Vacant urban properties converted into affordable communal housing

These London housing units can be quickly and cheaply built inside shuttered businesses

Spotted: UK-based Vivahouse has created a housing model that turns shuttered businesses into communal properties. The prefabricated units are easy to install and mean less time spent repurposing interiors, according to the company.

Vivahouse brands itself as the “urban house of the future”. It targets freelancers and mobile professionals who have trouble finding affordable housing in London. The concept is based on the growing interest in co-living. The units include private bedrooms with communal kitchens and bathrooms. They also include daily cleaning, kitchen and bathroom supplies and on-site laundry facilities.

Rental prices start at £600 per month in city locations for long-term stays, and from £50 per night for shorter stays, which Vivahouse says is a fraction of the cost of traditional rentals.

The concept takes advantage of shuttered shopping malls, hospitals and office spaces. The company recently finished a pilot programme at a closed shopping mall in London in December 2018. It plans to roll out more units across the city and abroad.