a sustainable and
bringing the most innovative and brightest minds innovative global housing solution.
together to inspire a new generation of real estate
and shared living professionals.

COLIVINGVENTURES.COM
36 37
 USING DESIGN THINKING
TO BUILD THRIVING
COLIVING COMMUNITIES

We might tend to think of community in coliving as something that naturally emerges out of an extended repetition of
human interactions within a space. But what is often neglected is that there is a web of strategic configurations that
go into envisioning the community, understanding its users (and external stakeholders) and tactically designing a
human-centered experience along the way. Thanks to the insights of Co-Living Spaces, Spatial Experience and
Art of Co, you will be taken through this very journey and what is needed to create and grow a thriving coliving
community using design thinking approaches.

38 39
 was focusing on quick, cheap and easy to roll
USING DESIGN THINKING TO BUILD out techniques. Two of the key methods we use

THRIVING COLIVING COMMUNITIES are unmoderated user surveys sent via email and
moderated user interviews, which these days are
conducted over Zoom. By utilising these simple
techniques landlords and coliving operators can
better understand the customer and spot opportunities
USING SERVICE DESIGN THINKING to improve their community service.

TO BUILD A COLIVING COMMUNITY An example of utilising research to inform service

By Stuart Scott design is in our coworking spaces. Every year we run
customer research to gather data looking for changes
to customer needs. Several years ago we spotted that
many of our tenants worked from home 1 or 2 days
per week. Although in some cases we provide desks
Building a genuine coliving community is by no means a straightforward process; it requires attention to detail and
in the bedroom, this is not ideal for long periods of
a constantly evolving process that puts the needs of the consumer at the center. In this piece, Stuart Scott of
work. As an experiment, we created a dedicated
Co-Living Spaces & The Co-Living Revolution tells us about an effective, human-centered approach to community
coworking room to see how the space was used.
building called service design thinking. With deep research to gain insights into your consumer, continual ideation,
After the success of our first coworking space many
prototyping and a perpetual fine-tuning of the customer journey, he explains how service design truly serves as
years ago we have rolled them out to other sites
a blueprint for optimising your community coliving experience.
and had positive feedback from those who value
a dedicated work space away from the main
community space in the building.
In the UK the shared living market has changed. No is affected by online customer reviews and there is
longer can landlords push outdated HMO’s and expect an emphasis on giving the best possible experience The way we work is changing and post pandemic
their rooms to fill. Coliving represents a seismic shift in for their stay to receive a positive review. The more we will see more people moving to a flexible work
customer-focused design. This new battle ground is positive reviews a hotel accumulates, the greater the arrangement. This human-centered design approach
no longer about product; it now encompases the entire enquiries and revenue as others look for social proof allowed us to spot an emerging trend that our research
customer experience and coliving community. as part of their buying habits. flagged up, we created a coworking prototype, ran an
experiment, analysed the data then rolled out further
Building a thriving and engaged community requires Given this focus on customer measurement and its refined versions across the community. This same
design thinking spanning several disciplines. impact on sales, hotels continually improve service process is used across both product and operations
As a developer and operator, Co-Living Spaces and refine every aspect of the customer journey no teams to create new services and facilities that benefit
uses a mix of both environmental space design and matter how small. This mix of concierge support, the customer.
service design thinking to drive innovation within our digital onboarding, fast maintenance, technology
end-to-end customer experience. Unlike traditional and design is directly transferable to coliving when UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
interior design, service design is a holistic approach looking to improve the overall customer experience.
that blends both the physical space and customer- Within service design we look to identify all the
centered insight. When developing coliving we use BECOMING HUMAN CENTERED touchpoints on the customer’s journey. We all interact
service design thinking to ensure that every part of with brands every day, however, we may not be aware
the customer journey is optimised to help enable One of the first stages of service design is to of all the small touchpoints that happen along the way.
a community to form. Once developments are understand the customer and use empathy to design Every one of these touchpoints affects our experience
completed they are then handed over to our in-house a product and service that is genuinely useful. We of the brand or product. The important takeaway
operations team and our community managers take are looking to achieve a deep understanding of the here is that ‘experience’ is not exclusively the product
over onboarding housemates and facilitating the customer journey and how they interact with our but the whole end-to-end customer experience.
community. coliving brand. Unlike traditional HMO landlords who This encompasses brand, marketing, product,
view tenants as a problem, coliving brands are putting operations and service.
LEARNINGS FROM THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR the customer first and building long-term relationships.
Providing an amazing customer experience is a
As owners and operators of several boutique hotels on To gather insight we gather customer research. great way to differentiate your coliving communities
the South Coast of the UK, we transfer many learnings Back in my days heading up innovation teams, from the competition. Customers will no longer just
across to coliving. In the hotel industry occupancy our preferred method for gathering information compare your coliving brand on price and finish but

40 41
 on service and community experience. You need to to cafes transformed into night time wine bars.
think of customer experience as part of your overall This adaptability in the commercial world leads to
brand experience. Customers will build affinity to your increased revenue and higher footfall. Technology
brand through a variety of touchpoints on their journey. and modular construction allows you to create spaces
Your ability to delight at every stage of this journey is a that can be personalised in layout by your customer.
game changer in building a tribe of happy customers. With more people moving to urban centres, multi-use
space design incorporates diversity, making buildings
A good example of refining the customer journey is the sustainable for the future. Single-use spaces are
work we do to improve the onboarding of housemates becoming a thing of the past!
into a coliving community. By analysing every stage of
the journey we were able to utilise technology to create Our coworking hubs perfectly demonstrate multi-use
a 6-step system of onboarding that helps introduce design. During the day these spaces – which include
new housemates and orientate them to their new large workshop tables, private work pods and large
surroundings. Our 6-step onboarding system monitors – can be used for coworking.
consists of the following: During breakfast, lunch and dinner these same
spaces provide overflow dining or serve as an
1. Seamless tenancy document setup, additional breakout space with monitors that become
2. Introduction to other housemates, TV’s. By providing multi-use spaces, housemates
3. Top tips on the local area and amenities, get more opportunities for community interaction
4. Tour of the property, and the ability to personalise their coliving experience.
5. Welcome pack and
6. Onboarding into the community group app. THE PROTOTYPING MINDSET

This constant refining of our operations process leads At Co-Living Spaces we regularly run a whole range
to a better customer experience. of experiments across both product and service.
An experiment can be anything from a new stage
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN AND IDEATION of onboarding or event ideas to coworking pods
and digital apps. Early feedback will inform how
Fresh ideas are the lifeblood of any business: they future versions are designed and the effect it has on
can propel you to the top of the market and add customer satisfaction. These early experiments test
rocket fuel to growth. Customer insight will provide your initial assumptions and uncover insights that
validation; however, it’s our job to come up with new are sometimes unexpected. We call this approach
ideas. We call the process of creating new ideas ‘prototyping’. Prototyping is a powerful tool we use
‘ideation’, however it can sometimes be referred to as that allows us to experiment with new ideas to build
‘brainstorming’. It is one of the most exciting stages a community, engage with the customer and
of the creative process and its aim is to come up with constantly evolve our service.
large quantities of new ideas that can be filtered down
to the best ones that have an impact on the customer BRAND EXPERIENCE
journey. Using service design principles, this process
incorporates customer insight by a team made up The reason we became an operator and set up our
of diverse backgrounds. It is this collaboration and own coliving operations agency was that there was no
insight that allows us to synthesise a broad range of one offering a good service in our area of the UK.
concepts, uncover new angles, incorporate different We wanted to ensure our customers received an
perspectives and come up with unconventional amazing end-to-end customer journey. Given that
business ideas. we are developing the end product it made sense to
connect both product and service for a more holistic
A good example of our ideation is our concept approach to service design. There is no point creating
of multi-use community spaces. Customers are a great product if the experience is bad. This is why
looking for spaces that are flexible and adaptable Apple created Apple stores and Genius Bars to control
to accommodate their needs. The basic principles all the touch points of the customer journey. Our focus
of multi-use space can be seen all around us, from is not on getting ‘x’ number of new leads per month,
event venues being transformed into fitness spaces it is on how we can come up with new ways to delight

42 43
 the end customer. This human-centred approach
has led to us getting high numbers of referrals for
upcoming coliving projects and delivering beyond
the customer expectation.

Our operations agency is made up of community

managers, admin support and virtual assistants.
Community managers organise a range of community
events such as pizza nights, games nights, takeaway
nights and interactive competitions with prizes.
We regularly share promotions and discounts to the
community on relevant services such as running clubs,
gyms, bootcamps and car clubs. In many cases we
have negotiated discounts that are passed onto the
housemates. We operate a decentralised community
model across the South East of the UK. All of our
smaller coliving communities are interconnected
and the community manager can arrange for any
housemate to seamlessly transfer to another coliving
space based on facilities, interests or location.

COMMUNITY EVOLUTION

The last decade has seen a huge shift in both

customer requirements and the evolution of the shared
living product. As developers and operators we
need to have one eye on the future to spot emerging
customer trends. Your coliving service needs to evolve
and adapt with every project to stay ahead of the
curve! It is easy to think of coliving as larger purpose
built shared living (PBSL) developments, however as
the market matures, smaller coliving schemes of 6-20
STUART SCOTT - Founder of Co-Living Spaces & The Co-Living Revolution
units offer great flexibility with smaller communities
and wider distribution across cities.
Stuart Scott is a multi-award winning innovator who has helped pioneer coliving in the UK HMO market since 2014.
Prior to working in the property sector, he headed up innovation teams designing products and experiences for
When utilising service design to build a community some of the world’s biggest brands including Porsche, Microsoft, GAP, Nike, Aardman, Tom Dixon and Penguin
we are able to design products and services that help Random House. Stuart has built and sold a number of businesses including a creative agency and a product design
company.
bring people together, foster collaboration and build
relationships. It is this human-centered approach
that constantly drives the evolution of community
within coliving. Communities of the future will be very
different to the ones of today; however, it is our job to
continually explore the possibilities and experiment
with new ways to improve our housemates’ experience.
Coliving offers an amazing opportunity to redefine ABOUT CO-LIVING SPACES & THE CO-LIVING REVOLUTION
urban living and make a positive impact on people’s
lives, and Co-Living Spaces is using human-centered Co-Living Spaces is a development company working with investors and joint venture partners across
spatial and service design approaches to support this the South Coast of the UK. The Co-Living Revolution is the UK’s largest Co-Living HMO training
housing evolution. provider designed and delivered by innovators in the space. Our training and mentoring is designed
to give landlords the edge in a competitive market.

44 45
 Envisioning and defining a future coliving community
USING DESIGN THINKING TO BUILD consists of understanding who you want to attract, and

THRIVING COLIVING COMMUNITIES identifying their needs, objectives, goals, preferences

and nuances. This phase requires in-depth research
which will allow for data-driven decision-making during
the pivotal stage of concept development.

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY After the ideation of the desired community ecosystem,

TO BUILD A THRIVING it is crucial to identify the full spectrum of stakeholders

that will be involved in its nurturing and growth phases.
COLIVING BRAND This is the time to form strategic partnerships that will
support, enhance and elevate the coliving business
By Aitana de Jong
to its maximum potential. Investors, asset managers,
planning authorities, local communities, developers,
architects, designers, operators, technology providers,
Building a community requires a holistic design thinking approach. This includes getting all the stakeholders suppliers, etc.; a well defined stakeholder matrix will
around the table and developing both B2B and B2C strategies for your coliving concept. In this article, lay the foundation for your coliving concept to thrive.
Aitana de Jong, Managing Partner at Spatial Experience, breaks down their hassle-free 360 degree approach
to supporting the emergence and flourishing of shared living communities. They take us through their 5-step When creating a network of partners, a coliving
method of building specialist real estate concepts and brands, and the importance of a thorough stakeholder business is in fact building its B2B community. The
-driven approach along the way. importance of developing and aligning a complete
stakeholder community in coliving may often be
overlooked in the industry. Neglecting the purposeful
WHY COLIVING BUSINESSES NEED A STRONG SPATIAL EXPERIENCE’S BUSINESS + COMMUNITY building of a B2B community will decelerate the
STAKEHOLDER MATRIX TO CREATE ENGAGED DEVELOPMENT APPROACH development of a thriving B2C community and the
COMMUNITIES AND RECOGNISABLE BRANDS creation and maintenance of a sustainable business.
Developing and building a coliving concept that is Strategic connections will strengthen a business and
In our lively coliving arena we often debate about how able to foster genuine communities and achieve its brand’s efforts, driving stability and amplifying
community is intrinsic to the concept of coliving and scalable growth requires a tailored strategy from opportunities. It takes a community of stakeholders to
we continuously highlight the importance of building the very beginning. It is fundamental to understand build an outstanding coliving brand, so once partners
community to create authentic and sustainable that the essence of coliving is the community, even understand and take an active role in the inception
businesses. However, we may not have been given before the first brick is laid. One of the first aspects and fostering of their B2B community, creating a
enough attention to the importance of starting to build that may support the initiation and facilitation of a community amongst residents becomes much easier,
community even before onboarding the first resident. community in coliving is properly understanding and and a higher value is added to the product and brand
defining the product. Once the context of the market experience overall. Stakeholders – and shareholders
Residents are one of the most important stakeholders and its business opportunities are identified, the next – need to be embedded in the community itself and,
in coliving, but building community must go beyond logical step is to define the positioning of the coliving most importantly, they must understand its identity.
that dimension. Community needs to be integrated concept. At this stage, the coliving identity is born,
into every aspect and encouraged by each individual and alongside it, its brand in its full spectrum. When We can conclude that the foundation of any coliving
involved in building a coliving company. Easier said developing a coliving brand, the first step should be business lies in the initial B2B community and the
than done: embedding community into business understanding, envisioning and defining the industry consolidation of strategic alliances that understand
DNA is an overarching process which necessarily and market context as well as the ecosystem that the necessary processes to building, facilitating and
permeates B2B and B2C dimensions. Focusing will accomodate a genuine community; the feeling, empowering a genuine community.
solely on residents when establishing, growing atmosphere, essence, promise and ethos that it should
and maintaining a coliving business can create a evoke. The community is formed by individuals – And what if a coliving space is already up and
misalignment of purpose among stakeholders. groups of individuals – but also other stakeholders running but the community does not feel engaged?
(e.g. companies, global and local organisations, Operators can struggle with understanding how to
So one might ask: “how can we approach community among others) that have something in common or spark a sense of community and give support in a
building in a way that involves all coliving stakeholders are trying to solve greater societal challenges. Being way that fosters organic growth. It can be a challenge
– both B2B and B2C – in the process”? very clear from the beginning about what the common to inspire residents to collaborate, interact with each
thread of the community in making is will set the path other and the space, join events or learn how to solve
for the rest of the process. conflicts. Scaling community through technology

