5 Minutes With... Hmlet

What drives the coliving industry? What does the millennial workforce, its primary audience, demand from it? Will the definition of coliving and living merge in the future? Sebastian Worthington, Chief Creative Officer of Singapore-founded coliving company Hmlet, weighs in.

“The millennial workforce lives up to its digital nomad culture. They desire the freedom to travel and not be locked in with fixed assets, like owning a home. They want the option to uproot and move to another country within an arm’s reach.

“Globally, the demands of coliving are pretty aligned. If we look at the market in Europe and the US, housing is still too expensive even though space isn’t an issue like it is in Singapore, so the millennial workforces there look to alternatives – that’s where coliving comes in.

“Most of us have felt lonely in a big city. We’ve found that our members prefer spaces where there’s an opportunity to mingle and meet new people. They come for convenience, but they stay because of the community and the friends they’ve made. It’s a trend that transcends Singapore and the broader Asian region.

“Knowing the demands and behaviour of our members, we put extra care into designing our communal spaces. For example, our new development at Sarkies Road has 76 rooms. We have created lounges, coworking spaces and even a rooftop with barbecue pits. Through these designs, we’ve brought an entire community to life.

“Maybe at some point the traditional ways of buying and owning a home will become obsolete since everyone wants to live with everyone.”