In the third instalment of our 6-part Coliving Blog Series, we dive into the ingredients that make up a successful and modern coliving experience.
We've partnered up with one of the best guest experience coliving consultants to launch a 6 part monthly blog post series. In the third instalment of our 6-part Coliving Blog Series, we dive into the ingredients that make up a successful and modern coliving experience. Our expert coliving consultant and Community Experience Specialist Leah Ziliak shares her recipe below!
Imagine this: You've just arrived in a new city. You've found yourself on your own, with a fresh start, and so many possibilities. Sounds exciting, right? While the thrill of exploring a new place might keep you busy for a while, in the end, you spend most of your days alone in your apartment, working from your home office. You quickly find yourself caught in the usual routine: work, eat, TV, sleep and repeat.
Not exactly the dream life abroad you pictured in your mind. Sure, it would be nice to go out and meet people after work, and to feel more engaged with your new neighbourhood, but where do you even begin?
The truth is, making friends as an adult is hard. It's intimidating, time-consuming and requires a great deal of energy. Even if you manage to connect with someone at the gym or a meetup event, it can take months or even years to form a solid friend base in a new place.
Why anybody would choose coliving?
So, what's the alternative? Let me give you a concrete example:
Well, imagine this: You've just arrived in Dubai, but instead of relying on traditional booking systems to find accommodation, you've chosen to live at HIVE Coliv, a brand new coliving community in the heart of the city. You drop your things off at your fully-furnished, private apartment, and the in-house community facilitator gives you a tour of the space.
The dedicated coworking space is buzzing with activity, and you notice others opting to work from cozy couches throughout the building. A group of people are chatting at the rooftop pool and are about to start up the BBQ. There's an open mic night that evening, and another resident, that you’ve only just met, insists you come along.
At the end of the day, you find yourself laughing with new friends and making plans for the weekend. You've been here less than 24 hours and you've found more than just a place to live, you've found your people, you've found a sense of belonging, you've found a home.
That’s the impact that a shared living experience can have on a person.
SALTO client, HIVE is a perfect example of what modern shared living can look like. Creating not only gorgeous living spaces for its residents, but engaging, dynamic spaces that connect. With a focus on wellness, sustainability, convenience, flexibility and connection, HIVE is one of the operators in the coliving industry who are changing the way people live and work.
For years, apartment living meant sharing walls with neighbours you hardly ever saw. But, forward-thinking companies see the value in creating something much more impactful. Providing opportunities for social connection and personal growth is the new norm, when it comes to contemporary shared living.
With a strong focus on the user experience, modern coliving brands seamlessly weave positive experiences into the lives of their residents. How does a person feel when they enter a room? What does a person experience when they arrive? How can we connect our residents in an authentic way?
To set the stage for a really great coliving experience, operators have thought of every little detail of the user experience. And, it’s what sets them apart from the rest.
Benefits of choosing Hive Coliv
Step inside HIVE's 120-unit flagship property in Jumeirah Village Circle, and you'll quickly see how people could be drawn to the space. With a rooftop pool, open-air cinema, library, gamer’s room, coworking space, fitness centre and even a pet grooming facility, it’s packed with amenities. But, it's about much more than simply a beautiful building. Every corner has a purpose, and its purpose is to connect.
From the moment a resident walks in, they feel an instant sense of connection to the community. From the shared chef’s kitchen to the cosy living spaces nestled throughout the building, each space gives residents the opportunity to socialise and interact if they so choose. And, if you aren’t feeling particularly social, remember that there’s always the option to retreat to the peace and quiet of your private apartment at any point. It’s the perfect blend of social interaction when you want it and private space when you don’t.
Technology, Salto's locking system
HIVE’s strong focus on flexibility and convenience is a major appeal to their modern digital-savvy audience, as it makes life easier in so many ways. From the very beginning, HIVE saw the need to integrate tech within the space and began collaborating with partners to improve and streamline the coliving experience even further.
HIVE uses SALTO’s locking system, delivering seamless access control and better experiences for its users. Residents have keyless access to their private apartments as well as all communal spaces.
“We don’t have any traditional key systems. We have digital locks throughout the entire building,” notes HIVE founder, Bass Ackermann. “Residents have fobs, but they can also use their phones for access. They can also grant people remote access. It’s quite a novel feature in our region…and something that tenants really enjoy and find very useful.”
Residents can also access the community app to find out about events, meet their neighbours and help them better utilise the building. HIVE has also incorporated heat mapping to identify where the most popular spaces are located, and at what times they are busiest.
Flexibility/Convenience
The community is designed to be more flexible, convenient, and socially connected than traditional living arrangements. Residents can enjoy a variety of amenities and services that make life easier and more comfortable. With flexible leases, all-inclusive monthly bills and ‘plug and play’ furnished apartments, residents have the ultimate freedom to create a living solution and an experience that works for them.
Connection
Finding your place in a city like Dubai can be difficult, especially if you’re one of the 200,000 expats that move there every single year, looking for a sense of home. HIVE makes it easy to find opportunities to connect with a full weekly social calendar.
For example, this week you can hang with your neighbours and their pets at the “Breakfast & Doggos Meet-Up.” Or, join in on “Yoga with Tijana,” and follow it up with Taco Tuesday celebrations…because, we all need a little balance, right?
“How we’ve designed the space was always to facilitate the community, and not impose community,” notes Ackermann.
And, it’s clear they’ve done their job well. Although there is an in-house full-time community facilitator, much of the programming is user-generated; meaning members are more than just passive participants in a busy event schedule. Residents are choosing to actively participate in growing and building the community themselves. This is what real community is all about.
What makes a solid coliving user experience?
Well, if you were to follow the above approach (and I suggest you do,) you make life easier in every way. You”ll make a person feel at home. Because, when our interactions are easier, more natural and more intuitive, we do tend to feel at home, don’t we?
From keyless entry enabling us ease of access to our apartments, to design that makes social connections feel effortless, modern shared living is giving people what they want; comfort, connection, ease and most importantly, a sense of belonging.
Coliving is more than just shared living. For those lucky enough to experience it in spaces like HIVE, coliving is community. Coliving is home.
Keep an eye out for the fourth of our Coliving Series which will focus on community experience and will also feature the winner of the latest edition of the Coliving Awards in a special category supported by SALTO.
Discover how you can offer your residents a great experience with the seamless keyless experience for Shared Living Spaces.
