Naomi Cleaver - All Together Now: The co-living and co-working revolution

Fig 1.0.0The Italian Building, London, by Stiff + Trevillion and Studio Clement for Mason & Fifth, 2019

The first thing to establish when designing a shared living or working environment is what exactly it is. Or, just as importantly, what it isnt. Co-living and co-working are both relatively new words, even though the concepts have been around for centuries, and they are often used to describe a myriad of different structures. But they arent all-encompassing; their interpretations differ from some other new types of shared spaces, which come under other categories and titles. It can be challenging to navigate the subtle differences in terminology; in some cases, they relate to variations in architecture in design, but they can also refer to different types of financial or organisational systems. There are also some conflicting interpretations for instance, co-living is often used as an umbrella term to refer to all the different types of shared living, but it also describes a very specific form of serviced rental accommodation. The list of terms here is by no means exhaustive, but it offers a starting point to help you understand what youre dealing with.

Any form of residence where three or more biologically unrelated people live under the same roof can be defined as co-living. The term is also used more specifically to refer to rental accommodation that offers living as a service, meaning it operates more like a hotel than a residence. Here, tenants typically rent a furnished bedroom or micro-flat, but they also have access to shared living spaces and premium services.

A more definitive term, co-working refers to any office or workspace that is either wholly or partially shared between three or more individuals or companies. Most co-working spaces are owned and managed by a landlord and operate on a rental or membership basis, but they can also be cooperatively owned.

Co-housing communities are created and managed by their residents. These developments include communal spaces, such as shared gardens or common houses, but residents also have their own self-contained private homes.

Homes or workplaces that are owned and managed collectively by occupants are known as cooperatives. Co-housing communities are typically cooperatives, but the terms are not interchangeable.

Build-to-rent (BTR) is a type of purpose-built residential designed specifically for private rental. Developments include at least 50 homes, owned and managed by a single landlord. They dont usually fall under the category of co-living, although tenants all have access to shared amenities and premium services, in addition to self-contained homes.

A model that has been around for decades, serviced apartments are rented homes where occupants have access to premium services. Unlike build-to-rent, serviced apartments dont necessarily come with shared amenities, which clearly sets them apart from co-living.

An upgrade to halls of residence, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) is a type of student housing built by private developers. It matches the co-living model, giving students a furnished bedroom or studio flat, plus use of communal spaces and services.

Any private residence that allows at least two adult generations to live at the same address can be called a multigenerational home. Typically these homes are occupied by families, where grandparents live with their children and grandchildren. They often have additional entrances and living spaces, as well as the necessary extra bedrooms.

Any residential development that allows several families to live in the same building or group of buildings, but in separate units, can be called multifamily housing. It can be used to refer to co-housing or build-to-rent models, but can also apply to more traditional apartment buildings and housing estates.

A term still being defined, intergenerational senior living refers to retirement facilities where elderly people live among people of other generations. It could be a care home offering free housing to students, or a facility set within an existing community, so that seniors regularly interact with children and families. The primary aim is to reduce social isolation.

An agrihood is a form of eco-village, where farming is integrated into the environment. Residents typically live in self-contained homes, but they produce the majority of their own food as a community. Some are also self-sufficient in terms of energy use.