46 47
 and growing without losing touch with members are ensures a higher probability of sustainable and 1. Envisioning increasing the company’s value through generating
also issues faced by coliving businesses. Activating durable success. Understanding the need to guide lifetime assets that will serve future stakeholders.
and facilitating community in an already established our partners and clients through the process, we have This phase encompasses one of the most crucial This phase takes a hands-on approach to designing,
coliving company requires strategic re-alignment on defined a clear method that can be applied to multiple moments in the creation and emergence of a new developing and implementing the needed tools to
the business stakeholders level. Once again, the B2B cases. In essence, it ensures all stakeholders involved business. Here is where we dig deep and ask the deploy the business brand and concept.
community has the responsibility and capability to are consciously partaking in the roll-out of the venture difficult questions. We go through a process of By defining experiential touchpoints – both on a
understand and regulate certain elements that can from its very beginning. envisioning the experience of the new concept to be. B2B and B2C level – we are able to determine and
positively influence the emergence and organic Envisioning is a phase dedicated to understanding design the different mediums where the brand will
growth of a unique coliving concept. Deeply rooted in design thinking, growth driven design the context of the current situation and exploring the communicate and interact with its stakeholders. From
and enhanced with know-how and business intel potential of ‘the idea’ our partners come to us with. collaborating with architects, interior designers and
SPX’S METHODOLOGY TO BUILDING COLIVING baggage, SPX’s method consists of three phases: It is the moment to align all stakeholders, keeping space programmers, to defining marketing channels
CONCEPTS & BRANDS THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH understand, explore and materialise. Each phase in mind their objectives, and visualising how they fit and online platforms, or elaborating on operational
ITS SPECTRUM OF STAKEHOLDERS emphasises the objective of building unique, thriving within the intrinsic process of creating a new concept best practices that can elevate the experience and
and sustainable coliving concepts and brands in – or enhancing an existing one. During this phase potentially encourage sustainability among the
Creating a thriving community on any level (business concert with community on every level of the business. the focus is set to put into perspective what the communities; this phase puts to use all the materials
level, resident level, neighbourhood level) requires Within those three phases there are five strategic steps business stakeholders are about to create – through needed in order to fully support the emergence or
a methodology. Jumping into the water with no clear that start from Envisioning and Concepting, go through market research, analysis of current and upcoming repositioning of a coliving brand.
goals, lack of experience or fundamental knowledge Development, Deployment and Marketing, and end trends as well as examination of internal and external
can lead to frustrations, misalignments, lower ROI’s with Updates to stay relevant in the competitive and forces. Only then is it possible to start ideating the 4. Brand Deployment & Marketing
and fragmented results in the long term. Applying dynamically evolving specialist real estate sector. strategies that will shape the path for development
a contextual framework to building communities and materialisation, its positioning and quintessential This stage reveals the moment of truth. After thorough
identity, defining the opportunities and identifying preparations and having fine-tuned all touchpoints,
what is unique about the place that will attract new the brand is ready to be demonstrated to the world.
residents, partners and other business stakeholders. This phase encompassess all activities and efforts
At the end of this phase, a clear understanding of the related to communicating with the various stakeholders
goals is attained and by contextualising the idea its of the coliving business: revealing the (new) concept
opportunities emerge. Here is where the (new) coliving online, gathering interest from your future residents,
brand starts to exist. initiating the sense of community and belonging and
attracting relevant partners to enhance and elevate
2. Concepting the product, among others. All assets developed and
deployed are being put into practice, utilised and, in
Similar to engineering work, this phase focuses the future, repurposed to meet the brand and business
on designing the identity of the new concept and objectives.
prototyping its mechanisms. Put in straightforward
language: this process covers all aspects that 5. Updates
define the brand, from its visual language, to
brand alignment with architects and designers Long-term success is substantially determined by
and campaign strategies. Overarching, as well the ability to adapt and evolve. It involves continuous
as dedicated strategies are developed in order to monitoring and testing on how the product is being
ensure a smoothless execution later in the process. received and experienced by the larger spectrum
Following the outcomes of the previous phase, such of stakeholders (from potential residents, to brand
as brand opportunities and initial assumptions on ambassadors). This is the moment to assess whether
target personas (and community personas), we can the on-premises community, together with the B2B
craft brand systems and assets, define experiential community, is thriving or if it needs to be supported
touchpoints and the toolsets needed in order to bring by any further facilitating tools or processes. A brand
the concept to reality. and the community around it are a living organism,
so gathering feedback, fine-tuning and adjustinging
3. Development accordingly are part of a relentless maintenance
process. Most specifically, to uphold a thriving
Developing and deploying all the brand assets is one community one may facilitate and guide but never
of the most time-consuming, but also a legitimately impose.
valuable point in the process, as it contributes to

48 49
 It is the responsibility of operators and other partners HASSLE-FREE 360 DEGREE SOLUTION
involved to consciously listen and fine-tune to foster
an authentic community that relates to and engages From conceptualisation to complete design and final
with the built environment. Similarly to the flower that realisation, at Spatial Experience we make it our
needs water and nutrients to bloom, the community mission to elevate coliving businesses from envisioning
building process, rooted in the brand, is a continuous to updates phase, creating impactful moments of
loop of nurturing, supporting and empowering. truth, turning every touch point of the stakeholder’s
In some cases, there might be such a major shift in journey into a change-making experience. We work
priorities and context that an update actually turns closely with our clients and partners to help bring their
into a new strategic development cycle – time for concepts to life, while ensuring that they are feeling
envisioning a new reality. positive about the brand and their desire to create and
offer it to their key stakeholders. We assist, advise and
KEY TAKEAWAYS manage their business growth, making sure to deliver
high quality services combined with a solution-driven
Crafting a brand for or around communities ensures attitude in every step of our partnership.
long-term engagement, better positioning and
creates loyal residents as long as each and every If you are starting your coliving business and in need
touchpoint provides unique on-brand experiences of comprehensive expert support or if you are already
for all stakeholders involved – from your community an established coliving company looking to realign
of investors, to employees, to residents, to your business and brand strategy, reach out to Spatial
neighbourhoods, both offline and online. A human- Experience and find out how we can support you in
centric approach to community building always starts reaching your goals.
with a deep understanding of the audience and their
needs. That is why creating a stakeholder matrix and
defining the expectations of these stakeholders is one
of the first steps in the community building endeavour.

Activating a community, or stimulating an existing

one, is not an effortless process. Without relevant
experience and knowledge, it can be a journey full
AITANA DE JONG - Managing Partner at Spatial Experience
of hurdles, disappointments and poor investment
decisions. Thankfully, there are many niche-oriented Aitana is an innate creative thinker, detail-oriented and dedicated professional. She is the Managing Partner of
free resources, insightful books and coliving- Spatial Experience and Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Coliving Ventures. Her contributions in various initiatives
within the coliving industry –such as Coliving Insights and Coliving Awards – are fuelling the sector with innovative
specialised organisations to guide and support
ideas, focus and strategic thinking.
throughout the process.

Going alone into a dark forest without a compass is

risky; it takes a community to build a solid business
and brand. By giving profound meaning to company
ABOUT SPATIAL EXPERIENCE
endeavours and consciously defining your brand
positioning, partners and other company stakeholders
Spatial Experience (SPX) is an innovation hub for emerging real estate, working in the intersection
will join the journey in crafting a thriving ecosystem
of design, technology and research to shape the future of living. Through a 360 degree approach,
for a community to bloom and prevail; a community
SPX drives impact in real estate by the work of its three pillars: SPX Agency, which provides branding
of B2B coliving enthusiasts that advocate for the
and marketing creative solutions to support real estate brands; SPX Lab, a research and development
common vision and mission, are aligned on the
platform to explore future development; and SPX Studio, a start-up studio bridging the digital and real
strategic process and who will ensure the stability
world through scalable solutions. As founding partner of Coliving Ventures and its initiatives (Coliving
and growth of business.
Insights & Coliving Awards), SPX contributes to the sustainable development of future-proof living
solutions. Spatial Experience brings creativity and innovation to emerging real estate sectors with one
goal in mind: designing purposeful spaces that enable multidimensional human-to-human interactions.

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 While in the last Coliving Insights article I shared how 2. Curation: once the lead comes in, there is a
USING DESIGN THINKING TO BUILD technology can help with creating systems, I am today validation process to go through, especially in

THRIVING COLIVING COMMUNITIES going to have a bigger-picture look at the overall ‘user more intentional or interest-based communities,
flow’ of coliving residents. I will share with you each whereby a vetting and interview process takes
stage they’re going through, and what type of user place.
touch points you can create which will enable new
residents to be integrated within existing communities 3. Onboarding: once the new resident is accepted
UNDERSTANDING USER – and existing communities to have the right processes and pays, the onboarding phase begins even

COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE to remain healthy. before the resident is settled in, onboarding them
into the rules, culture and technology used in
By Gui Perdrix THE 7 COLIVING RESIDENT STAGES the space.

In 2020, I co-authored a book with Matt Lesniak and 4. Integration: this is one of the most crucial parts,
Naima Ritter from Conscious Coliving, alongside a namely the first weeks upon arrival, whereby the
dozen community builders, called The Community resident gets integrated within the community,
Facilitation Handbook, where we showcased the 7 its activities and culture.
Achieving scale is certainly an exciting prospect; however, reaching that scale does not come without its unintended stages of the coliving experience. In an ideal case
compromises. It is crucial to stay locked in on those elements that not only keep a community intact, but perpetually scenario, the longer a resident stays, the more 5. Communal Life: most of the resident experience
improve upon the community-building process as you include more and more members to it. In this piece, committed they will be to the space – but that can only is happening at this stage, where the resident
Gui Perdrix, Founder of Art of Co & Director at Co-Liv, offers 10 best practices for integrating new residents happen if the right experience has been created from really experiences the core essence of coliving.
into the coliving communal experience. the start.
6. Offboarding: prior to departure, the resident gets
Let’s first get an understanding of what each stage special attention and thanks for their stay, and is
represents: being offboarded from the community.

A STAGE-BY-STAGE APPROACH TO MASTER THE “At the beginning, the house was filled with high- 1. Discovery: this is the moment where coliving 7. After-Life: some coliving residents can remain
HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES WHILE SCALING UP quality people who aligned with our brand. Then, we residents discover your space, usually through involved even after they moved out, by being
started accepting anyone because we had to fill it social media and Google searches, and end up invited to events or being subscribed to
There are two approaches to running coliving spaces. up, and now the culture is gone: we’re having a lot on your page to apply. newsletters.
of young, inexperienced residents who create lots of
For the majority of operators, their growth and conflict and tension, and we don’t know how to go
development happened organically: they open a small back.” COMMUNITY COMMITMENT CURVE
project, usually a few houses or apartments, using
spreadsheets to run their finances and getting some These are real testimonials that were shared with me
enthusiasts into their spaces as residents. As things over the last year. These founders didn’t do anything
evolve and the company grows, processes start to wrong: they started small, scaled up and faced some
emerge, people get hired and founders lose touch of the undesirable effects of scaling.
with residents. The original vibe and culture gets lost,
and problems start to emerge – this is when I get calls But it doesn’t have to be that way. The other approach
like these: to running a coliving space is to think beforehand
about how to create the right systems to avoid these
“Gui, 1.5 years into operations and problems are ‘scaling crises’.
starting to emerge. Our residents came in for the all-
inclusive package, but now we’re having a hard time Unfortunately, there is little documentation on the
having them take out the trash.” subject. Over the last years, I’ve been asking myself
one question: what are the right processes to
“Back when we started, I knew all the residents by implement which will enable coliving businesses to
name. Today, we have more than 400 residents in our thrive without impacting the creation of communities
buildings and I am personally disconnected from them. within different buildings?
They reproach me for being a real-estate company that
doesn’t care about its customers, but the real problem
is just that we can’t scale while remaining intimate.”

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 In this article, I’m now going to share 10 best practices On top of questions such as “Why do you want to I then went on a tour of people: every time we would
gathered from my research of global coliving spaces. live in a community?” and “Why are you a right fit for cross someone, they would introduce me to that
Applying them will guarantee your residents to have our residence?”, it’s important to dig deeper into the person and make a personal connection – often also
a more streamlined, universal approach to your maturity of future residents. highlighting the things we have in common
coliving experience. This is what I’m referring to as (like “Oh, and meet Daniel, he is into DJing too!”).
User Community Experience (UCX) - namely, the art of Some key questions that you can ask include “How do
applying the right processes to integrate new residents you deal with conflict?”, “How would your roommates It was only after the human tour that I was shown the
within the communal experience. describe you?”, “What challenges did you have with amenities and my room. Ultimately, I was then able
roommates in the past?” and “What would you like to to leave my private space and talk to others without
STAGE 1: DISCOVERY bring to the community?”. feeling awkward or them having to come to me,
as we already got to know each other beforehand.
#1: Set the right expectations These questions will give you insights into the way that
residents deal with problems, their level of emotional #5: Gain a deeper understanding of your resident
One of the major mistakes in building coliving response-ability (the ability to respond appropriately to needs
communities happens even prior to having residents conflict situations) and their level of desire to contribute
– namely, in the way that residents read and feel to group dynamics. Remember: if you get your Community managers truly have one main job:
your brand. Most coliving operators promote the all- residents right, you will have no problem getting more to help activate the needs of residents.
inclusive approach of coliving spaces: how residents residents in. It’s worth the investment to vet residents
will be provided with everything and don’t have to give based on the core of their personalities. When a new resident comes into the space, it is crucial
anything in return. to have a 1-on-1 talk with them to understand their
STAGE 3: ONBOARDING needs. Why are they here? How can the space serve
But that is a wrong promise. In fact, not making them? How can the people in the space help them?
expectations clear from the very beginning attracts #3: Integrate the resident into the community even
the wrong crowd – and it is hard to set expectations prior to arrival Once you understand what their core needs are, you
afterwards. Common expectations that should be can make further connections, bring up ideas and
set are the notion of responsibility and communal For most coliving residents, the adventure starts when brainstorm. For example, you can introduce a new
engagement: communicate from the very beginning they arrive at the space. But this shouldn’t be the case resident who is an artist to other artists in the space,
what you expect from your residents, may it be hosting – they should begin integrating with the community as well as offer him or her to create events such as
events, taking out the trash, being in charge of certain prior to arrival. a jam night the next week. This will make the resident
parts of communal responsibilities and so forth. feel heard and seen, ultimately leading them to feel
Making bonds with future housemates is crucial for empowered to create their own journey.
Remember that resident happiness equals reality a faster integration. This is why the best practices in
minus expectations: the more expectations you set this field are to have future residents already download #6: Create touchpoints to welcome residents
from the beginning, the less surprises residents will the communal application, introduce themselves to officially
have. In fact, it is better to set more expectations the community and for you to introduce residents to
at the beginning than none, as it’s easier to remove their future roommates. This way, connections and Lastly, set the right tone from an operator’s perspective
expectations than to add some – once you move in, excitement can be built up already prior to arrival, and welcome the resident officially. This can be
giving someone the expectation to commit to more and residents have an even deeper desire to be part automated welcoming emails coming straight from the
community work than they originally agreed to is really of your project. founder(s) to the new resident, welcoming events such
hard. The best way to communicate your expectations as once-a-month ‘New Resident Parties’, ‘Wednesday
is in your branding and your application process. STAGE 4: INTEGRATION Welcome Breakfasts’ or official posts on the communal
application.
STAGE 2: CURATION #4: Introduce residents to others, not the place
Whatever it is, give the new person the spotlight within
#2: Ask the right questions from the start When arriving and welcoming the new resident in the community!
person, don’t make the mistake of introducing the
What type of residents do you want to attract in your resident to the place. Let me give you an example:
space? I know that the house needs to be filled, but
taking in anyone will lead to having the ‘bad apples’ I onced arrived at a hostel that understood this
– these are residents that may drag others down, and principle from the ground up. When I arrived, the first
eventually lead to the most engaged residents wanting thing they told me was: “Drop your bag and follow
to leave. me!”.

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 STAGE 5: COMMUNAL LIFE In short: map out all the scenarios that can happen in a On one side, old residents might be potential residents
coliving space and generate clarity from your team on for future spaces, including in new locations that you’ll
#7: Give residents ownership over part of the who does what. This will avoid many internal tensions open. But there’s more than that: use your former
experience that tend to start building up a few months after residents to gather feedback and data in order to
opening the space. improve your experience; ask them for referrals to new
The notion of ownership is a key part of the coliving residents; invite them to events that are happening
experience. It’s simple: the more ownership people STAGE 6: OFFBOARDING within the space; and if you want to go even further,
have, the more they see themselves as part of create an online alumni network in which former
the project and the more they will want to take #9: Celebrate the history made with the resident residents remain part of the community and help their
responsibility and engage across the experience. peers personally and professionally.
You don’t want to create a double-binded culture of
Common ways to give residents ownership are: care at the beginning but indifference at the end. This SOME LAST WORDS
hosting communal assemblies, in which residents are is why it’s important to celebrate the history made with
able to express their desires and frustrations; providing residents and think about the offboarding phase. Let’s be clear: it’s impossible to map out the entire
communal budgets that residents can decide on resident journey and touchpoints in 2,000 words. But
how to spend together; and creating processes Some coliving communities organise goodbye parties, the principles above will already give you a major
for residents to get support on and ownership over others give residents a signed farewell gift. Whatever it understanding of what most operators are missing out
creating events. is, make the resident feel remembered and honoured on, and I’m sure that you will find your piece of advice
for who they are – this will give them a better memory in there.
Ultimately, financial ownership over the project, in of the space, increase the chance of them sharing
the form of “the longer you stay, the more shares you the space with their friends and also maintain the My personal recommendation would be to focus on
receive” would be the biggest innovation that the community dynamics in a state of gratitude instead of the stage that you believe you’re lacking most: define
coliving scene needs today in that vertical. While this sadness once the resident leaves. what actions you will take and implement them. Then,
is hard to implement (and not always desired from move on to the next stage until you have mastered
an operator perspective), it would change the game STAGE 7: AFTER-LIFE implementing the right processes across the entire
dramatically and make residents feel involved at a journey.
whole new level. #10: Capitalise on the emotional connection your
resident has with your brand Lastly, work with experts like myself who have a global
#8: Have a clear team structure to tackle issues as overview of best practices and whose job it is to help
they come up If you think that the journey is over once the resident is operators improve their experience, or have at least
gone, you’re wrong. In fact, a lot can be done after the one dedicated person within your team whose role
One of the key highlights of The Community Facilitation move-out phase. it is to continuously improve your user community
Handbook was the role and responsibilities of the experience. The road is long, but that’s the beauty
community manager (or community facilitator). about it: it never stops!

It must be clear internally who does what. For example,

the community manager should not be responsible for
operations or sales within the company, as this would
distract them from their main task – namely, to create
a culture of community and support – and usually
leads to direct burn-outs. Another example is that in
case of conflict, procedures need to be known; if it’s a
small conflict, residents should first be encouraged to
try to solve it by themselves, but if not, the community
manager can come in and facilitate. In the case of
more grave situations such as drug abuse, sexual
assault or physical violence, more radical measures
need to be taken, and in some cases external
negotiators, authorities or wellbeing experts need
to come in.

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 COLIVING USER EXPERIENCE JOURNEY

GUI PERDRIX - Founder of Art of Co & Director at Co-Liv

Gui Perdrix is a former operator, founder of the Art of Coliving method and currently serving as the director of Co-Liv,
the global association of coliving professionals. After visiting and interviewing 150+ coliving spaces around the world,
he founded his own consultancy Art of Co, working with operators and developers alike to reach strong levels of
communal experience, and develops valuable content to revolutionise the way we think about community living.
He is also involved in several other activities, including personal coaching, brand consulting, speaking and
was a former co-founder of Coliving Insights.

ABOUT ART OF CO - CREATING TRANSFORMATIONAL COLIVING EXPERIENCES

Art of Co is an educational platform and consultancy dedicated to creating transformative coliving

experiences, focussing on the intersection between the art of coliving, community and connection.
As a leading advisory and coaching firm to coliving entrepreneurs, Art of Co recently launched the
Art of Coliving methodology, helping coliving operators and developers succeed in their experience
building. Art of Co is led by Gui Perdrix, who shares his thoughts in his weekly Coliving Cocktail
newsletter and Telegram community.

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 ART OF CO &
CONSCIOUS COLIVING

The Community Facilitation Handbook v1.0 Conscious Coliving and Art of Co. aim to help coliving
(The CF Handbook) is a collaborative initiative between operators get the tools and knowledge to create real
Art of Co and Conscious Coliving. The CF Handbook coliving experiences, in which communities are able to
shares community facilitation best practices and thrive instead of being held back by figuring out how
resources for the wider coliving ecosystem, with the communal living works. The CF Handbook is one of
aim to help foster authentic connection and communal these resources, in which operators can learn about
experiences within shared living spaces. the role of the community manager and have concrete
action items on how to facilitate strong communities.
The CF Handbook helps community builders and
coliving operators understand community in the context As the recent winner of the Coliving Awards’ ‘Best
of coliving, learn the dos and don’ts of community Thought Leadership Piece’ category, The CF Handbook
facilitation, and ultimately enhance resident satisfaction, is a one-of-a-kind resource for the coliving sector that
retention and brand loyalty. With The CF Handbook, responds to one of its biggest challenges: building
community facilitators and managers finally get a voice authentic and thriving communities. To dive in and
within the coliving industry. explore the handbook, you can download it below:

DOW NLOAD T H E C O M M U N I TY
FAC I L I TAT I O N H A N D B O O K

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 ENSURING
SUSTAINABILITY-DRIVEN
COMMUNITIES

You cannot abstract individuals and communities from the environments they live in. Our responsibility towards
the planet is driven by our responsibility towards each other and the social practices we decide to engage in
that ultimately shape the environments we inhabit. As a result, facilitating a community very much involves
applying the right tools and strategies to foster a setting that cares for the environment. In this section, SPACE10
and Conscious Coliving share how community and nature are interdependent, and what practices you can put in
place to foster sustainable and social ecosystems.

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 ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY-DRIVEN COMMUNITIES

HOW IKEA’S RESEARCH LAB IS CURATING

PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES TO
CO-CREATE PEOPLE-PLANET-CENTRED
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
An interview with SPACE10

SPACE10 is a research and design lab on a mission to create a better everyday life for people and the planet.
They are supported by and entirely dedicated to IKEA – working as an independent research and design lab to
bring new perspectives and design new solutions that enable IKEA to develop innovative products and strategies.
Ultimately, SPACE10 researches and designs innovative solutions to solve some of the major societal changes
expected to affect people and our planet in the years to come. In this interview with the SPACE10 team, they share
how they are working with a community of B2B industry leaders to bring innovative solutions to urbanism, shared
living and the way we generally experience our lives on planet earth.

SPACE10 is a network of designers and continuously fresh perspectives, motivation, speed

researchers working on experimental projects and expertise in so many different fields, allowing us
from urban agriculture to AR/VR to communal to deliver projects with a range of diversity and
living. How is this community of B2B innovators creativity beyond what just our permanent
facilitated and how does SPACE10 work with IKEA in-house team can do.
to foster and support these collaborations?
SPACE10 has a Beta Community, a crowdsourced
After having collaborated with hundreds of talented community of technology experts who give you
partners over the years, we can safely say that if we’re feedback on your experimentations and projects.
the smartest person in the room – we’re simply in the You then use their feedback to further develop
wrong room. We value humility and curiosity in the accessible and creative tools to enhance the way
highest sense. Ideas are not proprietary secrets to be we live. What is the importance of this design
hidden behind lock and key so much as they are living, thinking approach and how does SPACE10 use
breathing things that need oxygen and discussion these crowdsourced insights to enhance internal
to really flourish. We work with a global, creative R&D and product development?
network of experts and forward-thinking partners who
can challenge us on our ideas and improve them via At SPACE10, we have always known that the projects
collaboration. and prototypes we work on are only as great as the
creative minds that bring them together.
There are so many inspiring and brilliant people out
there, so rather than compete with them, we prefer The Beta Community aims to connect our growing
to invite them in and create something together. network with SPACE10 designers, researchers and
We enable and empower people to improve the world our broader team and collaborators working on
using their particular expertise in a way that they experimental projects. We have created an approach
are passionate about. This approach also secures so that the Beta Community acts as a forum where

64 65
 all types of creative thinkers from around the world object comes from, what it’s made of and how we can
can become involved in the SPACE10 development repurpose it once its primary use wears out. Of course
process. it’s also important to relax and have fun, and Hidden
Characters turns your phone into a magical lens that
The goals of Beta Community programming are brings your everyday objects to life by turning them
threefold: 1) create dialogue and exchange with our into characters that respond to your gestures and
network, 2) bring members of our community behind interact with each other.
the scenes of our projects before they become public
and 3) integrate the dialogical and analytical insights The Urban VIllage Project is a project that rethinks
we collect back into our research and design process. how we design, build, finance and share our future
homes, neighbourhoods and cities. The aim is
Currently, we are working on a live Beta project called to allow for cheaper homes to enter the market,
Studio, an app that combines IKEA’s life at home make it easier to live sustainably and affordably,
knowledge with the latest developments in spatial and ensure more fulfilling ways of living together.
computing, allowing you to measure, style and share Could you share a bit more about this vision for
the spaces in your home. Anyone interested in home cross-generational shared living communities and
design and technology is encouraged to join the test the different technology and ownership solutions
community for a first look and opportunity to help involved? For SPACE10, what is the key to ensure
shape the future of the project. the Urban Village Project is a benchmark for
sustainable and authentic community building?
Everyday Experiments is an ongoing series of
digital experiments with IKEA which challenge As humans, we seek meaningful relationships with
the role of technology in the home. It’s aim is to those around us. But more often than not it is hard
explore how technology can redefine our homes to cultivate those in our cities. We think design
and ultimately ‘take the everyday and make it and architecture have a crucial role to play in
extraordinary’. How can technology foster social weaving social fabrics. In the case of Urban Village
interaction and community within the spaces we for example, we imagined a cross-generational
live, work and play? What kind of innovations are community living in an environment that is built to
you most excited about, especially those that relate foster physical interactions, with shared spaces and
to coliving? shared resources, and great respect for private areas.
This balance is the important part.
Today, we are spending more time at home than
ever before – beyond everyday routines like eating, With this project, resources like mobility or energy
sleeping and unwinding, we have suddenly found solutions are shared in order to help with financial
ourselves working, exercising, learning and teaching burdens. Through the Urban Village we’re also looking
at home. This is naturally adding new needs to the at leveraging other tools like modular architecture,
spaces we inhabit – especially the shared, communal prefabrication and rent-to-buy models to offer more
ones whose roles have never needed to be as fluent affordable options to people in cities, where it is
as they are now. At the same time, technologies are becoming increasingly difficult to pay rent and nearly
emerging that challenge the way we experience and impossible for many to own. We believe that facilitating
interact with the spaces around us, and with Everyday access to ownership will also contribute to creating
Experiments we set out to explore how these can be healthy communities that will care for their common
used to help people make their life at home, and with living environment.
each other, that little bit better, be it supporting better
mental and physical health, better privacy, better play We also see digital tools as important enablers
or something fourth. of human interactions. We have never been
more ‘connected’ these days and yet never more
Take for instance Sound Bubbles, which creates disconnected socially. When the physical and digital
private silent zones by using sound to cancel out the world support each other we can get the best of both
noise that is generated in the environment, or Chain worlds. With Urban Village we see digital tools as
of Traceability that combines blockchain technology a great way to organise real-life communities, stay
with augmented reality to allow you to see where an connected to the neighbourhood, share moments or

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 resources and manage shared services or spaces. with a battery to store surplus energy. Residents even
It’s a “digital means to a human end”. We also see have space on the roof to grow their own food.
those interfaces and tools as efficient ways to manage This community of 100 people represents a microcosm
subscriptions, simplify finances, access services and of an entirely self-sufficient city, showing how we can
interact with the building itself. rethink our reliance on the earth’s resources.

In collaboration with gestalten, SPACE10 has We hope that when designing future cities, it will
published The Ideal City, a new book which always start with a local conversation that asks people
explores the forward-thinking actions and who actually have to live there: “what kind of cities do
initiatives being brought to life across the globe you want to live in? What do you believe is important
to enhance the way we live in urban centres. for a good life? And what makes a good home for all
From pedestrian infrastructure to housing, of us?”.
the book uncovers what is being discussed at
the forefront of urbanism through expert essays The above are just a few examples of aspirational,
and profiles. What are some of the community- purpose-driven, sustainable, community-oriented
driven projects featured in The Ideal City and projects that create a more liveable, resourceful city.
what is it that sets them apart? It also shows what can happen when ordinary citizens
come together and create an environment that values
Highlighted below are projects we feature that have shared spaces and resources, to help enable a better
been initiated bottom-up by engaged citizens who everyday life.
drove the change they wanted to see in their urban
environment and did not wait for architects, city
planners, developers or politicians to make it happen
for them. In this category we find projects like:

• Schoonschip
• New Ground co-housing
(Older Women’s Co-Housing)
• Michigan urban farming initiative,

If we dive deeper into Schoonschip, it is a floating

community initiated by committed citizens and
designed by Dutch architecture firm Space & Matter.
The community consists of a cluster of homes built
on one of Amsterdam’s many waterways. Electricity
comes from 500 solar panels, while 30 water pumps
extract heat from the canal to keep the homes
warm. Waste from toilets and showers is treated and
converted back into energy. Each home is equipped

ABOUT SPACE10

SPACE10 is a research and design lab on a mission to create a better everyday life for people
and the planet. SPACE10 researches and designs innovative solutions to some of the major shifts
expected to affect people and our planet in the years to come. SPACE10 is proudly supported by
and entirely dedicated to IKEA.

