Do not underestimate the power of giving space an identity - particularly when it mirrors that of both the individual student and community residing in it. Within all the challenges that operators face in providing an optimal student coliving experience lies a human- centric solution. In this piece, Kelly-anne Watson, Head of Programmes at The Class Foundation, shows us that thinking outside the box, and not just simply ticking boxes, is the formula for designing sensational coliving experiences for students.

Understanding community means understanding its intricacies; and it is these nuances of community where the difference between operational excellence and averageness in coliving lies. In relating to the experiences of a new member, operators can better comprehend the winding process of individual growth that takes place, and 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 approach to manifesting the most essential elements of human interaction.

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.

Launched in 2019, Episode is a Korea-based residential brand that positions itself as a ‘Life Experience Producer’ providing solutions for better city life. Episode creates a variety of experienceable spaces where individuals can improve their quality of life and grow their values beyond their basic needs. As the winner of ‘Best Coliving Operator of the Year’ for The Coliving Awards 2021, we wanted to sit down with them to learn more about their ‘Living Cultural Platform’, and how they facilitate the constructive co-existence of individuals and communities. In this interview piece with Si-hyun Lim and Joo-hyun Lee of the Content Team at Episode, we explore their integrated model for the development, planning and operations of successful long-term coliving communities.

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.

Coliving is all about community; but first, we ought to take a step back. Community cannot be experienced without first being accessible to those who wish to participate in it. From curation to onboarding all the way through to the full in-house experience itself, access control plays a vital role in providing a sense of ease to residents, while granting operators the right tools to facilitate such a journey. In this piece, Anya Doshi, Christian Schmitz and Caterina Maoilini of SALTO Systems walk us through how the right access control system can be a gamechanger for your coliving space.

Great WiFi service in coliving spaces is not simply just about a fast connection; it’s about giving operators the free 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 and infrastructure to residential, commercial and office space operators. By providing a couple of real world cases of these impacts, author Vincent Jouan demonstrates how communities and operators can thrive when their connectivity and other digital touchpoints are taken care of.

Environmental issues and social connectivity are two of some of the biggest topics in our world today, in light of both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, Naima von Ritter Figueres and Penny Clark of Conscious Coliving address a vital point; how can a coliving community be fostered through sustainable practices? The authors show us that this focus can bring about a great win-win for people and the planet. Whether it’s through community gardening, developing an impact strategy or ‘community asset mapping’, this article demonstrates the importance of linking community to its surrounding environment.

Achieving scale is certainly an exciting prospect; however, reaching that scale does not come without its unintended compromises. It is crucial to stay locked in on those elements that not only keep a community intact, but perpetually improve upon the community-building process as you include more and more members to it. In this piece, Gui Perdrix, Founder of Art of Co & Director at Co-Liv, offers 10 best practices for integrating new residents into the coliving communal experience.

Building a community requires a holistic design thinking approach. This includes getting all the stakeholders around the table and developing both B2B and B2C strategies for your coliving concept. In this article, 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 method of building specialist real estate concepts and brands, and the importance of a thorough stakeholder -driven approach along the way.

Building a genuine coliving community is by no means a straightforward process; it requires attention to detail and a constantly evolving process that puts the needs of the consumer at the center. In this piece, Stuart Scott of Co-Living Spaces & The Co-Living Revolution tells us about an effective, human-centered approach to community building called service design thinking. With deep research to gain insights into your consumer, continual ideation, prototyping and a perpetual fine-tuning of the customer journey, he explains how service design truly serves as a blueprint for optimising your community coliving experience.

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.

Loneliness comes in different forms and has persisted throughout history; however, it hasn’t been quite as strong as the last few decades and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This global challenge has presented real estate with a distinguished issue – how do you help tenants overcome feelings of alienation and loneliness as a collective effort to combat the crisis? The answer, according to MyTown, is community. In this piece, Jelmer Ikink, Group Director of MyTown, educates us on the importance of shared living in addressing loneliness and showcases how they have been doing so since before the pandemic and onwards.

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.

Gui Perdrix, Founder of Art of Co and Director of Co-Liv, emphasises that technology should serve as a means to foster human connection. In this article, he shares compelling stories and insights into how innovative tech solutions can transform coliving spaces. From enhancing resident experiences to reimagining how we interact with shared environments, Gui demonstrates how coliving is poised for a radical evolution in the way we use and experience our spaces.

