Have you ever thought about leaving the city life behind and moving to the country, even if it is just for a while? Are you one of those people concerned about the impact you cause in the world around you?
If you answered yes to any of the two questions, then the idea of moving into a rural coliving space might be an answer. Even better if it is one of those spaces that take sustainability into account.
In this blog, we want to share with you some of the steps we are taking in our project. These are directly related to the experience that we want to offer you from ISlow, the coliving space that will soon open its doors in A Costa da Morte.
But let’s start from the beginning… What is a coliving space?
“This concept that initially arises as a need of life in big cities is expanding exponentially, also reaching rural areas.”
A coliving is a space prepared to live as part of a community of like-minded people. It is a concept that goes far beyond simply sharing a flat, staying in a hostel or sightseeing.
It is a home where you have everything you need to share your stay without giving up your privacy. And it is also equipped so you can work, receive support in your projects and create professional synergies with the rest of colivers during your stay.
The idea of coliving first appears in the US as a new lifestyle that facilitates remote work and offers the infrastructure to people seeking personal and professional socialization. An international network of colivings is being created that allows us to reinforce the feeling of being “citizens of the world” while getting to know the realities of different areas.
This concept, which arises as a need of life in big cities, is expanding exponentially. It also reaches rural areas where living in community, while staying connected with the global world, becomes a vital necessity.
A coliving offers spaces for people to develop their projects and connect with other professionals.
Slow coliving
“Being a stone house, the 80 cm. walls guarantee good insulation […] You will not only be able to feel a very pleasant temperature in the cold winter, but also during the summer.”
But… What if you also want to do all this in the most respectful and sustainable way possible? That’s when the Slow side of things comes into place.
We are doing our best to design our coliving space in the most respectful, sustainable and, ultimately, in the “slow“-est way possible. We want to use ISlow as a learning tool towards a slow lifestyle, for both ourselves and for the community around us.
So, here are the 5 aspects that we are taking into account in the reconstruction of ISlow, rural coliving in A Costa da Morte.
1. Locally produced building materials
As far as possible we use locally produced materials, for example, top quality Galician chestnut wood. This wood is a guarantee of durability while avoiding the unnecessary transport of goods. If you’re more curious, we’ll tell you about it during your stay!
2. Heating and air conditioning
At an energy level, we have installed a heat pump and pellet stoves using renewable energy sources as much as we can. Future steps will be to include solar panels.
Your ecological consumption footprint will cause less impact on the planet.
Being a stone house, the 80 cm. walls guarantee good insulation.
We are also paying special attention to the ceilings, using materials that will help reduce the use of heating and air conditioning. You will feel a very pleasant temperature both in winter and in summer.
“Did you know that in the digital world there is also room for sustainability? In our case we choose a eco web hosting “
3. Recycling efforts
ISlow will have a large space to be able to separate waste in an organized and hygienic way.
We will also make an organic recycling zone, compost. We believe it is important to follow the cycles of nature, where nothing is left over, and the remains become compost. Would you like to familiarize yourself with this and learn while participating?
4. Consuming mindfully and locally
Our colivers will enjoy local products: greens, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, etc., as well as personal hygiene products made in an ecological way.
You will get to know the products and crafts of A Costa da Morte while contributing to maintaining slow traditions and trades.
We will also aim for eco-friendly kitchenware, and we are committed to using chemical-free cleaning products. Are you familiar with any Spanish brand?
5. Digital but sustainable
And last but not least, did you know that in digital space there is also room for sustainability?
In our case, we chose GreenGeeks eco web hosting. Every time you enter our page, you can do so with the peace of mind that you are contributing to a greener digital world.
If you want to know more about how web hosting like ours can help reduce your carbon footprint, click here.
We are also doing a lot of research about the different tools we are going to need for the internal use of our community of colivers. Our focus is on finding ways of sharing information while minimizing the use of paper.
As you can see, there are many things to consider carrying out a slow practice. Through our daily decisions, we aim to support the development of our local economy while offering the most sustainable space possible from the foundations of our project.
Is there any other idea you would like us to consider? Please, get in touch. We will be happy to hear your suggestions.
ISlow is community, and you are already part of it!
