Where did it all start?

A surprise lies in wait in a quiet street in Hampstead, north London. The Isokon Building, or Lawn Road Flats as christened in 1934, is a slice of pure Modernist swagger finished in a delicate rose pink. On a sunny summer Sunday, the building seems to shine. Following a decade-long restoration project, it looks like new. This was the pioneering apartment block that offered the blueprint of modern living. Due to rising real estate prices and the hardships of World War II, many people were forced to move in with each other in shared spaces. These spaces included laundry rooms, workspaces, kitchens, and shared living rooms.

However, after the war, this way of living declined and failed. Therefore, cohabitation was popularized again between 2014 and 2015 when real estate prices skyrocketed, and several companies offering this type of housing were established. The Internet and information have become the power for many individuals. As a result, Coliving grew mainly in expensive cities like New York and London. An article in The Bloomberg named this type of housing “adult dorms.”

Many experts predict that the industry will expand enormously due to the rising prices we’re experiencing.

You can see how coliving functions on popular TV shows, whose characters co-live with one another—for instance, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and others.

Coliving is a modern form of communal living in which residents get a private bedroom in a furnished home with shared common areas. Coliving is prevalent in major cities as a means of affordable living for students, workers, digital nomads, or individuals relocating. Unlike traditional apartments, coliving attracts tenants due to affordability, flexibility, included amenities, and a sense of community.

In the context of the urban housing crisis and developers in the real estate market, coliving is one of the best and most direct means to achieve optimal density, affordable housing, and an urban community in areas such as Taipei, Taoyuan, and Tainan.

In today’s sharing economy, millennials, especially, have embraced the concept of sharing rides, experiences, and homes. Coliving makes this more accessible and convenient in significant cities.

At TwentyTwu, coliving is “city living made better” and “communal living made easier.” Coliving simplifies finding a roommate, offers the cheapest living places, and designs beautiful homes for convenience.

Unlike traditional apartments that lack essential amenities and a sense of community, coliving gives residents (we call them “members”) a private bedroom and allows them to share access to a fully furnished living space, shared kitchen, and incredible amenities. On the one hand, it seems pretty similar to your typical roommate situation (living with friends), and some even call coliving homes “adult dorms.” However, coliving offers so much more than that.

At TwentyTwu, our homes are designed to facilitate the sharing of spatial and program operations of a dwelling while eliminating the pain points of living with roommates. That means we provide everything from toilet paper to professional cleaning services for almost free or subsidized. We understand that it isn’t easy to always live with others; hence, we are happy to reward good behavior, whether in the form of discounted metro passes or even paying your utility! Through strong resident support, coliving at TwentyTwu aims to make home sharing desirable and affordable for all types of residents, all while creating new, diverse opportunities and a strong community.

Thank you for reading our first blog post! 😊