![\"The-Collective-Bedroom\"](\"\/flatmate-HQ\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/The-Collective-Bedroom-1-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/a>You\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that the co-living concept is essentially glorified student halls. While The Collective allow residents, or \u2018members\u2019, from the age of 18, some are in their fifties, sixties or seventies, and people come to Old Oak from all walks of life and all professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a really broad age range here, which gives it a different flavour,\u201d said The Collective member Ben Webb, a 37-year-old PA. \u201cThe great thing about the community is that it\u2019s always changing: there\u2019s always a flow of people moving in and out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s this flexibility that attracts many to The Collective. You can stay for as little as a few nights in Canary Wharf, or for several years in Old Oak – such as one member who has lived at Old Oak for three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very flexible environment, and offers a number of opportunities from work to recreation. I want to thank all of the staff here – they work really hard to make this a great place to live,\u201d he told ideal flatmate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to work and recreation, the communal spaces set The Collective apart from traditional renting opportunities. While renting a normal central London flat, chances are you won\u2019t have access to a gym, spa, sauna, swimming pool, cinema, rooftop terrace, library and workspace all under one roof. All of these facilities and more are available at The Collective, and costs are covered in your monthly rental fee – along with utility bills, laundry and room cleaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe facility I use the most is probably the cinema room,\u201d says Ben. \u201cI run a film club every Tuesday evening, and I also use it with friends to watch movies. You wouldn\u2019t have a cinema in your house, so it\u2019s very different from just sitting and watching a film on telly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For 22-year-old actress Michaela Blackburn, the gym is the facility of choice at The Collective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI use the gym really regularly – it\u2019s literally a lift ride downstairs so there\u2019s no excuses. There\u2019s also a sauna which I love to use in the winter months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other members love the choice of co-working facilities at Old Oak, including hot-desk offices and a library. One member, a 54-year-old university lecturer, really values this aspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to bring work inside my room. Having a workspace in the building, even if you only have to take an elevator to get there, makes that psychological difference to create a good work-life balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Members also appreciate the built-in community at The Collective. In its very nature, co-living fosters a community that is unrivalled in modern city living. There\u2019s a balance between the private and public, but as Michaela says, \u201cit\u2019s an experience in itself – it rebuilds communities in a new way, and is a way to be more personal with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 22-year-old Michaela is a success story of co-living: she has made best friends with her \u2018flatmate\u2019 whose room adjoins hers, and they have already made plans to move into a flat together once their time at The Collective comes to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I moved in I\u2019d just finished drama school, and I didn\u2019t want to go straight into a flatshare by myself with people I didn\u2019t know,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of guiding me into adult life, into living in London by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Co-living seems to be perfect for people who are in a transitional stage of their lives, for example having just moved to London, looking to buy a house and need a flexible housing contract. But it’s also a great opportunity for those who want to expand their social circle, even if they’ve lived in London for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople who are in between things, people who are looking for a new experience, people who want to share their living experience while still having their own space – that\u2019s who The Collective is great for,\u201d said 37-year-old The Collective member Ben.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The big question on everyone\u2019s lips asks whether co-living is the future of city life. You can live in amazing buildings in the world\u2019s hottest cities, have hundreds of \u2018flatmates\u2019 to talk to and do activities with, and a built-in community with a team of staff making sure your living experience is all you could want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One member of The Collective commented on how co-living encourages \u201cliving smarter, and saving resources for everyone to be better off,\u201d as there\u2019s the opportunity to cook and eat in large groups, share resources, and even encourage more sustainable lifestyle habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A petition by residents has convinced The Collective to switch energy suppliers to a greener alternative, and \u201cin the moment that The Collective agree to switch to a green energy supplier, that\u2019s hundreds of people switching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can be more aware together and have a much bigger impact on the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many, it\u2019s the unique experience of co-living which is the main attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s a real community: not necessarily in the traditional, fixed sense, but more like a changing flow of community,\u201d said Ben. \u201cFor example, the roof terrace is great in the summer: there are five hundred people living here so there\u2019s always someone who\u2019s putting the BBQ on!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This community expands outside of members\u2019 usual social circle, giving them access to a range of cultures they may not have had experience of before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve now got friends all over the world – if I go travelling I know there are people whose homes I can stay in and who can show me around their city,\u201d actress Michaela appreciates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Co-living is great for a whole range of people: those in a transitional stage in their lives, who have just moved to London, who want to expand their social circle beyond what\u2019s normally accessible to them, and those who want access to lots of great facilities without leaving their own home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it the future of how we live in big cities? Time will tell, but for now it\u2019s all about the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soaring costs, poor value for money, and a growing housing crisis are all real issues for today\u2019s Londoners, particularly those renting. Co-living is a concept that focuses on community, high-quality shared facilities, and home-sharing on a huge scale – and promises to be the solution to modern housing problems. The Collective, a co-living provider with … <\/p>\n![\"The-Collective-Gym\"](\"\/flatmate-HQ\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/The-Collective-Gym-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"The-Collective-Workspace\"](\"\/flatmate-HQ\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/The-Collective-Workspace-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/a>If The Collective sounds like your kind of place, good news! You can view their rooms<\/strong> on the Select pages of our site<\/a>.<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"The-Collective-Members\"](\"\/flatmate-HQ\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/09\/The-Collective-1024x538.jpg\")
<\/a>Take a look<\/a><\/strong> at The Collective\u2019s rooms<\/a> on the Select pages of our site, and start your co-living journey<\/a>.<\/em><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"