Scouting and planning 2019
Identify and evaluate properties for operation with a cooperative coliving model.
Types: Community, Real Estate, Web; Roles: Space Planning, Scouting, Conception; Functions: Living Space;
Innovations
- Novel multistakeholder model combining both investment returns as a hospitality business, and flexible fractional ownership, supported by a strong community-interest operation reducing overheads.
- Space planning for several properties permitted the use of split-level mezzanine designs optimising the number of private units.
- Crowdfunded ownership, with pledges obtained through direct outreach and marketing to potential members. (A propotion allocated for investors has not yet been raised, however some leads were generated simultaneously.
Features
- database and public portal listing and enabling discussion amongst candidates
- bespoke CMS to catalogue candidate properties and score them for easier classification, using multiple criteria, colour coded for ease of reference
- most of the properties involve the replacement of extremely large numbers of windows, thus sourcing was researched from China, to reduce the otherwise significant fitout costs (despite tariffs)
- some properties include adequate capacity for multi-use event spaces, further diversifiying potential revenue and uses, especially for remote team offsites
Notes
Employed a comprehensive process to identify (with multi-facet scoring) and refine potential properties from initial evaluation, cadastral searches, through preliminary floor plans and conversion/fitout costs for a final proposition finishing with visits involving community members, and local officials.
The database of properties includes some without reports due to being lower scored, yet still having potential, for example #137 (southern France), #197 (UK), #108 (Portugal), #114 (central France), and many others…
The project is ongoing but may be re-oriented with less community/impact and ease of delivery.