As China and the world look together towards the post-Covid-19 calm that they hope will settle into place, all the basics of daily life look likely to change in one way or another.
Mingling, socializing, collaborating with new people – all the benefits of a major world city like Shanghai seem to have been put directly into question by the virus and the lockdowns. Has the typical ultra-convenience of urban China taken a decisive blow?
With their hometown thankfully less traumatized than other megapolises, residents from all over China and the globe are set to return to their usual frenetic pace, and their various ways of living and working – traditional, modern or experimental – with important lessons about health and public safety learned.
One surprising outcome is that experimental ways of living that seek to solve issues like isolation, rising rents or the complexities of the real estate market may be at an advantage.
A community of 「 Designer co-living apartments 」 in the gallery-laden West Bund Culture Corridor, Cohost opened just three years ago, and has been finding its footing as a tasteful, artful site of alternative lifestyles.
Situated by the Shanghai Botanical Gardens, where the riverfront offers a relief from the congested areas of east Caoheijing and southern Xujiahui, Cohost's 66 apartments form what the founders call a 「 refuge from the city in the city .」
Keying into the Culture Corridor with its design-first ethos, Cohost can also be seen as part of a larger trend, with public and private actors moving to develop the long Huang Pu riverside into a watery and aesthetic 'green lung' for the city as a whole. Across the water, the 45-kilometer Huang Pu Riverside Runway Park is another part of the welcome drive by civic planners and investors alike to coordinate efforts and upgrade Shanghai's quality of life.
With multiple new projects on the way, the appeal of non-traditional housing to match the city's most unorthodox area will likely rise in the near future.
In early April, as Shanghai residents continued remaking their nests and restoring a sense of routine, we toured the spaces and spoke with Cohost 'Ambassadors' and other residents about their reasons for choosing this living arrangement, and how this accommodation style and the Cohost philosophy got them through the recent ordeal.
We met with China-born consultant Fei , who moved in with her plastic surgeon husband Xiaoti as they were in the process of relocating to Shanghai after lives and careers spent largely in the United States.
"What do we want our life to really look like?"
was the question on their minds, and the layout and location spoke to the couple at first glance (actually the 'first glance' was a fortuitous Instagram post).
Although they could easily live in a more central location in Xuhui or Jing'an, the appeal of Cohost endured thanks to the aesthetics, multiple practical benefits and the ready-made social network available when they arrived.
Next, the obvious question, what was it like during the lockdown?
Common to each resident was the conclusion that the communal side of co-living endured and even thrived here during the restrictions.
Feifei spoke of founder Todd and his wife Grace whom bringing her fresh bread (quality healthy cooking being a key component of Cohost that some similar facilities omit) and how Dylan, a chef and Cohost 'Ambassador', would bring her food.
As well as the reassuring side of this intimate style of co-living, other voices cited the reliable and fast wi-fi, the staff being present at all times, the management buying masks ahead of time and Cohost being one of the few non- private residence spaces and accommodation options to remain open during the lock down as great marks in its favor.
The forward-thinking owners even developed a pandemic-specific QR code for residents before later versions of the same concept were rolled out for the general public.
With life returning to relative normality, Feifei also stressed the appeal of having a convenient workspace suitable to meetings and routine tasks just paces from her private space. For this former long-term resident of San Francisco, one part of the impact of corona seems clear : there will or should be a further shift towards the " flexible " in working environments and schedules, and in living styles as well.
For Dylan, a classic true believer in the social magic of food, cooking is a way to 「break down barriers.」 He regularly cooks dinners (in normal circumstances) for other residents, feeding up to fifty people at shared meals each month.
During the restriction period, as he supported people like Fei and Xiaoti by making extra-healthy 「vitality salads」 and other morale-boosting meals, Dylan was inspired by how long-term and new residents opted to stay together – and thus bonded more closely .
For artist and fellow Cohost-ambassador Zhen, who owns his own property in Shanghai but chose Cohost for the presence of 「like-minded people,」 the affordability and high standard quality were crucial factors. One misconception about co-living suggests student residences, 'pod' bedrooms and / or student style accommodation. Yet, as Zhen underlines, the design incorporates premium choices at every level – not the budget Taobao options in cheaper hotels. Add to this a movie room, library, swimming pool, tennis court and laundry, and one struggles to think of other conveniences that could have been added to the list.
Photo by: Coldwater & Summer (All by DarkRunners)
In fact the logic of Cohost can incorporate travelers, couples, professionals, creatives and even families in the same setting, with short-term and long-term (more than half a year) clients all partaking.
Holding a hotel license, Cohost is listed on Trip.com and other tourism apps, but the available spaces are managed carefully to encourage long term living and to foster community.
Residence Manager Peter was present for the entire lockdown period during Chinese new year, adding to reassurance for 'Cohosters' throughout. Overall, it is hard not to agree with residents that the Covid-19 outbreak appears only to have strengthened both the image and the living social 'refuge' of Cohost.
For this writer, one of the striking features of the experiment is how it works for curious locals and foreigners alike.
In an often-transient social maze such as Shanghai, many expats still struggle to find a home that will offer a sense of easygoing community as well as access to something more aspirational. For Shanghainese and Chinese citizens, the appeal may be seen as parallel to that of the co-working spaces that have proliferated over recent years, offering something exciting, comfortable and loaded with chances to shake up one's networks and friendships.
Photo by: Coldwater & Summer (All by DarkRunners)
Despite the confusion of recent months, it is crucial that the essential appeal of great cities should not be lost. For Shanghai, that will mean a lot of things. Above, all, it will mean not losing sight of the value of creativity in all its forms, including in how Shanghai-dwellers approach the rhythms of daily life.
During the peak period of the lockdown in China, the upsides of working from home were touted by many. As Feifei pointed out, as a minor consolation from all the suffering, going forward we may well see more flexibility in how and where work is done . If the likes of Cohost have their way, the nature of what 'home' means may well be set for a profound sea-change, as much as the world of work.
The second property of Cohost, The Bridge House which located in the heart of Zhangjiang High-tech City in Pudong , as a premium rental apartment with 157 rooms will be opened in May, 2020.