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 Asset mapping is closely tied with the success of
ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY-DRIVEN COMMUNITIES sustainable/regenerative communities. Firstly it lowers
consumption and waste because it encourages people
to share. Instead of automatically going to a shop or
buying something online, residents can often have
their needs met with resources already available
within the community.
CATALYSING A THRIVING COMMUNITY
THROUGH SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE Secondly, and on a more fundamental level, the
experience of exchanging gifts and skills to meet
By Naima Von Ritter Figueres & Penny Clark others’ needs is a powerful way of feeling more aligned
with our sense of purpose. For most people, alignment
with purpose simply means being able to consistently
help others via our natural gifts, passions and learned
Environmental issues and social connectivity are two of some of the biggest topics in our world today, in light of both skills. When on this path, we typically feel more inner
climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, Naima von Ritter Figueres and Penny Clark of Conscious peace and fulfillment. This in turn can free up lots of
Coliving address a vital point; how can a coliving community be fostered through sustainable practices? The authors emotional and mental space and energy, and remind
show us that this focus can bring about a great win-win for people and the planet. Whether it’s through community us that we are connected to something bigger than
gardening, developing an impact strategy or ‘community asset mapping’, this article demonstrates the importance ourselves. This larger-than-self thinking naturally and
of linking community to its surrounding environment. easily may extend to the environment, with practices
such as communal gardening.

2. COMMUNITY GROWS IF YOU GIVE IT A…

A thriving community is one that facilitates the That said, coliving operations can integrate GARDEN!
flourishing of each individual and of the collective. sustainability measures to support the flourishing of
More specifically, this means that the coliving space, their communities and environment through a variety Our desire to connect with nature has only grown
the events, the interactions, the food etc., are all of ways. In this article, we discuss three ways which during the restrictions of the last year and a half.
geared towards nurturing the highest potential in particularly inspire us: A community garden offers coliving residents and
each human as an individual and in the community members of the wider community a way to connect
as a whole. A thriving community is one in which every 1. Community asset mapping with each other, enjoy the restorative benefits of nature
resident is able (and encouraged) to share their gifts 2. Community gardens and care for the environment.
with others. 3. Impact strategies and frameworks
The sustainability effects/benefits of having a
Taking a pro-environmental approach (defined as 1. POOLING RESOURCES THROUGH COMMUNITY communal garden are numerous. The food grown will
taking actions to promote a sustainable environment) ASSET MAPPING have a much lower environmental impact than food
to coliving plays a big role in enabling this kind of from a supermarket. It has not been transported long
thriving. This is because inherent in self flourishing is A key component of a thriving community is the natural distances, or grown using artificial light or heating.
a realisation that we are all connected – not only with exchange of skills, talents and resources. This can You can choose to forgo harmful pesticides. It is also
each other as humans, but also with nature and the be facilitated through “Asset Mapping”, which the likely to reduce food waste, as residents can harvest
environment that surrounds us. Permaculture Action Network defines as “a strength- what they need rather than be forced to buy in bulk.
based approach to community development”. Any activity residents engage in at home potentially
We are nature – fully embedded in the world around replaces an activity that occurs off-site, which may
us, consuming it through our food and water. An asset map is an interactive document or graphic reduce travel emissions. The practice of growing food
We are connected to its changes and cycles. which enables community members to easily see the also helps residents to become more aware of where
In every inhalation of air, we breathe in the world. skills, resources, gifts and needs within the community, their food comes from, which can inform the other food
Once we realise (or rather, remember) this, we can empowering them to find connections and synergies. choices that they make.
understand how important it is to take care of our There are many ways to represent an asset map.
environment. Indeed, it is our source of life and is It can be physical (e.g. a board with sticky notes in Communal gardens also enhance wellbeing.
inseparable from us. a common area) or digital (e.g. a shared document Gardening may serve as a meditative activity, and
or a part of a coliving app). What is important is that enables residents to physically engage with nature.
it is accessible, interactive and ‘alive’, which means It may also offer space for residents to engage with
actively engaging the community in this practice. each other in a natural and relaxed way.

70 71
 Opening up the garden to the local community also economic or otherwise), and measuring its success.
facilitates wider engagement and connection, while As seven out of ten people identify climate change
spreading the benefits of growing food to a wider as “a very, or extremely serious problem”, it is highly
circle of people. likely that your residents care about this issue and
will appreciate knowing that you care about it too.
One example of a coliving space with a communal The first stage we recommend in developing an impact
garden is Urban Campus in Madrid. Residents there strategy is listening. What can you learn by starting
started a project to grow plants with aeroponic and a conversation about sustainability with your residents?
hydroponic techniques in common areas. Residents Even better, what can you learn by asking the same
took the lead in learning the basics of plant-caring and questions to the local community?
are able to enjoy the home-grown veggies and herbs
in community dinners. Having this conversation as part of a wider
conversation about the community’s needs, will show
Another example of a communal garden can be seen your community that you are responsive to them. Your
in the cohousing community, LILAC. They have shared impact strategy can be informed by what inspires
gardens and allotments throughout the development, residents and local stakeholders, which in turn will
which are even open to the public. Not only do they create a more engaged and thriving community.
support wildlife habitat and biodiversity, but they also
enrich their local neighbourhood through the sharing Once you have listened to your community, you can
of their natural capital. take those learnings and incorporate them into your
own desired outcomes. What positive social and
How to start your own communal garden? Involve your environmental impacts are you aiming for? Then, it
community from the get-go. By empowering them, you is a case of working backwards and putting a series
engage them. Don’t be afraid to use some creativity to of steps in place to achieve those goals. Finally, it
excite people. Greenpop and Gardening Know How is important to measure what you have done. Not
offer excellent short guides on how to get a community only does measurement allow you to assess and
garden started. IKEA’s Home of Tomorrow is another improve upon your strategy, but it also enables you
great reference. This project teaches people how to to communicate your positive impacts with your
live with full respect for nature; showing how best to residents, local community, municipality and potential
grow plants, insects and fungi in a sustainable manner. or existing investors. This is another way to create
engagement, by showing your residents and local
If you don’t have access to outdoor space, are there community that they are part of something positive and
any local gardening initiatives that your community inspiring.
could become involved with? Or is there perhaps
some unused public space which your community At Conscious Coliving, we want to enable the coliving
could help revitalise? Urban gardening provides sector to further embed impact and shout about its
a comprehensive and practical guide on creating successes. We are currently developing an open-
urban gardens and involving volunteers and other source Coliving Impact Framework to encourage
stakeholders. coliving operators to set targets, measure and
celebrate their positive impacts.
3. STRATEGISE YOUR SOCIAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Authentic community and environmental sustainability
in coliving are intertwined. At their nexus is the sharing
A flourishing coliving community often goes hand in of resources in a way that fulfills the needs of the
hand with pro-environmental outcomes, as sharing community, as well as community members’ highest
spaces, objects and resources naturally occurs. sense of purpose in a way that supports the planet:
Yet, if we take a strategic approach and use joined- now that is what we call thriving!
up thinking, our positive impact – upon both the
community and the environment – can become
so much more powerful. This is why we always
recommend having an impact strategy, which is a plan
for creating positive changes (social, environmental,

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 NAIMA VON RITTER FIGUERES - Head of Community & Wellbeing at Conscious Coliving

Naima is a transformational coach and facilitator/ trainer in mindfulness, sharing circles and how to live and lead more
consciously. As Co-Founder and Head of Community & Wellbeing at Conscious Coliving, she facilitates authentic
community engagement strategies for coliving businesses and spaces. She recently co-authored The Community
Facilitation Handbook, an award-winning guide on the topic of creating authentic community in coliving.

PENNY CLARK - Head of Research & Sustainability at Conscious Coliving

Penny is a Co-Founder and Head of Sustainability & Research at Conscious Coliving, an impact-driven experience
and spatial design consultancy with a mission to help coliving thrive. Penny is a strong advocate for the positive social
and environmental potential of coliving, and believes that shared living offers a way of life which can increase our
sense of connectedness to ourselves, each other and the world around us. Penny’s specialisations are research,
as well as environmentally sustainable practices within communities. She is currently undertaking doctoral research
at the University of Westminster, which explores this topic.

ABOUT CONSCIOUS COLIVING

As our Content & Research Partners, Conscious Coliving supports Coliving Insights by conducting
research and providing content to our quarterly publications. Conscious Coliving helps coliving
companies to thrive and create positive social and environmental impact. As an impact-driven spatial
and experience design consultancy, Conscious Coliving supports coliving developers, operators
and investors to embed community, sustainability and wellbeing into their business strategies,
spatial design, operations and community experience.

74 75
 SPATIAL EXPERIENCE PRESENTS

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We believe Remote Work & Stay businesses can strengthen remote communities,
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OUR EXPERTISE As the interest for unique living experiences soars,

Remote Work & Stay surfaces as a concept for those
In recent years, Spatial Experience (SPX) has been looking for a quiet way of living, while contributing to
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developed. Through our expertise in the shared ‘Remote Work & Stay’ gathers insights and first-hand
living industry and understanding of placemaking experiences of 16 expert contributors, as well as
strategies, we became able to give comprehensive Spatial Experience’s exploration and analysis on
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in remote settings to attend to the growing demand
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increasingly diversified needs for specialised living concept;
solutions since it started supporting businesses • The future of work: the drivers of Remote
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76 77
 USING TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE COMMUNITY

In an age of unprecedented levels of technology, the best resource you can have is oftentimes your willingness to
be resourceful. That means seeking out and applying the best-in-class tools and applications suited not just for the
sole purpose of operational excellence, but more importantly in coliving, responding to the concrete human needs
of your community and surrounding neighbourhoods. Whether it’s cloud-based access control, sustainable internet
connectivity or online platforms, our contributors at Wifirst, Digital Estate and SALTO Systems share their advice
and inspirations for maximising community experience through human-centric technology.

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 the R&D of WiFi network design, structured to operate
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY a cutting-edge and sustainable service with direct
results that include:

• Decreased IT infrastructure costs by 80%

• Simplified interface contracts and reduced
infrastructure complexity
HOW WIFIRST SUPPORTS THE B2B • Reduced carbon footprint (both hardware and

SHARED LIVING COMMUNITY •

energy consumption)
Increased network service availability and stability
THROUGH WIFI AS A SERVICE • Happy residents and support teams

By Vincent Jouan
Providing WiFi is easy and anybody could do it.
But pleasing both B2B and B2C needs at the same
time while improving efficiency for the operators,
accelerating their digital transformation and increasing
Great WiFi service in coliving spaces is not simply just about a fast connection; it’s about giving operators the free their customer satisfaction is our day-to-day challenge.
reign to maximise connectivity, in the other sense of the word -- that is, authentic connections between individuals
within a community. This is what makes Wifirst a leader in providing sustainable, durable and effective WiFi networks TWO WAYS TO SUPPORT AMBITIOUS REAL
and infrastructure to residential, commercial and office space operators. By providing a couple of real world cases of ESTATE PROJECTS
these impacts, author Vincent Jouan demonstrates how communities and operators can thrive when their connectivity
and other digital touchpoints are taken care of. Everybody has different ideas and needs to meet
in their experience-driven real estate business, but
overall the concept of community remains universal.
To maintain flexibility, we have been creating many
Over the last 20 years Wifirst has created its WiFi as The added value resides in our know-how and in the scenarios to fit many of our clients’ business needs.
a Service (WaaS) business model. Providing a service software layer built by our R&D teams. With our internal If the right solution has yet to be created, our team is
has been in our DNA ever since, as we understand ecosystem of web developers we have been focusing always striving to evolve and create new features.
how critical it is to provide a good and reliable product a lot on our open API. By facilitating the integration That said, we have worked with the following
to our customers. By providing a managed WiFi between different apps and data formats, operators companies to support them in their journey of
service, we also focus on our customers’ need to focus can now automate many tasks for their operations fostering authentic communities:
on their core business, rather than on the connectivity teams. Operators can also connect their PMS for easy
aspects of their building. Trusting the right partner access to our WiFi for guests, increasing the customer 1. Yes We Camp
allows operators to focus on what they are good at: experience, and avoiding the need for small pieces of
bringing people together and facilitating thriving paper to be handed out with the login credentials! Wifirst was chosen by Yes We Camp, a French
communities that grow under one place to share nonprofit, to manage the connectivity of their Buropolis
like-minded ideas. It is our ability to answer coliving Much of the data can be found and connected through project, a former office building in Marseille (France)
operators’ digital transformation challenges that helps our/your API if you already have a dashboard which that they converted to accommodate 250 artist and
them focus on delivering an “at home” feeling and collects some elements. Alternatively, we have created nursing students for a temporary period of 2 years.
experience that residents are expecting. a customer friendly extranet with a very simple UI /
UX platform. Wifirst’s managed WiFi model includes Wifirst has deployed a 100% green fiber and WiFi
A KEY MISSION: PROVIDING A NETWORK THAT IS supervision, preventive and corrective maintenance infrastructure in record time, making it possible
EFFICIENT AND DURABLE and network upgrades. A unique monitoring platform, to quickly open this highly anticipated service to
Center, is also available to our customers. communities that will occupy the various locations of
Beyond the immediate need of ensuring ultra high- this 16,000 m2 building from June 2021 onwards. It
speed connectivity for residents, our role is to support The deployment of an “as a service” WiFi solution was within our capacity to overcome the challenges of
operators who qualify their needs with 10-year responds to the digitisation challenges of coliving agility and cost control with a solution that respects the
projections. Wifirst puts technology and innovation at operators. Until now, most of them were managing environment, which led Yes We Camp to select Wifirst.
the service of operators by supporting the digitalisation their own networks, with heterogeneous protocols in
of the coliving market thanks to a sustainable increasingly complex environments. By entrusting The infrastructure, put into service in just a few weeks,
multiservice WiFi offering. the management of all connectivity to Wifirst, they are is indeed based on the use of 100% reconditioned
turning to a service provider that is totally focused on professional equipment with the deployment of a

80 81
 dedicated fiber. Wifirst’s project for Buropolis is in The passive equipment, such as cables and cabinets,
line with the association’s values by
​​ offering a second can last almost a decade if well installed and
life to 23 Aerohive AP-250 (high density and WiFi 5 maintained.
generation) terminals that Wifirst had previously used
for another client. With our WaaS approach, Yes We On the other hand, the active equipment (hardware)
Camp is able to offer sustainable WiFi, which will meet is still usable and, generally speaking, usable for 5
the bandwidth needs of all their residents while limiting to 7 years max. In our case, this kind of equipment
the ecological impact of the network infrastructure. has been bought pretty recently. This means big
Raphaël Haziot, in charge of the Buropolis project savings for the operator and a healthy impact to the
coordination for Yes We Camp, has shared his environment, creating less waste in the long term.
thoughts of working with us: For Wifirst this also means we will have the ability
to top up the existing service with new features and
“Excellent experience with Wifirst, whose teams were products, allowing Gravity to evolve their customer
very professional in all stages of the execution of the experience and scale it to all their properties. Being
project. Bravo for the idea of ​​using reconditioned a part of the step-by-step process needed to create
equipment, which, beyond the undeniable financial a WiFi pillar for our clients is Wifirst’s main focus.
benefits, is really in line with the desire for the greener Robert Birch, Gravity’s Head of Operations has
approach carried out by Yes We Camp.” shared their experience working with us saying:

2. Gravity Co-Living “With our member base being a combination of

young professionals, entrepreneurs and students, a
Gravity Co-Living in Hounslow, London chose Wifirst high quality, secure, WiFi is expected at a minimum.
as their technology partner to provide WiFi, Fibre, and With Wifirst, not only have they provided this, their
other managed services to its 97 rooms and coworking continued management and support is priceless! It
area at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. has freed up the team and I to concentrate on creating
They understood that coliving operators have to be a unique culture and community, knowing all our WiFi
prepared for an increasingly high density of usage needs are in safe hands.”
data. With our solution, we can make sure connection
speeds are always working well for tenants, anytime These examples are a good illustration of the
throughout the day. We can also accommodate market’s diverse needs that drive Wifirst to innovate
stronger connectivity demands if needed. Thanks to in order to provide ever more relevant responses to
our flexible business model, upgrades to the building’s the challenges of digital transformation for coliving
infrastructure are fast and easy to do. In the near professionals: because our solution covers all of
future, Wifirst will also be providing the Hounslow the company’s needs and our responsibility for
project with digital signage and TVs which will all connectivity, this allows our customers to focus on
be fully connected for easier and more accessible their core business, making dreams come true for
communication with their residents. coliving communities.

