Circular thinking begins with each of us, but it extends to far more than the individual. This holds especially true at home, where new ways of living are increasingly driven by community. This week, we share a couple of trends that’s changing the way we think about the heart of the home — the kitchen.
Kitchenless Home
Communal Kitchen at Staten Island Urby, Courtesy Ironstate
Waste not, want more. Inspired by the good use of resources, this short phrase reflects how more and more people are choosing to live today. With a desire to build healthy and sustainable neighborhoods, the movement to environmentally conscious living is beginning to shape buildings themselves. A perfect example — the kitchenless house.
Championed by architect and designer Anna Puigjaner, the idea of the kitchenless house is rooted in a desire to eliminate waste and bring people together. Today, Americans waste 30 percent, or the equivalent of $48 billion, of consumable food annually. At the same time, growing elderly populations lack socialization outlets, while youth increasingly suffer from loneliness. Aiming to develop new models of collective housing, Puigjaner believes that centralizing food preparation within residential buildings can begin addressing these issues.
Integrated into existing or new buildings, or residing outside them entirely, communal kitchens represent how shared living spaces are becoming increasingly common. This builds off the Co-Living Home Model where people share amenities, and in turn, benefit from cheaper rent or services. Companies like Open Door and WeLive have evolved the concept to provide everything from game lounges and chef’s kitchens to fitness studios.
Urban Co-Living
Urban Co-living Kitchen, Courtesy Colonies
In November 2017, Space10 launched an interactive website and survey called One Shared House 2030, which was set up as a mock application to a shared house that one would move into in the year 2030. The survey asked people about their coliving preferences — from what spaces they’d want to keep private to what types of utilities they wouldn’t mind sharing. The survey got feedback from more than 7,000 people in 147 countries.
The result: respondents were most interested in living in shared houses of between 4 and 10 people. One of the main reasons people are interested in coliving is a desire for social interaction and quality experiences. They don’t need their own private kitchen and would use a communal kitchen so they can have more flexible private space. Co-living resonates with the mission at Fernish: eliminating waste, celebrating quality and creating spaces that best suit your lifestyle.
These intentional communities are made for any age. As a movement away from standard and planned housing developments, they focus instead on connection and circular lifestyles. Multigenerational home-sharing can also address the urban affordability crisis, making cities and neighborhoods more live able. While the co-living trend is dramatically rising in millennials, boomers and older generations also benefit from the sense of community and engagement that communal living brings.
As we look more closely at how we live, our homes will continue to be redefined. Ideas of circular living, community and shared resources are becoming increasingly tied together. Whether enjoying a kitchenless house or simply sharing furniture with friends, conscious living is bringing our attention back to the value of community.
