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London's Collective Old Oak is a co-living complex you never have to leave

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In what will no doubt be wondrous news for agoraphobiacs everywhere (but mostly ones living in London), the Collective Old Oak co-living complex is set to open in the capital next month.

The residential complex is the largest of its kind in the world, and is said to have so many services and self-sustainable resources on hand, that residents could potentially live out their entire lives without ever once leaving the building! The complex, which is being built by the rather ambiguously named “The Collective” company, will be largest and most ambitious in a rash of shared-living spaces launching in cities all around the world, which essentially operate like a cross between student housing and hotels.

There has been a fundamental shift in the way people want to live. People nowadays don't like to commit”

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Containing 550 bedrooms, the building is more than twice the size of the WeWork development that recently opened in New York, and will cater to the growing trend for co-living (not to be confused with cohabiting). The complex offers serviced rooms in shared apartments with communal lounges, kitchens and bathrooms, and promises residents a more sociable lifestyle, for a more affordable price than the average rented studio flat. More importantly, it's a complex that promotes self-sufficient living, to the extent that residents have everything they could need at their fingertips.

In theory you wouldn't have to leave the building if you didn't want to, because you have everything at your fingertips”

Reza Merchant, CEO of The Collective, has said that young renters are increasingly seeking convenience, and claims that by integrating a co-working space, with a restaurant, gym, cinema, spa and launderette, the every desire of all residents can be catered for within one building.

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Merchant described co-living as being about giving people flexibility and “Touch of a button” convenience on their doorstep. The 11-storey complex is at the heart of a £10 billion government-backed regeneration of the area, and is set beside a canal in Willesden Junction in northwest London. The building was designed by PLP Architecture, which is also working with The Collective on another purpose-built co-living scheme in Stratford.

Convenience is so important now, so it's essential to provide that same level of convenience and immediacy in the places where people live”

Like most co-living schemes, Old Oak is targeted at young, single millenial professionals between 21 and 35 and rent starts at just £225 per week, which is incredibly affordable considering the area.

The figure also covers utility bills, council tax and Wi-Fi, as well as concierge, cleaning and security services, and linen changes. It's a way of living that combines the affordability and sociability with the convenience of a hotel, and with the dramatic shift in the rental market recently, many are predicting that setups such as Old Oak could prove to be exceedingly popular in coming years.

Ultimately, experiences are what people value above material possessions and co-living really embodies that”

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​Most of the space is divided up into en-suite bedrooms that share a small kitchenette, located directly off long corridors, but there are also some private suites. Each floor features one larger kitchen with a dining table, which is shared between 30 and 70 residents, and themed communal living spaces.

A restaurant and co-working spaces are located in the lower floors of the building. There is also a large roof terrace, which overlooks some of the area's industrial premises and an on-site car park. Three full-time community managers curate a programme of events in the communal living spaces, some of which are bookable for private events and parties.

The Collective was founded in 2010 and has since developed co-living spaces in Acton, Camden, Hyde Park, Notting Hill and King's Cross (where Merchant himself lives) alongside a co-working schemes.

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Plans for further co-living spaces are also in the pipelines for Canary Wharf and Stratford. The property company has also teamed up with Carl Turner on Peckham Levels, the conversion of a multi-storey cinema in southeast London into a creative community comprising a co-working and events space with artists' studios.

Having a mortgage is a big commitment. Why have that worry when you have a convenient offering that caters for all of your needs that doesn't commit you for a long period of time?”

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