In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable world, buildings and living spaces need to be flexible and adaptable, built to incorporate new smart technologies and equipped to face the emerging challenges of the coliving industry. With this, the demand for sustainable and smart solutions is unlike ever before, bringing tenants, operators, service providers, local neighbours, architects and management together in their search
for a well-functioning coliving ecosystem. A vital step in this direction is implementing the right access control system.

Digitisation, sustainability, and new technologies transform coliving communities, and with this,
the electronic locking industry. This influence of technology on architecture and design has resulted
in well-thought-out access control systems facilitating the coliving experience and its requirements. Coliving spaces each present distinct operational challenges to property managers looking to provide an environment that encourages the community to flourish, all while ensuring wellbeing and security. In the wake of the pandemic, commercial real estate brought with it immediate challenges and transformative and lasting changes in behaviour. Players in the sector feel a greater sense of urgency than before to “digitise and provide a better - and more distinctive - tenant and customer experience.” The result includes the need to meaningfully engage with both residents and employees in physical spaces, which is often manifested in the selective control of who is allowed in the premises, for how long and for what purpose.

Since coliving offers a unique experience for communities, it needs to be treated as such and thus, it is necessary to implement solutions that apply to the coliving ecosystem as a whole. Technology has the power to do so. This article explores how you can transform your coliving ecosystem with access control.

CREATE AN INCLUSIVE COLIVING EXPERIENCE WITH CLOUD-BASED ACCESS CONTROL

The number of residents in a coliving community can vary based on length of stay. They may be a part of the community for short, long or indefinite stays, and while there, even have visitors. The community might have social gatherings and need to open areas of the building for a certain time period to allow residents, their guests and even local community members to enter the premises. The same goes for home-services such as cleaning, tutoring, gardening, etc. Similarly, selective access may need to be granted to shared facilities such as gyms, pools or bike storage.

These scenarios, which would be virtually impossible to manage with ordinary keys, are easily achieved with smart access control technologies. It is necessary to manage the flow of visitors and regulate access in and around facilities. This is where the digital interfaces: access control systems and visitor management systems are sparking new ways to accelerate notions of security and safety.

To adopt the right access control system for your coliving ecosystem, it is essential to map out the ideal experience and customer journey for all those belonging to the wider coliving ecosystem (i.e. tenants, members, operators, neighbours and third-party service providers). In an access control system, this can help determine who has access and to what degree (i.e. operators get universal access, tenants are granted membership access, and service providers are given timeframe access depending on their working hours or appointments etc.).

Property management systems, checking-in and checking-out, facility and community management can all benefit from a centralised system that creates a seamless user experience. Cloud-based access control can be the common factor between all of these, allowing seamless integrations and adapting to operations that will scale your coliving space in the smartest way possible. This means that from the time a guest applies to live at a coliving space via a website to the time they check-in, adapt to the community life and eventually move out, they are part of a consistent and reliable journey. It is key, however, to not be overwhelmed by too many integration solutions, and find exactly what you require and how it will benefit your space.

Additionally, while coliving spaces are able to adopt behavioural measures and practices, such as social distancing, it is just as vital for the technology around us to reflect these changes. Technology is constantly developing; connecting the dots between these changes is essential to make the most out of the technology and enrich the entire experience.

FIND THE RIGHT INTEGRATIONS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY

Once you have mapped out your coliving ecosystem, the next step is to seek out the features you require to scale your operations. There are endless possibilities for integrating technology into your management software. In order to customise your experience,

you may think about the coliving ecosystem previously explained, and the various facets of the coliving experience which may require a specific solution. Certain software can potentially control all components of the coliving experience, including smart heating, lighting, laundry, intercom, delivery, alarm and energy services, and of course, access control.

Once you have found the right software for your coliving space, it is equally crucial to pay close attention to hardware. Sensors, cameras, and in the case of access control, smart locks are a major factor in the longevity of your ecosystem. The following should be kept in mind when choosing the right hardware for your coliving space:

• An ‘out-of-the-box’ solution to get you started immediately,
• Can be integrated with software and cloud-based services,
• Has reliable maintenance, support and presence with global reach,
• Includes customised installation with lowered costs,
• Hardware with variety and aesthetic range to equip your entire space,
• A scalable solution with customisable technology, for instance, an app with your own logo and brand identity.

Contrary to popular belief, both software and hardware can be made flexible when choosing the right solution and service. Once this has been found, residents in the community are free to come and go as they please using their smartphone or smart credentials, and management has the insights and flexibility to control access 24/7 without the risks and costs associated with lost keys or the requirement for onsite staff. SALTO Systems understands the essence of the coliving experience and the attention to detail it requires to create an experience that leaves a lasting impression. This enables operators to truly differentiate their coliving space and brand around lifestyle, community and convenience.

SALTO smart access technology offers real-world benefits to the fast-growing coliving sector; to control and manage all doors and access points in a coliving space. Having long delivered a variety of access control solutions for shared living and community experience, this technology has integrated with leading property and service management platforms to deliver consolidated user functionality. Ultimately,
it is the bigger picture that we should collectively work towards, taking into account all those who make up the coliving community.