Urban Campus was featured in an article in “Le Monde” about the rise of “coliving”, a new space for cohabitation.
Some companies are offering residences or houses for employees of the same or different companies, often with the help of external service providers.
Halfway between coworking and flat-sharing, the concept of “coliving”, which arrived in France a few years ago, offers individuals the opportunity to live in large shared buildings, which have many common areas and provide the users with a full programme of activities (gym, coworking, restaurant, bbq, workshops…)
An external operator manages and animates the space, the services are similar to the ones provided by hotels, and all bills are included in the monthly price. Forms of coliving vary, from small houses with handpicked residents to large residences with hundreds of rooms. According to a study published at the end of 2019 by the real estate subsidiary of the bank BNP Paribas, the market only offered 5,000 unit, but since then the number of coliving units continues to increase exponentially.
This new practice is aimed primarily at young workers, who are looking to avoid high rents at the beginning of their careers and want to meet new people. “Co-living affects urban, young, single people who live alone and find it difficult to leave the academic environment,” notes Monique Eleb, a sociologist specializing in housing.
Companies have started to propose this type of accommodation, when they hire an employee or send them on a project, as co-living is a very attractive offer for this kind of profile, notes Claire Flurin, co-founder and administrator of the international association Co-Liv. “Before the Covid crisis, we already had strong signals, particularly in the tech sector, with requests either for rooms in coliving sites, or entire coliving residences dedicated to the company, similarly to Google campus.”
The concept facilitates remote professional activity, as an extension of coworking. For example, shared offices with Wi-Fi and printers can be part of the equipment. “In our coliving residences, a large workspace is included in the common areas”, describes Maxime Armand, co-founder of Urban Campus. “The concept is both housing and coworking spaces, on the ground floor or first floor, with comfortable seats, a double screen… We want to create places to live and work”, explains, Géraud Le Merrer, digital and marketing director of Sharies.