Coliving is not just a real estate revolution but a societal (r)evolution in its own right. Technology is a key cog in this process, allowing coliving to bring people together in ways other sectors simply cannot. In this article, Aitana de Jong of Spatial Experience explains how, by applying methodologies like Design Thinking and Growth-Driven Design, technology can take on a human-centric nature - a perfect compliment to the human-centric essence of coliving - and forever change real estate itself.

It is often said that the pandemic has turned the way we live our lives on its head; however, other societal trends have already been accelerating these changes, and coliving has proven to offer the kind of living solution most suitable for the current moment in time. As such, greater connectivity and sustainability must be continually pursued with the help of smart technologies, such as IoT, robotics, AI, contech, digitisation and more. In this article, Fanyu Lin and Alec Wang of Fluxus showcase how they are meeting the challenges of today by constructing prefabricated, energy efficient, connected and beautiful homes that enhance personal and community wellbeing.

Discover how managed WiFi solutions like Wifirst are transforming coliving and alternative real estate sectors. WaaS ensures reliable, secure connectivity, supports IoT integration, and optimizes energy use while reducing operational costs. With turnkey solutions tailored to high-density environments, WaaS enhances resident satisfaction and streamlines IT management, enabling operators to focus on their core services.

Digitalisation is transforming everything, and with real estate being the largest asset class in the world, it is inevitably at the heart of the revolution. But technology implemented without due diligence will not get your business where it wants to go. In this piece, Bart Sasim describe a variety of elements that a successful coliving business must take into account when selecting and implementing a truly experience-changing technology for all stakeholders involved.

Creating authentic community experiences is vital yet challenging for coliving operators. Naima Ritter, Head of Community & Wellbeing at Conscious Coliving, explores the business case for strong communities, common challenges, and how app solutions can address these. Drawing on research, software demos, and surveys of 30+ operators worldwide, the article highlights how technology can foster connection, streamline operations, and support vibrant coliving spaces.

Coliving consists of a wide and complex array of key actors and processes. As a result, a truly great coliving experience - at all stages of the member journey - must be facilitated by great services that can account for all these aspects - and in the 21st century, many of these services can be facilitated by technology. In this article, Christian Schmitz, Michael Steinmann and Connor Moore of Co-Liv explain how Co-Liv is working to further facilitate a stronger synergy within the Co-Liv Tech Community in order to propel the industry to greater heights than ever before, all while strengthening the interdependent community of service providers within it and helping them gain visibility throughout the sector.

Coliving continues to undergo a constant evolution as COVID-19 has shifted the sector to adapt buildings in newly functional ways - and software is here to help. Spaceflow’s Head of Marketing, Petr Boruta, explains how such technology is capable of integrating and digitising all aspects of the tenant experience; thus, transforming space itself into a connected and living sphere that can serve all of the tenant’s needs, all in one place.

Coliving and tech are a ‘match made in heaven’, according to Giles Horwitch-Smith, the founder and CEO of leading short-stay and long-stay residential software platform, res:harmonics. With 25 years’ experience in the property and tech worlds, Giles tells Coliving Insights how innovative technology can streamline coliving’s operations, enhance resident experience, boost operators’ profits and help them scale.

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Technology has allowed humans to accomplish extraordinary feats; however, technology on its own is not enough. By understanding all the steps along a coliving member’s journey, you can apply technology in ways that effectively facilitate an optimal community atmosphere for that member. Rick Schols, co-founder at Sowebuild, shows us how by stimulating practical engagement, providing seamless accessibility and driving connectivity, technology can help shape a flourishing community for all its members, from start to end of their journey.

If there is one thing managers and operators of coliving spaces absolutely cannot ignore, it is the customer experience. According to Vann Vogstad, Founder of COHO, this needs to be at the heart of proptech; however, it doesn’t stop there. The right solution for providing residents with a seamless and integrated experience requires having all of your functionalities together, in one place, and thus providing tenants the ultimate hassle-free experience. In this piece, Vann shows us that property management systems have a long way to go to meet the demands of the modern coliver, and COHO is dedicated to breaking the chain to do just that.

Property management and community building, particularly in coliving, can be a complex process. However, as Group Director of MyTown Jelmer Ikink demonstrates in this piece, having the right turn-key property management system can provide an all-inclusive operations platform to give your tenants’ the ultimate coliving experience. From rental payments to property maintenance to management of key business metrics, MyTown shows how they have developed in-house technology that can simplify, integrate and organise all of your management functions, all in one place.

In this interview, our Editor-in-Chief, Matt Lesniak, speaks with The Collective’s Group Technology Director Andy Caddy and Customer Experience Director Ed Thomas to share their unique insights on how technology can be used to go above and beyond in meeting the essential needs of coliving members and fostering a strong community atmosphere. Through the power of data and continual engagement, Ed and Andy elaborate on the challenges, opportunities and benefits of exploring and implementing proptech solutions in a coliving space. From transparent reporting on operational sustainability to forming social groups with shared interests, The Collective demonstrates why they are an illustrative example of the role technology can play in optimising the coliving experience.

Technology in today’s real estate market is the difference between a standard coliving experience, and an exceptional one. But what exactly is that difference? For Hélène Maria, Product Manager at Urban Campus, it’s about a more engaged community, environmental sustainability and managerial ease. In this piece, she explains how tech serves to enable coliving operators to provide a wide variety of benefits for all stakeholders involved.

We live in a truly exceptional time period, in which technology is allowing us to turn what we imagine real estate should be into what it can and will be. Particularly for coliving operators, a whole new set of possibilities unravels by implementing technology, particularly when it comes to revolutionising what is the core of coliving - the community experience. In this piece, Carlos de la Lama-Noriega - founder of Startup Embassy - educates and inspires us to use our imagination in order to realise the many ways in which tech can push the limits of what it means to operate a coliving space in the era of digitalisation.

In this article, founders of Miele Operations & Payment Solutions provide insights into their idea of a state-of-the-art solution for laundry technology and why they believe their appWash service is a fitting contribution to the range of amenities offered by coliving operators. They take us through their European study trip and how they gathered user data to create the customer-centric laundry technology they provide to shared living spaces across Europe.

While subscription based services have been around for quite some time now, the high demand for flexible living by younger generations means it’s time for coliving and real estate to join the movement. Whether its providing consumers with a greater variety of choice or offering easy access to service and amenities, subscription-based coliving has much to offer. In this article, Spatial Experience shares insights into the opportunities, challenges and benefits of implementing subscription economy solutions to the shared living sector.

Despite the increasingly widespread need for coliving, meeting this demand is not a straightforward process by any means. Restrictions such as limited convertible spaces, existing building codes and the tension between growth and efficiency are all factors that can inhibit growth. In this article, our Think Tank Partner MyTown describes how their own experiences in the Philippines serve as a model for how operators can navigate such challenges, and thus achieve a sustainable and profitable coliving growth model.

In this interview, we speak to Fredéric Verdavaine, CEO of Private Rental Sector (PRS), and Marie-Suzanne Locqueneux, New Business Development Director at Nexity. They are responsible for developing and improving their PRS concepts, including their coliving, PBSA and senior living verticals from development to operations. In this article, they share their perspectives on recent alternative real estate trends and what the coliving sector needs to do to consolidate itself.

Starcity is a California-based owner-operator that has recently expanded to Europe and acquired another large scale coliving operator. In this article they share how they have gotten to this point and give some insights into the specific development processes involved in a few of their recent purpose-built coliving schemes. They also share how their R&D and development teams partner up with industry leaders to help pave the way for shared living policies and institutionalisation.

The past decade has seen extraordinary growth and change in shared living. The Class of 2020 was founded as a think tank to solve the student housing crisis, and has seen the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) industry take off, mature as an asset class and bring prosperity and vibrancy to European cities. To celebrate The Class of 2020’s Graduation Conference, Programme Coordinator Lily Moodey and The Class of 2020 team curated an agenda of visionary thinkers and practitioners to comment on the trends shaping the next decade of living in university cities. In this article, Lily shares the most relevant findings for coliving players as they scale from providing spaces to solutions to global challenges.

One of our main objectives at Coliving Insights is to help ensure the coliving sector becomes a fully-fledged alternative residential asset class. Fortunately for us, we are not the only ones on this mission. Susan Tjarksen, Managing Director of Multifamily Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, is another shared living ambassador who has supported the institutionalisation of the asset class through her work delivering multifamily apartments, publishing trend reports and speaking at conferences, summits and panels. As the ‘SCALE’ chapter sponsor, Susan speaks to us on behalf of Cushman & Wakefield and shares her thoughts about what it will take to bring the shared living sector to the next level. In this interview piece, Susan shares the important part that coliving plays in keeping young urban professionals housed and connected at an obtainable rental level.

