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LiveWorkPlanningandDesign
ZeroCommuteHousing

AbouttheBook
Therstcomprehensivetreatmentofthesubject,LiveWorkPlanningandDesign:ZeroCommuteLiving(Wiley,
April2012)isintendedtobeagotoreferenceforplanners,architects,developers,students,professors,and
economicdevelopment&redevelopmentprofessionals.
Theauthor,anarchitect,pioneerednewconstructionliveworkinthe1980s,andthebookdrawsonhistwentyve
yearsofexperiencedesigning,developingandcodinglivework,mostlyinCalifornia.Examplesofliveworkfrom
throughoutNorthAmericaarecitedinCaseStudies,whichdescribeandillustrateeachliveworkprojectandlist
itsuniquelessons.

Thebookisorganizedineightmainchapters,whichare:

1IntroductionandBriefhistoryofLiveWork:TheModemandtheShippingContainer
Thetwogenerationsofliveworkasweknowthemwereeachenabledbyanimportanttechnology.First,theadoptionofshipping
containersmeantthatanentirebuildingtype,themultistorydowntownloftwarehouse,becameredundant.Artists,ourbestfuturists,
happilyoccupiedthemasmostlyillegalliveworkspacestartinginthe1960s.Roughlythreedecadeslater,thecomputermodem
coupledwithscanningtechnologygaveusthefaxmachine,closelyfollowedbytheinternet,email,etc.Suddenly,workingathome

becameaordable,possible,and,formany,preferabletoacommutedrivenlife.Thissecondgeneration,usuallyknowashomeoce,
constitutesthemainstreamingoflivework.

2Denitions
Theauthorhascoinednumeroustermstodeneliveworkbasedon:1)dominanceoflivingvs.
workuse;2)thedegreeofproximitybetweenlivingandworkingportionsofaunit;and3)the
projecttype,sizeandcommunitycontext.Inadditiontodeningthesenewterms,theauthor
discussestheFlexhouse,CohortHousing,andotherdevelopmenttypesthatareinherentlysuitable
forlivework.

3Design
Thedesignchaptercontainsalargenumberofcasestudiesthathighlighttheuniqueneedsofliveworkandthephysicalformittakes:Use
Types,ProximityTypesandProjectTypes.Thedesignofallofthesetypesandothers,includingtheexhousearetreatedingreatdetail,
illustratedbythecasestudies.Thechapterbeginswithashorthistoryofliveworkdesignandadescriptionofthetypicalliveworkusers
needs.Treatedaswellare:designelementsinlivework;designthataccommodateswalkintradeandemployees;anddesigningto
addressliveworksgreatestpotentialdownside,isolation,byprovidingopportunitiesforinteractionthatleadtoasenseofcommunity.

4TheMarketforLivework
GuestauthorsToddZimmermanandLaurieVolkdescribetheuniquenatureofthemarketforlivework,bothinnewbuildings,
oftenexhousesorasloftsinconvertedwarehouses.Theyaddressboththeendusermarketforliveworkaswellastheinvestor
market.JackieBensondescribesliveworksuniquequalitiesasarealestateproductandoersadviceonhowtoselltobothendusersand
investors,stating,ifyousellthebuyeronthecommunity,youvelikelysoldaunit.Amen.

5LiveworkandCommunity

Asthetermzerocommutehousingimplies,aliveworkresidentsabsencefromanormalworkplace
environmentcanleadtofeelingofisolation.Forthisreason,theneedforinformalinteractionthatarisesin
liveworkprovidesauniqueopportunitytobuildcommunity,whichwhenproperlydesignedor
locatedtakestwoforms;1)Providingopportunitiesforinteractionwithintheproject,suchasinthe
courtyardliveworkcommunitiespioneeredbytheauthor;and/or2)Locatingtheliveworkprojectona
greatstreet,wherecafesandotherpublicvenuesarecloseathand;orboth.

6Planning
Planningforliveworkincludesconsiderationsofwhereitis
built,howitrelatestoitssurroundings,anditspotentialis
toenhancethelifeofthecommunityinwhichitislocated.
Inthischapter,liveworkusetypes,proximitytypesand
projecttypesareexaminedfromaplanningperspective.
Drawingfromtheauthorsexperience,development
standardsareproposedanddiscussed.Liveworkimpacts
manysocialissuessomeofwhichareaddressedinChapter
Sixthroughregulatorysolutionswhileothersarethe
subjectofcasestudies.AppendixAcontainsaseriesoftablesleadingtobutnotprescribing,becauseplanningregulationarealwaysa
verylocalgameamodelliveworkplanningcode.

7BuildingCodes
Liveworkcallsintoquestiononeofthecentraltenetsofbuildingcodes,thedivisionofbuildingusesintooccupanciesthatarenormally
requiredtobeseparated.UntilitsrecentinclusionintheInternationalBuildingCode,liveworkwasnotformallyrecognizedasatype.
ChapterSevenaddressesoverallbuildinglifesafetyissuesinlivework,codesthatapplywithinliveworkunits,andbuildingcodeissues
byprojecttype.TheMasterBuildingCodeMatrix,combinedwithaseriesoftablesandananalysisofthenewIBCliveworksectionin
AppendixB,formaliveworkbuildingcodesystemthatwillservewithlocalcalibrationtomeettheneedsofalmostanylivework
projecttype.

8Epilogue(directquotes)

8Epilogue(directquotes)
Liveworkisawayofaccommodatingthosewho,bythemannerinwhichtheylive,question
theneedtoseparatelifefromwork.Ontheotherhand,trulymixedoccupancy
buildingsthataredesignedforlivingandworkingsuitthosewhoassumeaphysicalseparation
betweenresidenceandwork.Suchpeoplearewellservedbyexhouseliveworks,which
constituteavaluablereemergenceofanancientformthatiswellsuitedtoamixeduse
neighborhood.
Liveworkisbothanewwayandanoldwaytocarryononeslife.Forsomeitisan
aitude,forothersitisasinglebuildingtype,andforothersitisacontinuationofanage
oldpaern.Formany,itisandhasbeenapathtostrongerandmoreconvivial
communitiesandanintegrationoflifespreviouslydispersedfunctions.
AstheUnitedStatesappearstobelurchingtowardalessauent,lessdominantpositionintheworldeconomy,theeliminationofwaste
inherentinliveworkanditsprovisionofopportunitiestocreatecommunitywillbecomeincreasinglyappropriate.
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