Coliving Academy: Design and Architecture

Mayank Pokharna · Founder, Everything Coliving

13 years in coliving · Reviewed by the Everything Coliving team

What this module covers

Architectural and interior decisions that make coliving spaces work day to day.

This module bridges concept to construction: the building typologies you can start from, the room and shared-space standards that make daily life work, the materials and acoustics that hold up under real use, and the FF&E that meets your operating budget for a decade. The through-line is simple: coliving is a hard-used building, so design every space for the resident who loves it and the operator who has to reset it. The worked numbers here are illustrative, meant to show how a decision pencils out, not to quote a market rate; run your own local figures before you commit capital.

Learning outcomes

• ✓Specify rooms and shared spaces that hold up under real use
• ✓Design for durability, cleaning and turnover
• ✓Get furniture and FF&E decisions right the first time
• ✓Work with an architect without losing the operating logic

Lessons in this module

Core level · 5 lessons · about 2.5 hours. Lessons open to Academy members.

1. 1
   Typologies and design principles25 min

   Choose a building typology and apply the principles that make shared living work.

2. 2
   The private room25 min

   Specify a private room that feels like home and turns over cleanly.

3. 3
   Shared kitchens, work and social space25 min

   Size and equip shared spaces for the residents who will actually use them.

4. 4
   Materials, durability and acoustics20 min

   Choose materials on total cost of ownership, and treat acoustics as a priority.

5. 5
   Furniture and FF&E20 min

   Make furniture and FF&E decisions that survive real use and turnover.

Sample lesson