With its two other projects in the city, Gravity took the Wifirst’s mission as an operator is thus very clear
initiative of installing and deploying the WiFi services and essential. Our responsibility is to ensure the best
themselves through traditional residential and business possible connectivity for our customers, a connection
routes. These installations are providing its members strong enough to build a technical base that can
with good quality WiFi; however, the costs are high; accommodate the digital uses of today, but above all,
the management is substantially time consuming and for tomorrow. It is always more pleasant to get up in
the service provided by both traditional residential and the morning when your work is part of a process for
business set-ups are not meeting the standards of the the overall development of our society!
enterprise-grade services required to meet Gravity’s’
expectations as they continue to expand quickly in
London. Due to this, Gravity asked Wifirst
to take over, upgrade, maintain and manage the
existing infrastructure, all while reusing the cables
and equipment already in place.

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 VINCENT JOUAN - Technical Sales Director at Wifirst

Vincent joined Wifirst almost 8 years ago and is now their Technical Sales Director. He is responsible for all aspects
related to Student Accommodation, BTR and Coliving in the UK and Europe. With deep expertise in delivery of large-
scale projects, Vince predicts that IoT will play an increasingly vital role to streamline operations and satisfy resident
demand.

ABOUT WIFIRST

Created in 2002, Wifirst is the french leader in managed WiFi for professionals. Wifirst structured its
activity around two large families of customers: the Hospitality & Residences market (AccorHotels,
Club Med, The Ascott, The Student Hotel...) and the Retail & Business market (Havas KX Village in
London, Universal music group). Pioneer of the “WIFI as a Service” approach, Wifirst is committed
to continuous innovation in order to offer a network capable of absorbing the spectacular increase of
internet usage and making WiFi the technical foundation for the digital transformation of its customers.

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 The optimal customer journey, therefore, begins
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY with the onboarding process. Onboarding does not
necessarily begin when the new resident arrives at a
coliving space. It also encompasses the build-up to
the actual check-in, where prospective residents can
be contacted with valuable information and the tools
necessary to begin their orientation into their new
ONBOARDING THROUGH THE CLOUD: communal living quarters. In what is known as the

HOW ACCESS CONTROL CAN IGNITE ‘curation and discovery’ phase, coliving operators can
view profiles of prospective residents and tailor their
A SENSE OF BELONGING AND experience accordingly. This can be done by creating

COMMUNITY IN COLIVING a layout in which residents with similar lifestyles live

closer together, or by allocating accessible parking
By Christian Schmitz, Anya Doshi & Caterina Maoilini or other facilities closer to those who require further
support. This stage has a significant impact on the
eventual community that will be created, and its
dynamics.

With ACaaS, a single smartphone application can

Coliving is all about community; but first, we ought to take a step back. Community cannot be experienced without
open up a world of communication channels with
first being accessible to those who wish to participate in it. From curation to onboarding all the way through to
your tenant. With this app, a community manager or
the full in-house experience itself, access control plays a vital role in providing a sense of ease to residents, while
coliving operator can grant access to tenants so that
granting operators the right tools to facilitate such a journey. In this piece, Anya Doshi, Christian Schmitz and
upon arrival, they have all the tools they need to set up
Caterina Maoilini of SALTO Systems walk us through how the right access control system can be a gamechanger
in their new home. This sparks a sense of connection
for your coliving space.
with the brand and its staff, as new residents feel
welcomed and at home. There is no need to undergo
an intensive process of onboarding or handover of
mechanical equipment (such as physical keys) to kick
Coliving is often described as an ‘experience’ or “it was this desire for a sense of community, off their coliving experience. Instead, a digital key will
‘movement’, characteristics that can be boiled down to alongside increasing levels of unaffordability in cities, be presented to residents to ensure an entry into their
its foundation: community. Most housing models may that spawned the first wave of ‘coliving’ concepts.” living space that is secure, dependable and instantly
often prioritise factors such as efficiency, sustainability In the vast array of technology available, we must accessible. This additionally removes the need for
or social interaction over one another. Coliving focuses remember that community should not be replaced 24/7 onsite staff, as residents feel empowered and in
on all of these in equal capacity, and technology has by technology, rather enhanced by it when creating control of their surroundings.
the power to combine them. Cloud-based access a coliving experience.
control can deliver the technology necessary to ignite With an automated onboarding experience, a coliving
a sense of belonging in coliving by implementing these This article will discover how access control as a space can implement technology integrations that
solutions from the onboarding process and beyond. service (ACaaS) can offer a smooth and welcoming can stimulate various degrees of connectivity and
onboarding experience and elaborate the ways in efficiency, leading to increased participation in one’s
The onboarding process can determine the entirety of which it ignites a sense of community in coliving. surroundings. A new resident arriving at their coliving
the coliving journey and directly impacts the quality of space can use the in-house smartphone app to rent or
communal life. With access control, these operations ONBOARD RESIDENTS WITH THE HELP OF hire a car, followed by buying a meal and booking a
are streamlined, making room for shared human ACCESS CONTROL TO IGNITE BELONGING laundry service – all within the same app. Cloud-based
experiences and connections. Simultaneously, it has access control gives tenants access to these facilities,
the power to ignite a sense of belonging by welcoming Coliving presents unique operational challenges to the amongst many potential others, minimising the need
and embracing new residents who will in turn embrace management of spaces. Residents may be contracted for outside interference and giving residents a sense
the fundamentals of coliving. for a short or long stay, unfamiliar with shared housing of security and ownership.
concepts or in search of communal activities and
It is well known that the connected world we live in arrangements. For these purposes, the onboarding Taking it to an additional level of convenience, the
paradoxically leads to a growing sense of isolation, process a coliving space puts in place can resolve payments for all of the above can be organised
made evident by the heightened downturn in mental all the scenarios mentioned and can set the course through a tab that is kept and run on the same app.
health issues in recent years. According to Forbes, of the in-house life for the resident. Using access control, the tags (or ‘fobs’) used to open

86 87
 access points of a coliving space can also be Cohabs offers shared homes centred around its • Seamless user experience: Residents need
used to pay for services that are connected to the community, with locations in Europe and the U.S. not worry about the hassle of physical keys and
smartphone app. These payments can be billed by and its own smartphone app. This app tailors their can instead use flexible and secure entry options
management at the end of the month alongside rent. community experience and has integrated with such as digital keys, tags, PIN codes and remote
Such seamless integrations give residents the ease SALTO Systems’ API for smart access control access.
and encouragement to feel in control of their daily technology. Residents are able to create an event
routine, manage a variety of tasks and feel included or a poll, navigate the living quarters, log an incident • Optimised onboarding experience: Residents
in the whole process. In other words, residents feel through the chatbot, check their rent balance, can receive digital keys anytime and anywhere,
at home. submit and track maintenance requests and RSVP ensuring a smooth and organised onboarding
to social events, among other engagement tools. process.
STREAMLINE OPERATIONS WITH ACCESS This can consolidate interaction and engagement
CONTROL TO BUILD COMMUNITY between residents. • Instant and safe access: Residents can
easily enter communal spaces and interact
Once you have implemented amenities for your Behavioural scientist Francesca Gino argues in with members of the community in a secure
community to thrive in an improved living environment, Harvard Business Review that it is not sufficient to environment.
you don’t need to stop there. There are further steps create opportunities for collaboration or demonstrate
that can be taken to motivate coliving management institutional support for it. What makes a difference is • Increased control for residents: Residents feel
and staff to streamline their role in the community. a psychological approach to connect more fully and empowered and confident in managing access
Cloud-based access control plays a significant part consistently. Similarly, it is not sufficient to offer your to their own space seamlessly.
in this, using a combination of smart locking solutions residents state-of-the-art facilities; you should also be
and technology integrations. This ultimately helps to sure to stimulate engagement on a deeper level. • Modern sustainable living: By leveraging IoT
streamline operations, which will be discussed in and cloud-based applications, devices and
more detail ahead. In summary, ACaaS can strengthen community sensors, you can reduce energy consumption
experience in the following ways: and cultivate a modern sustainable community.
In addition to a cloud-based access control solution,
a Property Management System (PMS) can also be
integrated, opening up an array of possibilities. SALTO
Systems makes this possible with its technology
integration partner res:harmonics. This platform is
designed to help providers maximise their sales
channels, increase occupancy levels whilst reducing
costs and increasing operational efficiencies. With this
PMS, credentials (username, password, PIN codes
etc.) can be allocated or deallocated online, to guests
on arrival or departure of their stay, and security
can be monitored to keep track of entries including
housekeeping, maintenance, delivery, management
etc. As a result of this system, residents have stronger
communication with management; one that is not
possible solely with a front desk. This minimises the
chances of feeling a lack of support and care. Instead,
residents are confident in their welfare and in their
extended community (management, staff, etc.).

ACaaS can unlock the potential to keep spaces

thriving for coliving operators. For example,
management of a coliving space may introduce
flexible bike sharing for their residents, a coworking
space or a studio to rent for purposes such as
workshops, hospitality or entertainment. This is easily
facilitated and coordinated with access control and is
sustainable in the long run. For example, our partner

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 SALTO Systems can facilitate all of the above, making possibilities. Moreover, this solution has an impact
a difference in the overall experience of belonging prior to an onboarding experience, purposefully
and personalisation in coliving communities. Our aim influencing the perception of a potential resident
is to develop products and technologies that adapt to to embrace a dynamic collective lifestyle. Such
the continuously changing needs of modern coliving spaces can be transformed using smart electronic
brands and their residents. SALTO KS offers solutions access control solutions and this technology can
that perfectly adapt to your building, requiring be implemented while safeguarding and enhancing
no software installation with remote management standards of communal life.
capabilities and providing endless integration

CHRISTIAN SCHMITZ - Global Lead for Shared Living and Work Places at SALTO Systems

Christian’s decade-long expertise and insights into coliving and student housing have proven valuable to many in
the Tech and PropTech industries. Driven by innovation and guided by insights into customer needs, he has worked
with SALTO Systems to deliver industry-leading solutions and integration partnerships on a global scale. In addition,
he took on the role of Head of Tech for Co-Liv where his aim is to create a moderated and safe environment
designed to foster an innovative dialogue between B2B professionals in the coliving sector.

ANYA DOSHI - Digital Content Marketer at Clay, a SALTO Group company

As Digital Content Marketer at Clay, Anya has a mission to drive and support innovative solutions in access control
technologies. She holds an MA degree in new media and digital culture, which has resulted in a passion for marketing
and content creation. Her love for creativity and communication has led her to write for a range of publications and
magazines in the tech industry.

CATERINA MAOILINI - Community and Partnership Manager for Shared Living and Work
Spaces at SALTO Systems

Caterina’s role entails a focus on two verticals that she is extremely passionate about, and she forges and fosters
relationships with new and existing partners in the SALTO Systems network. Her primary aim is to create a strong
community, adding more value to all SALTO Systems does in the world of tech. Cate also leads the Ambassador
Program at Co-Liv, the global non-profit coliving association, and with her background in the fashion industry and
a strong passion for travelling the world, she brings a unique perspective to the industry.

ABOUT SALTO SYSTEMS

As a cloud-based access control provider, SALTO Systems has made a significant impact on the way
people around the world operate their businesses. This couldn’t be possible without having a strong
connection with the industries that use SALTO’s wide range of ways to open doors and share their
view of a holistic customer experience. The SALTO hardware and software enable online and real-
time access control and the monitoring of every user while offering integrations with existing systems
to improve manageability and end-user experience. Access control goes beyond the product; it’s a
facilitator for a future-proof way of living that supports (mental) health, a strong sense of community
and thriving businesses.

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 USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY

HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO FOSTER

COMMUNITIES AND FACILITATE
CONNECTION TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
By Digital Estate

There has never been a time when technology has had so much to offer with regards to operational excellence.
In coliving, it is critical to take advantage of the myriad of tools available to create the most human-centered
experiences possible within and around the community. From humanising your brand to connecting individuals
with their local neighbourhood, Digital Estate’s team provides unique insights and offers concrete, real-world
examples of the best technology has to offer. By reminding us that technology is not the end goal, but the ultimate
means to creating a thriving community, industry stakeholders can open up a world of possibilities – and a world
of meaningful human experiences.

