On the weekend of 13-14 of November took place the annual Coliving Conference held by Coliving Hub, where people from around the world addressed pressing topics of the growing coliving industry, present, and future challenges as well as the opportunities for a post-Covid future!
At this conference, some of the most interesting and relevant topics were discussed: from architecture, design, and sustainability to community building and investments. Beyond keynotes and workshops, authentic connections were one of the main focuses as, today more than ever, a strong and collaborative network is the key to thriving in the coliving industry.
Meet the interior designer artist – Maria
Our partner and interior designer, Maria from Dr. Livinghome, held a speech about The Importance of Creating A Space Where People Want To Belong.
Maria spent 10 years working as an Art Director and Creative Director, decorating events for large multinationals and locals small businesses, Maria founded Dr. Livinghome back in 2015 to help people to decorate their homes with taste in passion.
After spending years transforming spaces, Maria never thought a place could transform her so much, and right before Covid, in 2020, Anceu Coliving appeared in Maria’s life, and since then she became an active member of a coliving community that would have had to become one of the most beloved communities by digital nomads and entrepreneurs from all around the world.
Maria designed most of the Anceu Coliving’s private rooms and common spaces and just like that, the creative rural art project designed for artists called «At Home» appeared.
She understood that each coliving space has its own personality and by great design, you can create vibrant homes where interesting things happen when people come together.
Why did coliving boom despite the pandemic?
After a year and a half of self-isolation, people were craving human connection, even if that meant living with strangers. As the pandemic stretched on, growing demand for a sense of community to battle loneliness has spurred a surge in coliving. The industry is now poised to expand exponentially.
So how can you create a coliving place that stands out?
Since Anceu Coliving was opened in July 2020, more than 132 colivers crossed their doors and lived together from a couple of weeks up to a couple of months.
During this time, we understood that a coliving space is not a hotel nor a home. It’s more than that: it is a place where people live, work, play, and connects.
Here you can discover the key components of a successful coliving space.
- Community is at the heart
A great community covers a different set of needs: need of connection and need of belonging. You need to adapt your coliving to your community, not the other way around. And this is how we learned to set up dynamics and experiences that strengthen the relationships between the colivers.
- Interior design – how you decorate the coliving
Design is not just pretty. Design solves a problem, it serves a purpose. Don’t just need to be pretty, should MEAN something, should feel like a home where people want to belong and grow together.
- Management of the coliving for a smooth running
In order to have a healthy coexistence between coliver and the place, you need to learn how to develop manuals to promote healthy communication.
- Change makers
A coliving space is integrated into the social environment of a city, town, or region. One of the essential roles of a coliving space is to encourage the creation of harmonious coexistence between the coliving community and the neighbors and the environment in which the space is located.
- Alliances – build a network of like-minded people
People who join a coliving community do so for a variety of reasons. One of the most important ones is that interesting things happen in your space. That means surrounding yourself with interesting and curious people with whom to build new opportunities and possibilities so that your coliving community can also enjoy them and feel inspired by serendipity. It is important to learn how to build national and international networks and to discover the importance of an opportunities and collaboration hub, where the colivers want to belong.
- Communication plan
How to develop a communication strategy that expresses your values and identity that attracts the colivers community who fits your vision