Coworking, coliving: is shared housing here to stay?

You may have heard about them: coworking and coliving have been on the rise since the pandemic year made us look for alternatives to live and work that are more in line with the current situation . These spaces for living and working together have become popular. between companies and buildings that cater to younger audiences, but its benefits extend to all ages. This is because the so-called 'co-living' offers practical solutions to very real problems in the contemporary world , such as the exorbitant cost of rent and even loneliness. That's why some say the trend isn't going away. so soon.

After all, what is co-working and co-living?

Coworking is a type of shared workspace that offers complete infrastructure to employees at reduced costs. These flexible offices are a complement to home offices, as they meet all the needs of employees in a professional environment that is properly equipped, with meeting rooms. meeting, private rooms, among others, in a single area divided between more than one sector of the office. Coliving is a form of housing that combines private spaces with shared rooms . In response to the lack of physical spaces in large cities, coliving has emerged as a trend that aims to break down, in addition to walls, the ideals of individualization and waste. Unlike student housing, colivings aim to promote social contact and build communities . Although quite common in Europe and America, colivings arrived in Brazil less than five years ago and only saw an acceleration in this type of enterprise during the pandemic.

Why is shared housing on the rise?

The answer is quite simple: with the pandemic, many people were forced to stay home and work remotely, resulting in a greater demand for physical togetherness . As the definitions of 'home' and 'workplace' became one , the demand for spaces where people can come together to share experiences has increased. The exchange of experiences, in fact, had already been attracting followers to coworking in Brazil even before the pandemic . After the wave of remote work, shared environments gained even more followers precisely because they offer a complete corporate space without the concern of fixed costs in a scenario of so many uncertainties.

What are the benefits of co-living and co-working?

Co-living doesn’t necessarily mean compromising your privacy, comfort or assets . In fact, the coliving housing model can offer a wider range of choices and flexibility in choosing how and where to live, since you don’t have to commit to the property, allowing us to live in a more efficient, collaborative, healthy and sustainable way. In this scenario, flexible offices also benefit, especially in terms of costs, since the costs related to maintaining the internal structure are not paid by the company. For the employee, the biggest benefit is not having to deal with problems common to home offices . office , such as distraction and equipment malfunction, due to having the freedom to switch between a professional environment and teleworking.

Is this a trend that is here to stay?

Despite its novelty, the idea of forming a home with strangers is not new – the first cohousings appeared in the 1960s, in Denmark and quickly spread throughout northern Europe. The current situation has made us return to this type of housing, since social isolation has made us more attentive to the needs of our homes. Therefore, the tendency is for homes to take on new configurations during this period – and to remain in them. Never before have looked so much for green areas, balconies and living areas , which not only say a lot about the new priorities, but also reveal a newfound desire for contact with the immaterial .