In the last edition of Coliving Insights we explored from the early stage of concept development.
the topic of fostering innovation in coliving through In order for a community to be successful (e.g. strong
automation using simple integrations. As many coliving resident engagement and ownership), brands have to
owners and operators are not fluent in ‘tech language’, establish an emotional connection with the audience.
they often struggle to understand the potential of This can be done by humanising the brand, meaning
already available solutions. We believe that technology that its behaviour within online communities should
should not be complex and should easily fit the needs be as close as possible to that of an individual’s.
of its end users. In the ideal scenario, the audience should relate to
the brand as an expert and friend at the same time.
In this edition we are deep diving into the impact of The “ingredients” required to build an impactful
technology to support the creation of outstanding online community are authenticity and a unique, but
living experiences. We will be focusing on the different very recognisable, brand identity. Transparency and
opportunities offered by technology solutions to foster honesty are crucial values for the audience to create
thriving communities and facilitate connection with trust and become loyal brand ambassadors.
wider neighbourhoods, an aspect often disregarded
when designing the digital experience for tenants. Building a community greatly depends on an initial
analysis of the living product and its target. This will be
BUILDING COMMUNITY TO CREATE AUTHENTIC easier in the case of themed or hyper-targeted coliving
BRANDS spaces, such as the example represented by Artist
Housing, a coliving space for film and music artists,
Community building is a long and continuous process rather than concepts with a broader group of tenants.
and its effects can be measured only in the long term. But community building does not stop at the end user;
However, successful community building starts with it has to be extended to all stakeholders and take
strong foundations: strategies to ensure that tenants into account the area or district where the building is
perceive a sense of belonging, which has to be located as well.
translated into different online and offline touchpoints

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 After personifying all branding aspects, the brand track the online behaviour of tenants;
identity has to be deployed throughout multiple • Start, facilitate and moderate conversations
touchpoints, namely the website, social media (and feedback) though a branded app or
channels, prints, signage and more. Two more digital platform;
important points to consider are to develop an • Provide online support to tenants, so that they
engaging tone of voice, as well as listen to the know that you are there whenever needed;
feedback collected from the end users. • Offer a library-of-things to promote sharing
What is clear is that originality is key: following a between residents;
beaten path and using old-fashioned strategies will • Offer smart mobility solutions
not be enough to build a happy community that will (bikes, e-scooters, e-cars, etc.);
prosper in the long run. • Use digital solutions to connect to
the neighbourhood.
Considering that the basics have been taken care of,
it is now the time to learn how technology can help CONNECTING TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
facilitate the community-building journey at different
levels. After over one year of a global pandemic and
continuous lockdowns, the demand for experiences
HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN ENABLE THRIVING and simply doing things outside of the living space
COMMUNITIES has increased dramatically. While creating a high-
level living experience for the residents, especially in
Technology is not a means by itself, but should serviced environments, real estate businesses often
be used to enhance the overall residents’ living lose the opportunity or disregard the importance of
experience, ultimately leading to higher satisfaction connecting the community to the neighbourhood and
(and better reviews!). This is what we call human- local scene.
centred technology.
But, how to connect your community to the rest of
As there are plenty of possibilities to foster the world?
communities using technology, what operators should
choose depends on the business needs and target The biggest value of a community is the invisible
groups. Keeping the community as a guiding star, bond between tenants that allows them to connect to
before deciding on any tech product, it is important to each other, create meaningful relationships and get
define exactly who the customers will be and design rooted into a new place. What further contributes to the
their ideal experience moments. community experience is going beyond the borders of
a building and connecting with local neighbourhoods,
The most crucial aspect to keep in mind is to actively cities and economies. Building beneficial commercial
and continuously listen to the community, their partnerships, while providing an overall richer
feedback, complaints and ideas, and then turn them experience to the tenants, will also make them more
into actionable efforts. This should be done with willing to stay if they feel a sense of belonging to the
a very interactive, visual and quick format, while area. Following this thought, using technology to
the community should also have a platform or an connect buildings to local communities can serve
unmoderated space online where they can have as a powerful placemaking tool and help to create
discussions with each other. districts where people would love to stay long term.

Among the ideas that can be easily implemented – At the most superficial level, companies should
at different stages of the building lifecycle – to foster use their digital channels to offer tips about the
communities using technology, we suggest to: surrounding areas, its attractions and local events.
Going further, shared living spaces are the ideal place
• Build interactive experiences online to offer workshops and events involving the local
(website, social media, etc.) and on-site; community, as well as provide experience packages
• Conduct purposeful surveys and turn around the city, connecting with the local art and
the results into real actions; culinary scene. This can be powered by a branded
• Collect first-hand data through IoT and application or platform, which can also include

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 discounted offers to local restaurants, stores and neighbourhood-related questions and submit answers
so on. Setting up purposeful partnerships with local in an open chat forum. Other users were able to follow
companies will ensure benefits to both parties, as certain topics or swipe Q&A cards in a Tinder-like
tenants will be happy to receive exclusive discounts format to get familiar with the local environment. On the
and local experiences, while commercial parties can other hand, Bulletin, which was launched only in the
grow their customer base, fostering the local economy. United States, was created to give people the ability to
share hyperlocal stories about their community as well
One example of a coliving concept that has put as promote what is happening in the neighbourhood
communities and neighbourhoods at the center in real time. While both platforms shut down, Google
of their model is Venn, which brands itself as The declared it will continue to experiment with other
Neighbourhood Company. Venn implemented an solutions in an effort to support the creation of more
operating system for the neighbourhood, giving inclusive and human-centric neighbourhoods.
residents meaningful ways to connect with neighbours
both virtually and in real life, attend local events, shop KEY TAKEAWAYS
locally and submit maintenance requests. The platform
is powered and co-created by the users themselves, Establishing deep connections is much easier and
who are able to organise volunteer events and provide faster if people in the community are just a short walk
continuous feedback to improve the application. away. Relationship building is part of the appeal of
coliving: in a society where a lot of our social networks
Another company that is empowering engaged highly depend on our work, connecting with people in
communities is Built-ID, which through their a different way looks like a refreshing idea.
breakthrough platform Give My View has collaborated
with real estate businesses such as The Collective, In today’s era, creating original digital experiences to
First Base, CEG, Flagship Group and even with the support thriving communities is not anymore a “nice
University of Oxford and the City of London. Their to have”, but a necessity. The positive side is that
breakthrough engagement platform – which can be technology offers plenty of possibilities to explore,
customised for specific needs following thorough including platforms and digitally enabled frameworks
digital consulting activities – uses the gamification connecting buildings to the neighbourhood and local
principle to encourage digital engagement, reach new economy, which can bring numerous benefits for all
audiences and provide better community feedback parties involved.
through interactive surveys. Moreover, the Give My
View features do not stop with residents, as they can Selecting the right tools to foster communities
also support in engaging and collecting feedback from online and offline is a task that requires alignment
employees and other stakeholders. with the business and brand strategy, as well as an
understanding of current and future tenants. One
There are some other available solutions to build size does not fit all, and what works in one location
and maintain engaging communities, from platforms for a small community might nor work for another.
focusing on the connection between tenants and Leveraging the industry know-how and having an
the local community, to applications centered more overview of the tech landscape in coliving, Digital
on member-to-member interaction, to community- Estate helps in the match-making process. Digital
run platforms or even more comprehensive Estate scopes, seizes and curates the best-in-class
solutions including integrated property and resident solutions for coliving, including community apps and ABOUT DIGITAL ESTATE
management platforms. platforms. When there is no match, Digital Estate can
ideate, design, develop, integrate and automate tailor- Digital Estate can help you find or design and build the digital solution that is most appropriate for
Even the biggest tech companies like Google are made solutions that are well-fitted to your business your needs, elevating the experience of multiple real estate stakeholders, from building companies,
experimenting with different ways to empower local needs. to investors, to operators, to community managers until the end customers (the residents). Through
communities. Over the last few years the company providing easy-to-apply solutions, we are looking into the democratisation of the technological
launched two platforms, Neighbourly and Bulletin, To conclude, it is important to highlight that technology revolution in real estate. Digital Transformation does not have to be complex, let us help you. To start
which were both discontinued but suggest a high can support in empowering communities, but it does your journey with Digital Estate, reach out to our team here, or get in touch with our Head of Business
interest by the tech giant to reinforce their localisation not create them, nor ensure their long-term success. Development & Growth, Karolina Sawicka, for partnership opportunities or other enquiries.
efforts. Their crowdsourcing app Google Neighbourly, Social resilience is a shared effort that has to be
which was only available in India, enabled users to ask continuously nurtured.

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 COLIVING AWARDS

As the main partner of Coliving Awards, the first-ever ceremony

dedicated to highlighting key innovators, actors and ideas that are
shaping the coliving industry, we released a special edition. With this
publication, we showcase the awarded projects and practices that are
shaping the future of coliving and introduce the winners, partners, jury
and other contributors of the 2021 Coliving Awards.

Coliving Awards shed a light on the projects and creative minds which
are pushing the coliving industry forwards, and this publication is the
opportunity to discover the winners, finalists and honourable mentions
of this first-ever ceremony. Their creativity, innovation and originality

C O L I V I N G AWA R D S .C O M
are propelling the coliving sector to new heights and setting a quality
standard within the industry, and we dive deep into the reasons behind
their success.

From its early beginning to the ceremony, this exclusive edition unfolds
Coliving Awards’ creation and history. The purpose of Coliving Awards
is to give visibility to the most creative minds and inspire the next

Coliving Awards
generation of real estate market players by showcasing innovative
solutions and novel concepts.

We also feature the partners that supported Coliving Awards throughout

Special Edition this edition, as well as present the panel of industry leaders, creatives,
influencers and experts in the shared living sector who contributed to
ensure a high level of competition.

With this special edition, we want to share the why and what of this
years’ winning projects as well as bring you closer to Coliving Awards’

Fostering innovation philosophy and ideas behind the initiative.

within coliving

D ow nl oa d P ub l ic ation

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 HOW COLIVING OPERATORS
ARE FACILITATING
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITIES

Coliving operators have a special function that is often under emphasised: to be socially responsible. The idea of a
product selling itself rings ever-more true for operators, who, in building a thriving coliving community, will see that it is
the community that makes a space both experienceable and marketable. As our contributors in this section will show,
it is the facilitation of those authentic and human intricacies of the customer journey (and of the individuals themselves)
that distinguishes an average coliving experience from an excellent one. From Together Co-Living to EPISODE to
OpenDoor, these unique perspectives on facilitating community will illuminate how to achieve exactly that.

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 What does fostering thriving communities mean
HOW COLIVING OPERATORS ARE FACILITATING for Episode? How are you building and fostering

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITIES authentic communities within your coliving spaces

for both residents and locals? What is your overall
vision of community and what are some of the main
challenges you have identified while building out
your Episode ecosystems?
EPISODE, WHERE VARIOUS IDEAS
AND STORIES OF LIFE COME TOGETHER Community is the medium for conveying the brand
values of Episode. It allows the residents to directly
An interview with Si-Hyun Lim & Joo-Hyun Lee and indirectly experience the values that Episode
embodies, such as sharing for better urban life,
symbiosis, sustainability, expansion to locals and self-
development.

Through this, we can achieve two things: one is to

Launched in 2019, Episode is a Korea-based residential brand that positions itself as a ‘Life Experience Producer’ increase the satisfaction of the actual living experience
providing solutions for better city life. Episode creates a variety of experienceable spaces where individuals can for residents who choose to live in Episode, and the
improve their quality of life and grow their values beyond their basic needs. As the winner of ‘Best Coliving Operator second is to provide our core values to potential
of the Year’ for The Coliving Awards 2021, we wanted to sit down with them to learn more about their ‘Living Cultural customers who have not yet moved into Episode
Platform’, and how they facilitate the constructive co-existence of individuals and communities. In this interview but can experience our brand via community
piece with Si-hyun Lim and Joo-hyun Lee of the Content Team at Episode, we explore their integrated model for the programmes and promotional events.
development, planning and operations of successful long-term coliving communities.
The key to the Episode community programme is that
it is not enforced. We think the essence of a community
is to create communal areas that provide the space
for authentic connection and engagement.
You call yourselves ‘Life Experience Producers’ We think the ultimate value of coliving is ‘coexistence’
that are building a ‘Living Cultural Platform’. Can and ‘growth’. To reach that stage, we try to give our We hope that the relationships formed through the
you tell us a bit what that means exactly and how homes an intrinsic value, the feeling of being the Episode community will provide an opportunity for
this translates into your integrated coliving model? safest and most comfortable communal homes to live our residents to experience and discover new things
in. Through diverse spaces (private and public) and as they live together as members of the community,
In the process of planning the first Episode, we wanted services, we have created a unique atmosphere that and to use the experience to further develop
to provide a new living experience solution that could only the residents of Episode can experience, and themselves. For example, when COVID-19
overcome the current challenges of urban living for provided a variety of layouts to align with the diverse first started, there were naturally many concerns
individuals who are curious and sensitive to new needs of our residents. amongst the community. However, we found that
changes. the interest in health and meditation has significantly
In all stages – before moving in, planning and design increased in the last year, so we began hosting
The goal of this solution is to provide a better city – we try to provide better experiences than the existing remote programmes related to these areas of wellness.
life for those individuals, and to that end as a ‘Life housing options in Korea and create a sense of
Experience Producer’, we aim to improve a large part solidarity among residents after the move-in phase. We also changed our communication strategy to
of life for people living in urban centres. We build a We create an environment where our residents can promote our content in different ways. With the
variety of experienceable spaces where individual naturally familiarise and communicate with each other concepts of ‘livelihood’ and ‘community’ in mind,
values and tastes can grow beyond the basic needs in the early stages of moving in. When hosting such we started to send the message that everyone is safe
for home, such as noise reduction, sanitation and events, we serve food and drinks from local cafes and in our space. Our transition from holding in-person
security issues. We also foster a social community restaurants near Episode. By doing so, the residents events to conducting remote events has shifted the
to help with personal growth as well as with building get an opportunity to get to know each other and perspectives – and concerns – around community
relationships between neighbours. ultimately create bonds with little to no help from us events, and ultimately garnered a number of positive
as an operator. As the ‘self-sustaining’ community reviews amongst residents. To manage these
becomes stronger, its benefits and exchanges then responses more precisely and accurately, we created
expand to the wider community that includes local a measuring tool called the ‘Community Vitality Index’.
businesses and stakeholders.

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 Can you tell us more about your ‘Community In order to thrive as a coliving community and
Vitality Index’? From what we understand, brand you need to measure what you treasure!
this consists of 13 quantitative and qualitative How do you manage your community to improve
performance indexes to manage operational the metrics that you measure in your CVI?
excellence and quality within your communities.
Can you tell us about how this index was created We develop our community by focusing on three
and how it is implemented within your coliving aspects as follows:
spaces?
Diversity of community programs
We have established and used 13 detailed indexes
under six different categories – Number of Units, In addition to community events and programmes
Leasing, Financial, Facility & Community Management that our residents create, we plan and host a diversity
and ESG – to quantitatively evaluate our performance of other activities. We collaborate with leading
in regards to community and operations. Most of the companies and influencers in various fields to provide
indexes are benchmarked against the ones commonly diverse cultural experiences. For instance, we
used in the rental housing and hospitality industries. facilitated a range of community programmes such
In addition to this, we believe that there is a need as fitness, meditation, cooking, music and book clubs
for quantitative measurement of our community, last year. Furthermore, we planned the ‘Music Episode’
a key component of coliving. This is because we know series, which was particularly popular among our
community is the core element of coliving, and how residents, with a local service provider called
well we manage it can give Episode a competitive ‘Salon de Musique’.
edge within the coliving market. Therefore, we created
a new measurement tool called the Community Vitality Voluntary participation of residents
Index (CVI).
We encourage voluntary participation and engagement
As you can see in the table below, we initially amongst our residents. The community managers work
developed the index based on the data we had very hard to create an ideal coliving atmosphere which
accumulated in the past. However, in the future, is also pleasant and comfortable for the residents,
we believe that the ultimate goal of our CVI is to but in the end, it is the residents who make up the
objectively evaluate the degree of community activity community and our unique atmosphere. Thus, we aim
within our spaces and to continuously develop these to create an environment where residents create the
activities. We plan to add more indexes which we brand by their active and voluntary participation into
consider to be important aspects in operating a events and other aspects of communal life.
thriving community such as program diversity,
local expansion and sustainability. Expansion into the local community

Episode community has a community expansion

plan that extends from mingling amongst residents
in the building to local stakeholders, and even further
to global communities. Currently, we invite local
companies to community programmes to hold
events and promote collaborations with local
exhibitions and food markets. In the near future,
we also plan to provide integrated membership
and packaging products in partnership with other
coliving brands in Asia.

