In an exclusive article for MediaBrief, Suresh Rangarajan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Colive, writes about leveraging technology for efficient coliving and outlines how design can make coliving more functional, comfortable, and aesthetic.
He also highlights the technological advancements of Colive’s proprietary tech and underscores how community makes coliving more meaningful. Read on.
Coliving is not a new concept, but it is gaining popularity and relevance in the 21st century. As urbanisation, population growth, and housing affordability pose challenges for city dwellers, coliving offers a solution that combines flexibility, affordability, and community.
Coliving spaces are designed to foster social interaction, collaboration, and a sense of belonging among like-minded individuals. Technology plays a crucial role in enabling coliving by facilitating the management, booking, and access of these spaces, as well as facilitating communication and engagement within coliving communities.
Leveraging technology for efficient Coliving
Technology is a key driver and enabler of coliving, enhancing operational efficiency, user experience, and quality of life in coliving spaces. It streamlines various aspects of coliving. For instance, it simplifies the booking and access process, making it more convenient and secure for both operators and residents.
It also improves the management and maintenance of coliving spaces, reducing costs and errors while increasing transparency and accountability. Furthermore, technology enhances communication and engagement within coliving communities, fostering a sense of connection and belonging among residents.
Among the forefront of these technological advancements are Colive’s proprietary tech inputs:
- C-box: Colive’s in-house operations tracking and management system, C-box, centralizes operations such as property onboarding, customer KYC, revenue collection, and more. This system enhances overall operational efficiency by streamlining processes and effectively managing resources.
- M-box: Focused on ground operations, the M-box app facilitates physical move-ins, housekeeping, capturing walk-ins, and managing quality assurance inspections. This tool is essential in simplifying processes and ensuring a feasible experience for both residents and operational staff.
- SHONA (Smart Home Operating Networking Assistant): SHONA, available on web and app platforms, elevates the customer experience. It offers features like easy rent payments, efficient maintenance requests, and 24/7 app-based ticketing for query resolutions, providing round-the-clock assistance for residents.
Additionally, technology can make coliving spaces more smart and sustainable, as it can optimise the use of resources and reduce the environmental impact of coliving. It can be used to monitor and adjust energy consumption, water usage, and waste management, as well as to integrate renewable energy sources and green features.
Design: Making Coliving More Functional, Comfortable, and Aesthetic
Design is another crucial element of coliving, as it influences the functionality, comfort, and aesthetics of coliving spaces. It can be tailored to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of various residents. For instance, design can render coliving spaces more flexible and modular, enabling them to adapt to the evolving needs and demands of residents.
It can also enhance the comfort and coziness of coliving spaces, offering residents a homely environment and a sense of privacy. Moreover, it can infuse coliving spaces with aesthetic appeal and style, mirroring the personality and culture of the residents and the community. Thus, design serves as a powerful tool in shaping the living experience in coliving spaces.
Design can also make coliving spaces more social and collaborative, as it can facilitate the interaction and cooperation of residents.
Design can be used to create spaces that encourage and enable residents to meet, mingle, and work with each other, such as:
Common Areas: Common areas are the heart and soul of coliving spaces, as they provide residents with opportunities to socialise and network with each other. Common areas can include spaces such as lounges, kitchens, dining areas, terraces, and gardens, that are equipped with furniture, appliances, and entertainment options.
Coworking Spaces: Coworking spaces are the brain and backbone of coliving spaces, as they provide residents with facilities and resources to work and learn with each other. Coworking spaces can include spaces such as desks, meeting rooms, conference rooms, and libraries, that are equipped with computers, printers, scanners, and internet.
Community: Making Coliving More Meaningful, Diverse, and Impactful
Community is the ultimate goal and value of coliving, as it creates a sense of meaning, diversity, and impact for residents.
Community can be built and nurtured through various ways, such as:
Events and Activities: Colive is not just about providing a shared living space, it’s about creating a vibrant community. One of the ways they achieve this is through their Club Colive and Weekend Bash.
Every weekend, Colive hosts parties at their most premium locations, offering tasty snacks, a lively dance floor, and impromptu party delights such as Live Barbecue, Beer Pong, Stand-Up Comedy, Costume Parties, Theme Parties, and more.
These events provide an opportunity for residents to connect with their fellow tenants and incoming members within the community, fostering friendships, romance, camaraderie, and trust.
Values and Vision: Values and vision are the deeper and more lasting ways to create and sustain community in coliving spaces, as they align residents with a common purpose and direction. Values and vision can be expressed and manifested through the mission, culture, and brand of the coliving space, as well as the initiatives and projects that the coliving space supports and promotes.
Coliving is the future of urban living, as it offers a solution that meets the needs and desires of modern city dwellers. Coliving is more than just a form of housing; it is a way of life that is enabled and enhanced by technology, design, and community.
Coliving is a sector that is growing and evolving, as it responds to the trends and opportunities in the market and society. Coliving is a movement that is changing and shaping the world, as it creates a positive and lasting impact for its residents and beyond.