By Spud Marshall Entrepreneur | Author | Facilitator | February 4, 2026
Over a decade ago, we started an experiment in downtown State College.
It began with a few simple questions:
- What might be possible if people were more intentional about how—and who—they lived with?
- What if housing wasn’t just a place to land at the end of the day, but a place that actively shaped who you were becoming?
- What if we could retain creative young professionals in our town—through a unique housing model—who were passionate about making Happy Valley an amazing community to call home?
Those questions became the seed of the co.space.
Today, the co.space is a 21-person co-living home just minutes from campus. Over the years, more than 250 students and young professionals have called it home. Some stayed a year. Some stayed longer. All of them have played a part in shaping not just the house, but the broader culture of State College.
What’s always been most surprising is that the house itself isn’t the magic.
Yes, it’s an unusual place—cave showers, rock-climbing walls down the hallways, even indoor beehives. But the real magic has always been what happens between people. When you put driven, curious, and kind humans in proximity—people who care about learning, service, creativity, entrepreneurship, sustainability, or simply becoming better versions of themselves—something subtle but powerful begins to happen.
People raise one another’s baseline.
We’ve watched residents start nonprofits, launch companies, pursue research, grow food, build friendships that last well beyond State College, and—maybe most importantly—learn how to live with others across difference. Not perfectly. But intentionally.
What feels especially meaningful right now is that the co.space no longer feels like a startup. It feels like a living ecosystem.
Former residents are now scattered across the country and the world—founders, educators, engineers, artists, parents, leaders. Many still stay connected. Some come back to visit. Others have chosen to put down roots right here in State College.
To this day, I’m humbled when I receive notes from alumni that say something like, “I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, but that house changed how I think about community.”
The co.space isn’t affiliated with Penn State University, but it has always existed in conversation with it—serving as an off-campus complement to the leadership, entrepreneurial, and values-driven work happening on campus.
The experiment continues. New residents arrive each year. The culture evolves. And the questions keep getting richer: How do we build places that help people truly belong? How do we design environments that invite growth—without forcing it?
I don’t pretend the co.space is a model for everyone. But I do believe it offers a glimpse of what’s possible when we treat housing as a platform for love, intentionality, and curiosity.
And perhaps most encouraging of all: we’re no longer alone in asking these questions. All around Happy Valley, I see people reimagining how we gather, how we host, and how we welcome one another into deeper community.
That, to me, is the real magic.
If you know individuals who might benefit from living in the home, we’re currently filling the final few spots for the August 2026–August 2027 year. We’d be deeply grateful for any connections you’re willing to share. Applications can be submitted at www.thecospace.com.
