Coliving; the next step for coworking

Coworking and coliving go together like two peas in a pod. And that’s not just because they both start with the word ‘co’. Both born from similar schools of thought, coworking and coliving are movements that have profoundly ingrained value systems based on collaboration, transparency, and community. In addition, both movements aim to reimagine how we interact daily, whether in a professional or living environment. Inspired by traditional communal living spaces and the current demand for more affordable living spaces for young professionals struggling to make ends meet, coliving spaces have been popping up more and more, especially in densely populated urban areas.

Source: Outsite – Mission – Coliving.com

While humans have lived communally throughout history, coliving today is taking on new shapes and forms, answering contemporary needs discovered by the growing coworking movement. While it seems like the next logical step for coworking should be the integration of coliving spaces, coworkers and coliving need to understand the evolution of the two movements so we can continue growing together.

Coliving can help coworking spaces boost their revenue.

The coworking movement has grown by leaps and bounds since the early days. Catching the eyes of corporations and traditional enterprises, coworking has entered a new growth stage, creating new opportunities for spaces to increase revenue. For spaces that might not be keen on going corporate, embracing the coliving movement has proven to be an effective way to expand their income without compromising their community feeling.

Depending on what part of the world you are living in, the average monthly payment for a full coworking space membership can range anywhere from 150 to 500 plus. While many coworking spaces cover the utilities with membership payments, many spaces struggle to turn a profit. Including living space could help spaces boost their revenue while maintaining the community spirit. Additional income for coworking spaces boosted by a coliving space could be used to fund more events, update amenities and take on new staff.

Boosting community awareness

In a similar way that coworking spaces have encouraged professionals to change how they work together, coliving has helped a new generation of professionals and wanderers reinvent how we work and live. Like coworking, coliving offers much more than just a bed. Individuals seeking out coliving communities are looking for an experience that will allow them to expand their network and minds.

The majority of coliving spaces, the world over, provide a professional area where members can get work done. Often inhabited by digital nomads familiar with the coworking movement, these shared living spaces ensure a productive environment is integrated into the living space. Like coworking, coliving spaces provide communal areas that encourage members to physically get together, whether to chat or share a meal. Much like coworking has encouraged workplace culture to be more inclusive and human-centric, coliving spaces boost community awareness by redefining how we coexist.

Creating an added-value local community

The number of freelancers worldwide is rising, and more companies are letting their employees work remotely. This has led to a new breed of coworkers, the digital nomad. Coworking spaces worldwide, especially in tourist centers, have benefitted from the increased number of workers visiting their spaces. While most coworking spaces primarily serve the local members, these spaces have found that coliving can help bring value-added to their space and community. Rather than just relating to their hotel room after a day of working, nomadic members can get to know the local people by making their current location a home away from home.

Source: Hotel Schani – Wien – Coliving.com

Hotel Schani Wien, based in Vienna, has taken the idea further by providing a coworking hotel centrally located in Austria’s capital, Vienna. By offering digital nomads an incentive to stay with their professional coworking space in the hotel lobby, Schani Wien also encourages visitors to get to know other members who are staying in the hotel, which could lead to potential professional collaborations, in addition to diversifying the local setting.

Adding cool living space isn’t a criterion for running a successful space. However, it has many added benefits that could allow the coworking movement to identify new ways to promote more collaborative and innovative ways of living.