Part of any coliving ecosystem is about

building out both a B2B and B2C community of
stakeholders. Could you explain how you are
fostering relationships with local and international
coliving industry players and other stakeholders

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 (e.g. academic institutions such as Seoul National Finally, a thriving coliving brand and community Community programmes for a healthier society
University) to help optimise your product and requires sustainability and wellbeing to be
model? embedded into their model. What is Episode We actively link local stores to community
doing to create positive social, environmental and programmes. We invite local restaurants and shops
We have had sustained global PR efforts since economic impact and how does this ultimately to host in-person events and introduce them to our
Episode’s launch in 2019, and thanks to these enhance the overall community and user residents through our social media channels.
continuous communications, we have been seeing experience? This contributes to the adaptation of our residents
positive results. For example, we have signed an MOU into the area and the economic development of small
in 2020 with a Japan-based coliving brand called We are implementing key sustainability initiatives in line local business owners, resulting in high satisfaction
HafH to help promote one another and explore joint with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for all. Starting in 2021, we have been organising
membership packages. In addition, we are planning such as affordability, clean energy, responsible a new plogging crew to encourage community service,
to improve our membership package in collaboration consumption and others. We expect these efforts will and are planning on gradually diversifying the content
with other international partners to launch enhanced expand the inspiration for a better city living to non- of our activities to promote healthier and thriving
products in the global market. With leading Korean residents by encouraging our sustainable lifestyles lifestyles.
and global organisations, we have been collaborating amongst our residents. Our sustainability efforts
to do the following: include the following: All in all, we believe that residents can increase their
identity and pride in life by recognising and controlling
Exchange with the global coliving sector Sustainable design and construction the environmental impact caused by their activities as
much as possible. They can enjoy the services they
In addition to our MOU with HafH, we are also When constructing new buildings, we use eco- want at any time and become healthy citizens who are
exploring joint product development with other friendly (and energy-efficient) materials to meet more aware of the impact they will have on society.
Asian coliving players. We are considering various green building certification criteria. In fact, the latest We aim to perfect our ESG-based living operations
options such as co-creating content and surveys, Episode buildings have been acknowledged for their and hope that these efforts can inspire residents and
and developing membership products that would energy efficiency by related ministries in Korea. For non-residents alike to experience better city life with
enable members to stay with different coliving example, our upcoming sites, Episode Seocho393 and Episode.
brands for a discounted price. Stay tuned! Gangnam262, have received the highest certifications
in terms of energy efficiency and other sustainability We are creating a new urban life where residents are
Research activities for products that reflect criteria. in harmony with one another and the local community,
changes in how we live enjoy convenient services and practice ethical values
Providing a living service that maximises shared such as environmental protection and wellness.
In the mid- to long-term, we are envisioning products resources We aim to create spaces of higher value through
that reflect the residential behaviour of not only young cooperation with various industry players and other
single-person households, but also seniors. To start We actively utilise sharing economy and ESG stakeholders in Korea and abroad.
this initiative, we are planning a study on the living principles from planning stage to in-house life. We invite you to join!
behaviours of single-person households with the Big Two flagship services which are shared are
Data Laboratory of a local university. The purpose of transportation and furniture subscription services.
the study is to analyse how long residents use each Our residents can easily use electric vehicles and
space in their houses and what they use the spaces micro mobilities that are parked and available on-
for according to gender, age and other profile features. site. With complimentary electric battery chargers
This can then be reflected in the spatial design of installed on-site, we encourage residents to use
new projects or utilised to figure out inconveniences non-petrol transportation. Also, residents can style
people experience unconsciously, which can then furniture according to their preferences at any time
help develop our new living services. without unnecessary consumption and waste with our
furniture subscription service. We currently provide
We are also enhancing the public exposure of more than 50 items including tables, chairs, closets,
the coliving industry by interacting with the global home appliances and so on, and from this summer
platforms mentioned above and conducting research onwards, 100 more items will be added to the list.
and other activities to create smart products that With this furniture subscription service, even short-
reflect the lifestyle of several generations. We think term residents can decorate their space with minimal
it’s the essence of every business to match potential furniture waste and cost.
customers with relevant products, and this has been
the core of our strategy since the start.

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 SI-HYUN LIM - Content Team at D&D Property Management

Si-hyun joined as an early member of D&D Property Management and is responsible for planning the company’s
strategic initiatives and future business verticals. She has contributed to the creation of indexes to measure the
performance of Episode, and currently focuses on developing new projects and designing subscription services.

JOO-HYUN LEE - Content Team at D&D Property Management

Joo-hyun is responsible for setting strategies for new business such as living services. She has a strong positive drive
thanks to her previous experience in sales positions. She is now mainly engaged in the development of D&D Property
Management’s living service platforms and B2B partnerships.

ABOUT D&D PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

D&D Property Management is a property operating arm of SK Holdings Group in South Korea.
We are operating a residential brand called Episode, which has been attempting to create better
city life since 2019. Episode’s products and services focus on providing flexible residential space,
amenities and community, targeting single person households – especially young professionals.
Episode is currently operating 680 units, and preparing to open four more locations in Seoul’s central
residential areas by 2021, reaching 2,500+ units. As a ‘Life and Space Value Creator’, D&D Property
Management also carries out various life and space-related businesses such as living spaces,
work spaces and commercial spaces.

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 HOW COLIVING OPERATORS ARE FACILITATING
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITIES

TOGETHER CO-LIVING – BUILDING COLIVING

SPACES AS A NEW WAY TO CONNECT
By Alex Chakrabarti

It’s one thing to speak of community experience; actualising it is a whole different ball game. It is not enough to simply
lump residents together in a space and expect genuine human interactions to emerge. In this piece, Alex Chakrabarti
of Together Co-Living shares the ways in which coliving operators can create an atmosphere capable of manifesting
new relationships, unforgettable memories and experiences suitable for the demands of modern coliving residents.

Together Co-Living is the first coliving concept of all instantly feel that they are a part of a community.
its kind in Australia, fueled by the aim to reshape There needs to be an emotional connection between
the community living landscape. It introduces to residents, shared values, regular engagement
Melbourne an all-in-one living solution that’s affordable, and collaboration. As a coliving operator, Together
stylish and hassle-free. Having only recently opened Co-Living helps facilitate relationships amongst guests
their doors in January 2021, Together Co-Living caters and connect them to the local neighbourhood.
to a variety of audiences, and their design-driven
site offers 455 well-appointed rooms for students, With this in mind, Together Co-Living always strives to
travellers, digital nomads and young professionals involve residents in the creation of their community in
alike. a safe way and in compliance with local government
regulations. The monthly event calendar is made up
Bringing a new standard of coliving to the inner- of engaging experiences that reflect guests’ interests
city suburb of Preston, the entire space is designed based on their own suggestions, what they previously
to create a perfect harmony between privacy and enjoyed or what activities they are personally involved
community, indoor and outdoor living, work and play. in. For instance, one of the residents, who runs his own
Boasting a total communal area of 3300 sqm, Together business teaching people how to confidently sell their
Co-Living offers access to a restaurant and bar, a personal brand on camera, offered to run a workshop
fully equipped gym, an outdoor heated pool, sports for the coliving community. In another example, a pop-
courts, coworking spaces and other facilities such as up cinema evening was organised by the Together
communal kitchens – making it the ideal living hub Co-Living team, which received great feedback from
where residents can thrive, grow, feel at home and the community, which subsequently suggested what
make new connections. movies the members wanted to watch next. Every
resident can contribute to the growth and cultural
FOSTERING A MELBOURNE-BASED COLIVING enrichment of the community.
COMMUNITY
Together Co-Living’s events are not just a way to
The Together Co-Living team believes that the pass time for the residents, but have contributed
sense of community should not be forced, but rather to residents extending their stay and referring
encouraged and naturally facilitated. Just because a their friends and colleagues to move in as well.
number of people share one space doesn’t mean they Furthermore, local partners are being involved to

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 create these experiences for guests. This doesn’t COLIVING SPACES AS A NEW WAY TO CONNECT
just encourage the residents to get involved with their
broader community, but also strengthens partnerships Within the next decade, the emphasis on affordability
between Together Co-Living and surrounding and flexibility as key elements of coliving will keep
businesses. growing as a response to the demand for better
living solutions in order to face the increased cost
TOGETHER CO-LIVING’S COMMUNITY-BUILDING of living. The coliving sector is bridging the housing
APPROACH gap that isn’t supported by any of the other types of
accommodation categories. It gives flexibility and
Technology plays a large part in fostering a feeling of is a much welcomed departure from the traditional
community at Together Co-Living as well as supporting residential market.
the onboarding of new guests. Their custom-
developed app, the G App, gives residents The coliving sector has an undeniably promising future
the opportunity to connect on virtual notice boards as it gives individuals the ability to move about freely,
or via private messaging. All events are published on chase exciting career prospects and make memories
the G App, surveys are conducted and new residents through new experiences, all whilst connecting with
get the chance to introduce themselves. Constantly like-minded people and maintaining a healthy work/
improving this medium, Together Co-Living aims life balance. There is an emphasis on collaboration,
to make the G App an all-in-one virtual solution for convenience, cost and community that makes coliving
residents to communicate, meet their neighbours unique. As human beings, we want to belong and
and share knowledge. coliving spaces like Together Co-Living can help pave
the path towards a new lifestyle.
Another important factor in how community is built
within Together Co-Living is the abundance of
communal spaces. Whether you want to work out
together in the gym, enjoy a meal in the restaurant,
cook in the communal kitchen or brainstorm in one
of the meeting rooms – Together Co-Living is built to
foster genuine interpersonal engagements.

Located in Melbourne’s most up-and-coming suburb, ALEX CHAKRABARTI - VP Operations Australia at Together Co-Living
Together Co-Living is also a welcomed addition to
Alex is currently the Vice President of Operations at Together Co-Living, overseeing operations in Australia, bringing to
Preston, set to bring a dynamic wave of creative
the table over 25 years of experience in the global hospitality industry. Alex previously held several key appointments
energy and economic boost to the local area. Located such as General Manager in high-end hotels in Europe, China and South East Asia, in addition to Vice President of
within easy access to bus, tram and train lines – Human Resources & Talent Development for GCP Hospitality and Head of Hospitality with Heeton Holdings.
connecting residents to key working and shopping Alex brings a wealth of operational experience combined with his passion for service excellence and inexhaustible
positive energy ensure that Together Co-Living provides a unique Co-Living experience to all residents allowing them
precincts, along with top universities – the site is also
to thrive and enjoy a quality of life.
a short walk away from the vibrant High Street, with
a wide selection of markets, restaurants and bars
located on both sides of Bell Street.

By partnering up with local businesses and frequently

holding community events to place the spotlight on ABOUT TOGETHER CO-LIVING
various initiatives, whether it be in F&B, education,
wellness or fitness, Together Co-Living becomes an Launched in January 2021, Together Co-Living redefines living experiences to offer a convenient,
active member of the neighbourhood and strives to design-led and cost-effective way of living in one of the most up-and-coming suburbs of Melbourne,
always uplift the local community. For example, a Australia. Together Co-Living combines the pursuit of a lifestyle that is focused on community and
nearby martial arts studio offers free Muay Thai classes interactivity with the perks of additional space and privacy by providing 455 fully furnished rooms,
for residents, the local hairdresser discounted their state-of-the-art facilities including an open-air swimming pool, gym, co-working spaces, eatery & bar
prices for Together Co-Living guests and an amazing and 20+ exciting events organised monthly, driven by a community spirit.
life coach from Preston gives free clarity sessions, just
to name a few of Together’s partnerships.

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 today (Farmhouse residents still recruit, vet and select
HOW COLIVING OPERATORS ARE FACILITATING 100% of their incoming housemates). As our second

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITIES project, we bought and renovated a 3-unit building in

Oakland and transformed a duplex into ‘The Canopy’
– a single 12-bedroom coliving home. By the time we
did our third project, we had learned that property
management would be the core of our business model.
EVERYONE DOES We partnered with a family office who acquired

THE DISHES an Oakland mansion so gorgeous that Ben and

I decided to move in.
By Jay Standish
For the next four and a half years, Ben and I got
another chance to roll up our sleeves as founding
residents, and lived together in ‘Euclid Manor’.
Using this house as the latest DNA, we launched
project after project, and gained unexpected insights.
Understanding community means understanding its intricacies; and it is these nuances of community where the
We uncovered the essential factors that make coliving
difference between operational excellence and averageness in coliving lies. In relating to the experiences of a
not just a pleasant housing option, but an impactful life
new member, operators can better comprehend the winding process of individual growth that takes place, and
experience.
accordingly facilitate this growth into a thriving community. Jay Standish – Co-Founder at OpenDoor – takes us
through this very journey with a sense of clarity that can only come from years of experience, while offering his
THE SOCIAL NUANCES OF LIVING TOGETHER
approach to manifesting the most essential elements of human interaction.

