What the second-wave co-livings, are teaching us about culture design
Great design, branding and community building are going into co-living & co-working spaces. What do they teach us about building the city of the future? What does it mean for human well-being?
It just so happens that, in addition to their practical usefulness, the buildings and spaces we design also assist us in orienting ourselves in the world. They evoke and mediate experiences, meanings, and emotions. If a city has the power to influence what occurs at the individual level, it can also revolutionise the sense of community. The greater challenge when constructing the city of the future is to envision a city that challenges the current psychological, social, and even environmental contexts in which we reside.
Could we build an environment help us rethink our lifestyle and thrive as individuals?
Can it makes communities come alive?
Can we create a state of flow for both the planet and its inhabitants?
Could our future city be designed as a self-sustaining and self-regulating system?
Such is the ambition of building on regenerative principles.
The heart of the challenge: reinventing the models
It may seem like emerging housing solutions, such as co-living spaces, and technology that aims to facilitate various processes from transportation to food waste, can solve part of the equation. But are they? The foundation for people, purpose, profit, and the planet to thrive together has not yet fully materialised. So, why is that?
We are at a tipping point. We have a wide range of technological tools and better access to innovation, medicine, and education than ever before. Yet, all the models that drive our society need to be reinvented to work in harmony.
Bridging the gap
The challenge I face as a well-being consultant is bridging the gap between physical spaces and the experience they provide. Simply providing functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces is not enough; it would overlook human motivation completely. What truly drives us, brings us happiness, and brings a city to life is a sense of identity, purpose, and shared values. We are drawn to a combination of safety and risk, which offers opportunities for personal growth. We seek both familiarity and a sense of adventure. It is the complex blend of these elements that creates a vibrant culture. My role is to connect empty spaces, isolated individuals, and thriving communities.
The biggest trap is to offer all amenities and fail to give them a soul.
Creating a space in response to a trend may be enticing, but failing to cultivate a community runs the risk of seeing it go unused. The difference between an almost empty part of town and an overcrowded pub lies in understanding our basic psychological needs and what defines a culture. Here is a list of examples and aspirations for the city of the future:
- From buildings that “do no harm” to spaces that optimize and enhance well-being. This involves not only preventing our living spaces from making us sick (by ensuring decent lighting, air quality, and comfort), but also responding to our desire for long-lasting homes that make it easy to improve our health and well-being.
- Viewing city dwellers as engaged participants rather than passive consumers. Remarkable outcomes occur when we empower people with a voice and choices. Numerous studies demonstrate that involving individuals in decision-making increases satisfaction, self-esteem, and engagement. Even involving patients in selecting medical treatments enhances treatment efficiency.
- From separation and loneliness to integration. We all have an innate need to belong and contribute. Failing to harness our collective intelligence means missing out on optimal solutions for creating a beloved city, and instead, it fosters more depression.
- House-sharing to co-living: Building communities that share common goals and appreciate the diverse elements of culture. The future of housing is more than just a service; it’s a human experience.
- Shifting the workplace from stress to flow: Work is one of the main reasons why we are willing to relocate to a different city or country. Considering the sacrifices we make, such as our social life, it is counterproductive for workplaces to be mentally draining, frustrating, and isolating. Instead, they should foster a sense of flow, enhance performance, and encourage self-expression.
- Slowing down to prevent burnout and foster fulfilment: Powerful individuals do not necessarily need to be empowered. However, even our most brilliant minds can feel overwhelmed in our fast-paced world. The challenge for future organisations is to create a culture that restores trust and promotes a growth mindset.
- Expanding our focus from human-centric to planet-centric: We aim to create awareness that our health and well-being are intrinsically connected to our broader environment and the people around us.
To achieve this, we need to consider all the elements that enable people to thrive and perform at their best. We require a methodology to listen and design the identity of the spaces we create, as well as means to audit and facilitate the culture that will emerge from them. This mission is relevant to developers, urban planners, and entrepreneurs alike. We all share the responsibility.
How do we design the culture to create the shift from limited to expressed human potential?
Designing a series of policies, culture, and management processes to transition from ‘me’ to ‘we’ requires true elegance and skill. I have used the following fundamental questions to catalyse this transition:
