Kosy Co Living

What Is Co living?

Co living is a relatively new concept that combines living and working in a stimulating environment, with all services included and shared with people from wide-ranging backgrounds. It has emerged from the failure of traditional housing models, which are designed for single families or couples.

Co living seeks to build community, encourage social exchange, and promote the sharing of skills, experiences, and ideas. The Kosy Co Living concept represents a 21st Century take on the old and ever-evolving form of intentional community and  is part of a rapidly growing trend towards city-centre living with shared facilities. By combining co living with co working, Kosy Co Living aims to respond to the increasingly flexible ways that many people today live and work.

Why has this concept arised?

Priced out of home ownership, many expect to rent their homes for longer. Research by the Royal Society of Arts concludes that:

“The fundamental failing of housing today in many parts of the UK is that instead of the system existing and evolving around the needs of the people, the people must bend and constrain their capabilities and hopes to fit the vagaries of the system. Co living today offers an important way of helping some people in some places find an answer that works for them.”

Unlike traditional housing models, such as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), co living explicitly seeks to promote social contact and build community. This is especially important for young people, who are more likely to experience loneliness than older adults. According to research by the Office of National Statistics, almost 10% of young people in the UK are "always or often lonely," a figure that is three times higher than the rate for those aged 65 and older. Co living can provide young professionals with a sense of belonging and social connectedness, as well as the opportunity to meet new people from different backgrounds.

Feeling part of a community and being within easy walking or cycling distance of the city centre can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. 

Benefits

+ High-quality living environments where residents have access to communal facilities, often including  co working spaces, a gym, laundry and outdoor areas/gardens with housekeeping, all bills and utilities included in the rent.

+ The combination of co living and co working spaces enables the growing preference for hybrid working.

+ Co living is a form of  sustainable living through the sharing of assets. From appliances and furniture to transport and food, co living can reduce the impact on the environment in comparison to more traditional housing models.

+ The benefits of living in a community can have a positive effect on mental health and emotional wellbeing - providing a sense of belonging and social connectedness. 

What is Co Working?

Co working is a socially motivated pattern of working, which aims to increase collaboration as a means to generating new ideas. It is increasingly popular for small businesses and start-ups in the creative, environmental and technology sectors. Principally, they are seeking well located accommodation and exposure to like-minded professionals, but need the affordable rents and flexibility to expand that traditional offices cannot offer, and to avoid complexities, cost and time involved with setting up an office from scratch.

Co working is best recognised through an understanding of some of its constituent parts:



➙ Desk space or office units on both short- and long-term leases.

➙ Many different businesses or individuals working in the same space or building.

➙ All-inclusive office leases covering high speed internet, rent, business rates, utility bills and maintenance.

➙ Well-designed break-out spaces, shared facilities and amenities to help foster collaboration.

➙ Often a café which aids social interaction and collaboration.