After our first few houses, we thought we had it all

figured out. Some things went effortlessly, and some
were mistakes, so we applied those learnings to the
THE EARLY DAYS OF THE COLIVING MOVEMENT expenses, and eventually learned that an “everything next batch of houses. But it turns out that starting
included” system was the best. I was frequently communities is almost like raising kids – each one
The Early Days of the Coliving Movement grumpy before coffee, which rubbed Zac the wrong is radically different and presents new problems
way, so Meredith showed us how to mediate and and opportunities. They also grow and mature over
Eight years ago I packed my things into a U-Haul reconcile tensions. We wanted to live with people time. They ask for money and get annoyed with their
and drove from Seattle to Oakland. I had just finished who were more than just roommates, so we had an parents. Culture manifests itself differently each time,
business school, and had about two thousand dollars elaborate application, asking questions like “how so it’s easy to draw false conclusions based on one
to my name. I didn’t have an apartment or a job lined would you donate a billion dollars?”. or two similarities. After launching 16 communities,
up. I was headed to crash on my friend Zac’s floor, we now have enough experience to draw a common
joining my friend Ben to scout for the biggest house Ben and I went into business together within the first thread.
we could find. month at The Sandbox House. Another month later,
CNN was on our doorstep recording footage. We had Reviving Dormant ‘Social DNA’
A few months before, there had been a moment struck a nerve. There was a fresh feeling of excitement,
when it had clicked for us. As we faced the end of as a broader swath of people yearned for more social Humans are innately social – we are a species that
grad school, none of us knew what was next, but we connection. The attraction of community living was has lived in bands and tribes for millions of years.
decided we didn’t need to do it alone. We loved the expanding beyond the usual suspects of alternative Only in the past few hundred years, with the advent
feeling of finishing each other’s sentences and building Berkeley co-op houses. People wanted it, but it was of industrial society, has it been feasible to live an
off each other’s ideas. We wanted to keep it going to too hard to get accepted into the handful of community isolated life disconnected from a supportive group,
help each other figure out the next phase of life. houses that existed. There was no one approaching family, clan or village. Many residents who join our
We would rent a huge house and find other people the problem professionally to expand availability and communities are new to the concept of communal
who had that glimmer in their eye. We didn’t have to address common pitfalls. living, with perhaps a dorm or fraternity experience
the answers, but we had a way forward. to draw upon. Some people come in worried about
For our first project as a company, we master-leased a losing something, and have difficulty compromising.
We found an old 8-bedroom craftsman in Berkeley, 16-bedroom Victorian home. Dubbed ‘The Farmhouse,’ They are used to having to fend for themselves in our
and soon were scouring Craigslist for housemates and we invited 5 friends with complimentary personalities society. These people come in focused on protecting
new furniture. Starting ‘The Sandbox House’ taught to be the founding team. What emerged was an and securing what is best for themselves, and to some
us a lot. We tried different ways of sharing grocery incredibly self-organising culture that is going strong extent view the needs and considerations of others

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 as a threat. As they loosen up in community, a more Once trust is predominant, the attention of the group COMMUNITY AT SCALE
generous and trusting stance toward cohabitating can shift from defining problems to creating solutions.
with others emerges naturally. Our job as facilitators It starts to be fun as people relax their personal As OpenDoor grows larger, a major focus is on how
is to help people get through the bumps in the road preferences. The wellbeing of the group becomes just to facilitate the same kind of depth with much larger
that could hinder them from shifting into this pro-social as important as getting one’s way on any item. People groups of people. Our latest projects are 78- and
stance. begin to say things like “I would prefer we be a shoes- 52-bedroom micro-apartment buildings with common
off household, but if it makes everyone feel more spaces. A full explanation of our systems, software
From Safety to Agency to Expression relaxed to keep shoes on, I’m happy to take on the and approach would be too long for this article,
vacuuming chore to meet my need for cleanliness in but it’s worth sharing a few highlights on how we
To radically oversimplify, we’ve noticed that there a different way.” When these win-win style statements approach the issue.
are roughly three stages that both individuals and are made without resentment, it’s a sign that agency is
communities move through as a group forms, gels beginning to prevail. Break it Down
and matures. At any given time, there will be people
who are at different stages in the process. Each of At this stage, people begin to act earnestly and Like most operators approaching larger projects,
these themes will recur for different people at different constructively to benefit the group. This pragmatism we’ll be breaking buildings down into smaller social
times – you don’t get “over” safety entirely, but it may breeds a better-functioning household with less sub-groups of roughly 10-15 people. We’ve found this
become less of a major factor as you get comfortable breakdowns and logistical issues. The reduction to be a good size in our previous projects. We aren’t
in the group. These three stages include safety, of problems begins to fuel a positive trend toward really starting communities of 300 people – we’re
agency and expression, as described below: harmony. Emotions in groups are contagious, so as creating a building that will contain 20 communities
people invest in the wellbeing of the group, everyone of 15 people each, just like an apartment building
1. Safety receives the emotional dividends. This further fuels the contains families of 2-5 people each.
Archetypal statement: “I’m not going to lose what I relaxing of personal preferences because the positive
have. I’ll be no worse off.” emotions of the group directly benefit the individual. Starting is Easy; Changing is Hard
In other words, you care more about the group
The first stage that the person and group need to feeling good than having your personal preferences We’ve found it’s easier to start a community off on
establish is a basic sense of trust. People need to fulfilled. These preferences lose their emotional weight good footing than it is to right the ship when things
know that their things won’t be stolen and that their because the emotional value we get from friendship is get rough. In all our projects we’ve recruited early
identity will be accepted. Some people may come in larger than the peace we get from the arrangement of residents to breathe life into the group, and have
with a higher degree of self-confidence and innate shoes. offered ever more comprehensive workshops, trainings
sense of safety in the world at large, and these people and toolkits for living together. Today this looks like
can be helpful early facilitators for the group. People 3. Expression a 4-month community-building residency where early
who come in with a lower innate sense of safety will Archetypal statement: “I get value out of you being residents forge early bonds, create vision and values,
inevitably test the group, and this will frequently result happy. By focusing on giving more than receiving, I charter shared agreements and create a stable
in the first bump in the road that the group needs to feel myself growing into a fuller expression of myself.” foundation. This foundation creates a coherent sense
navigate. Through the process of making everyone of place that subsequent residents are invited into.
feel safe, it’s common that the people who felt the This is a stage that won’t begin for at least a year, if at
most “triggered” – and may have even threatened to all. At this stage, friendships have deepened in a way Everyone does the dishes; everyone builds
leave – become some of the strongest leaders and that people feel deeply understood for who they are. community
contributors. This may be because it is a new and The home becomes a place where people act naturally
rare experience for them to feel held, supported and and feel comfortable being themselves without effort. In many ways, “building community” is more a way of
accepted, and a previously repressed part of them is Beyond the basic logistics of managing a home “being” than a tactical “doing” and as such, we view
unlocked and empowered in the process. together, at this stage creativity and originality bloom. every touchpoint with our residents as an opportunity
People may finally muster the courage to quit jobs, to nudge things in a good direction. We need to
Once most members of the community feel safe change careers, learn an instrument or fall in love. model the kind of culture and behaviour that we know
most of the time, it frees up an enormous amount In the home, new projects, elaborate decoration, makes communities thrive. Every member of our
of emotional energy that would otherwise be spent unique events, costume parties, playful dances staff is involved in community building, and we run
worrying, posturing and negotiating. and late-night philosophical conversations flourish. our company as a community itself, so every team
The community has such strong positive emotion member has a palpable experience of the benefits
2. Agency that challenges are addressed very early and of community. This also means that all residents are
Archetypal statement: “I can take measures to improve don’t get a chance to fester into resentment. responsible for building community. Although we do
my life that also create win-wins with my housemates.” have on-site resident managers, really their role is to
encourage the participation and leadership of as many

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 residents as possible. Community is not a transactional affordability benefits and investor alpha as coliving
product that can be bought and consumed. It is an without the social risk of shared spaces.
authentic set of relationships that imparts the greatest
benefits to those who nurture it. Is there a real cultural shift happening? If values
are bending toward conviviality, socialisation and
Diversity and Difference Get us Farther relationships, at some point consumers will develop
a more discerning taste for which coliving project
The fundamental challenge of all groups, teams, they will move into. I would welcome a shift of attention
companies and collectives is about managing from courting institutional investors to capturing
differences. You need people with different skill sets consumer market share by resonating authentically
and backgrounds to solve different kinds of problems. with our ultimate customers – everyday people. The
But these people don’t always agree on how to industry has been fairly insular and “B2B”-focused,
move forward together. If we put 10 identical people and I’d love to see coliving have a bolder expression
together, there will be no challenges, but there will in public life. Still, most of the articles about coliving
also be no depth, growth, creativity or insight. feature the businesses behind the projects. I’d like
Our work is about tying together broader nets that can to see more emphasis and curiosity about what it’s
hold a wider range of people and allow them to feel like to be immersed in community, and hear about
safe. Luckily, it’s the collective brilliance of this kind of the real impact it has on people’s lives. The defining
multi-talented group that enables the very adaptation characteristic of coliving is socialisation, so for the
and flexibility that allows it to succeed. concept to achieve reliable, long-term success, we
can’t just focus on making real estate deals happen,
LOOKING BACK ON 8 YEARS IN COLIVING we need to become experts in helping people get
along with one another.
When we started OpenDoor and were trying to put
together our first few projects, the concept of coliving
was a new idea to all the developers and investors
that we spoke with. Not only were we a new company
with no capital, no track record and no projects, but
no one had ever heard of the housing product that we
were pitching. Over time other operators emerged,
bankrolled by VC checks, and the conversation
JAY STANDISH - Co-Founder at OpenDoor
changed as people warmed up to the concept. Fast
forward another 5 years, and now a number of those Jay is fascinated by the power of healthy groups and teams. During his undergrad, Jay co-founded a student-run
high-flying “name brand” startups have come and organic cafe that taught him the power of business as a vehicle for positive action. He then went on to co-found
the Impact Hub Seattle coworking space and study systems thinking at the Presidio MBA program. Jay led visual
gone. There are a handful of purpose-built coliving
communication at Accenture for the Agile adoption at AT&T. The three businesses Jay started have a combined
projects that have already come out of the ground operating history of 26 years. An avid surfer and outdoorsman, Jay has participated in four wilderness expeditions
in the US (including our own). But the vast majority over forty days.
of coliving bedrooms around the globe seem to
repurpose existing multifamily or hotel assets. Now
the conversation is about developing institutional-
scale projects, both to achieve economies of scale in
management and also unlock larger pools of capital.
ABOUT OPENDOOR
It’s incredible to see how many coliving operators
there are around the globe these days, and how well Founded in July 2013, OpenDoor manages 322 rooms across 16 properties and three markets:
funded the space has become. However, the concept The Bay Area, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. Building off a core value of social experience,
is probably better known by real estate investors than OpenDoor serves as a third party operator on most of its current assets, and has developed one
it is by everyday consumers. I’m interested to see ground-up project and one refit. OpenDoor’s future-facing pipeline is primarily focused on co-
how much mainstream cultural adoption the shared developing institutional scale, ground-up, built-to-suit coliving projects. OpenDoor is taking a vertically
lifestyle achieves. If the trend is mostly being driven by integrated approach through programmatic partnerships with equity funds and co-developers.
unaffordable rents in primary cities around the globe,
then micro-apartments probably achieve the same

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 OUTRO

As the coliving sector goes through market This edition takes a look at what community means
consolidation, many are trying to understand what this in regards to emerging and evolving shared living
specialist real estate model is really all about. Many models. We have explored how technology and
refer to the ‘3 C’s of Coliving’: cost, convenience and service design can be used to enhance operations
community. The theory goes that colivers “come for and ultimately facilitate thriving and sustainable
the cost and convenience and stay for the community”. coliving communities. We looked into pro-
However, recent articles like this one from Curbed environmental approaches and how they can help
highlight that ‘cost’ and ‘convenience’ are really what foster more ‘conscious coliving’ communities. All
attracts people to coliving and that ‘community’ is more in all, we have showcased the best practices and
of a nice-to-have. Some coliving operators have even innovations when it comes to community building in
distanced themselves from promoting community and coliving spaces.
what Curbed describes as the ‘capitalist commune’.
We do believe that ‘community’ is the ‘Big C’ in
Although affordability and convenience are key drivers coliving, and that without thriving communities, coliving
and USPs of the coliving model, we really do believe brands will struggle to differentiate themselves and
that community is the secret sauce. For us at Coliving stand the test of time. There is a reason why colivers
Insights – and for the contributors of this edition – “come for convenience and stay for the community”:
community is what distinguishes coliving from other because when individuals experience what it means
residential asset classes. But what does that really to live and thrive collectively, the social (and financial)
mean? What is community in theory and in practice? value far outweighs any of the practicalities. So while
coliving can be observed purely as a specialist
As Jay Standish from OpenDoor puts it in his article for real estate class with convenient and cost-friendly
this edition: “Community is not a transactional product service offers, it can also be viewed as a vehicle
that can be bought and consumed. It is an authentic towards a paradigm shift of more intentional and
set of relationships that imparts the greatest benefits sustainable communal living models. We understand
to those who nurture it.” So, how can coliving brands the importance of both avenues and will be right there
best nurture authentic relationships between residents, driving down these paths and others to support and
residents and staff and their coliving spaces and local showcase the best-in-class coliving innovators along
neighbourhoods? the way.

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 CONTRIBUTION

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 COLIVING INSIGHTS N07

Spatial Design &

Architecture for
Coliving
Coliving spaces require purposeful design that considers community,
wellbeing and sustainability. Innovative spatial design and architecture that
prioritises meaningful experiences and promotes connection is crucial for
the success of shared living schemes. In our next edition, we will look into
how designers and architects are creating coliving spaces that enhance
social interaction, personal and collective wellbeing and environmental
sustainability.

From renovated victorians to repurposed country homes and purpose-built

shared living developments, this edition will showcase the different scales,
aesthetics, typologies and flavours of the most innovative coliving spaces
around the world. A healthy and happy home should enable a feeling of
sanctuary, and incorporate aesthetically pleasing design that elicits pride
and identity in one’s surroundings. This edition will also showcase those that
are creating interior design and FF&E innovations that incorporate elements
of biophilia, uniqueness, personalisation and flexibility to do just that.

Coliving design is really about facilitating what happens ‘in-between the

walls’ through intentionally designed spaces. By putting the user first, the

Coliving Insights
contributors in this edition will show how they are using architecture and
design to create a new era of innovative, flexible, sustainable and comfortable
shared living spaces.

Edition N°7

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 IMPORTANT NOTICE COLOFON

This communication has been prepared by the Founding Partners and is distributed
under the Coliving Insights brand. It is not intended to constitute “research” as that
term is defined by applicable regulations.

You should assume the following: The Founding Partners may have relationships,
commercial or otherwise, and/or investments in the businesses referred to in this
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This communication is provided for information and discussion purposes only. A PRODUCTION OF COLIVING INSIGHTS
It does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instruments or
make investments. The information contained in this communication is based on generally Editor-in-Chief: Matt Lesniak
available information and, although obtained from sources believed by the Founding Text & Editing: Martin Sanchez-Locreille
Partners to be reliable, its accuracy and completeness is not guaranteed. Creative Direction: Bart Sasim
Head of Communications: Aitana de Jong
The Founding Partners shall have no liability to the user or to third parties, for the Production Assistant: Karolina Sawicka (SPX)
quality, accuracy, timeliness, continued availability or completeness of the data nor for Design: Sara Barahona (SPX) &
any special, direct, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage which may be Karolina Laptas (SPX)
sustained because of the use of the information in this communication or otherwise arising Marketing Executives: Zoé Pasquet (SPX) &
in connection with this communication, provided that this exclusion of liability shall not Cátia Delgado (SPX)
exclude or limit any liability under any law or regulation applicable to the Founding Partners
that may not be excluded or restricted. This edition would not be possible without
Spatial Experience (SPX)
The provision of information is not based on your individual circumstances and should not
be relied upon as an assessment of suitability. The Founding Partners are not acting as
your advisor, fiduciary or agent and the information herein does not constitute investment
advice or recommendation. Any trading or investment decisions you take are in reliance
on your own analysis and judgment and/or that of your advisors and not in reliance on
us. Therefore, prior to entering into any investment or transaction, you should determine,
without reliance on the Founding Partners, the economic risks or merits, as well as the
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