Share a flat with 550 people to combat loneliness in London: all or nothing
What can you do to not feel lonely when you move to a city where you don't know anyone? One option may be to live with people in your same situation .
What do you think of the idea of sharing a flat with 550 people? This is the proposal of ** The Collective , the largest co-living place in the world.**
When you move to London , one of the problems you usually face is how to make friends. Don't worry, you are not the only person in this situation.
Co-working space in the co-living: everything here is co-
In the United Kingdom, there are 9 million people (three times the population of Madrid) who feel alone . That is why the British government announced at the beginning of the year the creation of the Ministry of Solitude .
With this scenario, Alesandro Valbuena, 27, a computer scientist of Venezuelan and Italian nationality , moved to The Collective Old Oak “looking for a place to make contacts, a place that would allow him to meet people. It is a unique experience ”.
East 10-story building, with a gym, spa, cinema, bookstore, terrace, co-working spaces, game room and bar , has become the home of Alesandro and more than 500 people who live in the community. Its creators claim that it is the largest co-living place in the world.
A 10-storey building with a gym, spa, cinema...
Gabriel Voto, 31 years old and Brazilian who has been living in The Collective for five months, defines this place as “a social oasis in London with a different vision, which defies the solitary culture. He has the ambition to create social relationships and empowering residents so they can also network outside.”
"HONEY, I'M HOME"
As soon as you enter The Collective Old Oak, a sign greets you: **"Honey, I'm home" **. On the left hand side there is a screen with real-time information on the state of the roads, the subway and UBER and several rows of mailboxes for all the tenants.
One of those mailboxes belongs to Catherine Castellanos, 33-year-old lawyer from Colombia . She has lived with her husband in The Collective for six months and she says that “it has been very easy for me to make friends here. Every day we have many activities in which you can participate and meet people”.
A blackboard at the entrance reminds this week's events. On Monday he plays boxing, on Tuesday he meets to make pancakes, Friday afterwork, Saturday brunch and Sunday yoga class.
The Collective Brunch
Those behind this idea define it as “ a way of life with a genuine sense of community , using shared spaces and facilities to create a lifestyle that fills you ”.
All residents have their private room with option of bathroom and private or shared kitchen with another room and the rest of the spaces are common.
Alexander has opted for a room with a private bathroom and shared kitchen, and pays **1,066 pounds per month (1,206 euros)**. He acknowledges that “the rooms are small but we have the whole building to ourselves. The whole building is my house ”.
This will be your living room at The Collective
Catherine points out that they told her that “the rooms are small so that we only go to the room to sleep. So people are encouraged to do more things in common areas ”.
Courtyard of The Collective
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE
“Since you set foot here, there is a welcome process for newcomers with the aim of making them feel at home. A buddy program in which one of the oldest members becomes roommate of the new tenant . This buddy will help him settle in and explore all the spaces”, says Gabriel, who has not only been living in The Collective for five months, but also also works on it.
This Brazilian entered with the mission of “strengthen community ties, help people socialize in such a diverse context. This is a microcosm of London, very cosmopolitan and with many different nationalities ”.
One of his objectives has been to organize events in which "everyone can socialize, spaces that encourage participation and exchange to create a richer social fabric.
There are also concerts. If you don't even have to go out...
In the library , the books on the shelves belong to the residents, who share their personal collection with the other tenants. One of the walls of the library has become a exchange wall. Rafael Caballero has written a note in which he offers himself as a Spanish and piano tutor, while Greg Bassam looking for people to go swimming and running.
Once a month the neighbors have a community meeting to talk to the team that manages the building about possible problems and new ideas or events that they would like to implement. Alesandro, for example, has organized movie night in the movie theater and Catherine has volunteered to help organize the weekend brunch.
japanese tea room
In The Collective where everything is focused on sharing, Gabriel reflects on the idea of co-living: “we are seeing how nationalism, extremism and borders They are getting stronger and stronger. The Collective is a space where we break with borders , where we break with the fear of relating and creating ties with people from different cultures”.