Learn from Naima Ritter at Conscious Coliving on facilitating authentic community in coliving. Explore key points from The Community Facilitation Handbook, understanding the role of Community Facilitator and creating an organic, authentic coliving environment.

Discover SALTO Systems' expert advice to enhance coliving with technology integration, streamline operations, and scale your business. Learn best practices for software integration, automate billing cycles, manage applications, and strengthen your community. Choose tailored third-party integrations for your specific needs.

What does it take to achieve communal excellence in coliving? According to Art of Co founder Gui Perdrix, the answer lies in experience creation. In this piece, Gui details what he calls the Art of Coliving methodology. By working with dozens of coliving operators and community builders, Gui has developed a variety of strategies that can be implemented to build a truly state-of-the-art coliving experience.

This article highlights Samesame, Lisbon's first Portuguese coliving space, and its ethos. It emphasises personalised service, community, and sustainability. The founders embrace creativity, and community, operating at a micro-scale to ensure a positive global impact. Samesame strives to be a cultural home and is committed to fostering a shift from an ego- to eco-based culture through shared living.

As a relatively nascent industry, coliving is full of promise - but as with any up-and-coming product, also a large degree of uncertainty. With his varied experiences in coliving and finance, Connor Moore helps to quell some of this uncertainty with what he believes to be highly promising prospects for real estate investors - even in spite of all of the challenges the world faces today. With a close eye on market trends and global currents, Connor reassures us that coliving is the right move - and with a bit of patience, will result in high returns in the future.

Chris Saunders is the Investment Director at DTZ Investors, a full service, vertically integrated, real estate investment and asset manager. In 2019, they partnered with The Collective to launch DTZ Investors Co-Living Fund I, known as COLIV, an unlisted collective investment vehicle for professional investors investing in large scale, purpose-built coliving buildings in London. We interviewed Chris for his thoughts on the current investment landscape in the shared living sector and to ask him for some insights into investment criteria and best practices in regards to the coliving sector.

From 400 pitch meetings to North America's largest purpose-built coliving project: Ollie's journey with Alta LIC, its groundbreaking success in institutional-grade coliving, and the lessons learned in scaling a revolutionary housing model.

Keys Asset Management: Pioneering Impact and Innovation in Coliving. Discover how societal trends, ESG strategies, and impact investing are shaping the future of coliving and alternative real estate assets with Claire Flurin.

Coliving developer Matt Baker advocates for small-scale "co-homes" as a viable alternative to larger, institutional coliving developments. He argues that co-homes offer quicker acquisition and development, a simpler funding model, and stronger community bonds due to their smaller size (around seven occupants is ideal). Baker highlights the challenges of scaling co-homes, including project management and maintaining consistent service quality. While easier to finance and develop, Baker cautions against diluting the "coliving" concept as a mere marketing tactic. He emphasises the importance of providing high-quality space, design, and professional management to ensure resident satisfaction, brand loyalty, and long-term success.

Noiascape, a coliving company, presented their model as inspired by London's green spaces, the Sony Walkman's design, and the UK's public libraries, which all focus on the intersection of public and private space. Challenging traditional rental models that over-allocate private space, especially with rising remote work, they propose re-directing capital to create more shared and public areas. By focusing on the daily rituals of members and their spatial needs, Noiascape's goal is to use coliving to increase urban density, facilitate social interaction, and integrate living, working, and social spaces, offering an evolved urban living experience. They argue for a re-shaping the concept of home, re-distribution of the land, macro thinking, and densification.

Wifirst, founded in 2002, is a European leader in managed WiFi solutions, offering "WiFi as a Service" to support digital transformation. The company has expanded significantly, operating in over 325,000 student accommodations and 730,000 rooms across EMEA. Wifirst's mission is to provide robust, secure connectivity essential for modern living and working environments, particularly in coliving spaces where community, lifestyle, mobility, and work demands high-speed internet access. Their innovative Room Area Network technology ensures a home-like WiFi experience in shared residences.

Explore how NREP's strategic site selection and community-centric design helped their coliving projects like Noli Studios and UN17 Village flourish during uncertain times. By combining vibrant urban locations with functional spaces, NREP enhanced user experience and positioned itself at the forefront of the Nordic coliving market. Dive in to learn more about their innovative approach and its impact on the sector's growth.