Coliving: A Step Beyond Coworking

Several years ago, the concept of coworking emerged, places where professionals from different activities and sectors shared their work area, forming a community of workers that would allow for the establishment of relationships between different companies and improve their productivity. Lately, in addition to coworking, another concept called coliving has also emerged, which goes a step further and takes these “communities of professionals” that have become so common to another level.

What is coliving?

As we mentioned earlier, coliving redefines the coworking concept by implementing coexistence among workers. In addition to offices, these spaces are equipped with various common rooms: bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, gyms, terraces, living rooms, etc., where community members can live together, spend leisure time together, and strengthen their relationships outside of working hours. The concept is aimed at new generations, especially students and new professionals entering the workforce (entrepreneurs, above all). One of its main objectives is to foster both friendly and professional relationships among all members of the workspace. This way, they can share their knowledge, experiences, and expectations with others, creating a rich community that improves the quality of life for all of them.

Is coliving a good idea in times of COVID?

The global pandemic is leaving multiple consequences on society, and the psychological effects of lockdown and the current situation can be severe for many people. For this reason, it is advisable that, during these times, residence is shared with other people, as this allows for sharing experiences, keeping the mind clear, and having other companions and friends as support in case things go wrong. Given the need for remote work in many sectors, living in a coliving space allows professionals to maintain the concept of community, forming compatible “bubbles” of workers who can interact and help each other overcome the barriers that the pandemic may present. Furthermore, coliving in times of coronavirus becomes a good alternative to diversify coworking spaces that have lost members due to the current crisis. If you want to avoid the inherent problems of managing physical keys or cards, you can install the Raixer smart lock which allows you to control access for your employees, staff, and visitors from the cloud.

In which Spanish cities is the phenomenon occurring?

In our country, the phenomenon of coliving dominates in Barcelona and Madrid. In the Catalan city, the company Coliving Barcelona hosts workers from different sectors in neighborhoods such as Sant Pau, Sant Antoni, or Guinardó. On the other hand, in the Spanish capital, we can highlight the company Urban Campus, which manages two coliving buildings in Malasaña and Gaztambide. Both cities are pioneers in our country in implementing this trend, which we will see more and more in the coming years, especially among young students who find it difficult to pay rents in large cities. Although we might think that it is a bad time to implement coliving, the benefits that this practice brings outweigh the disadvantages, making it a great option to improve productivity and quality of life during the pandemic.‍

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