Contents Foreword List of Tables ‘Acknowledgements Preface ‘PART ONE Chapter Introduction Chapter? Quayside Village Cohousing CChapter3._WindSong Cohousing a Chapter4) Songaia Cohousing Ghapter5 Puget Ridge Cohousing Chapter Marsh Commons Cohousing. Chapter? N Street Cohousing Grr Berkley Cohousng sper 9 Swan's Market Cohousing 2 Chapter 10 Earthsong Eco Neightourhod ze Chapter 11 Cohousing Cooperative, ‘ ae Ghapter 2 Cascade Cohousing - Chapter 13. Kyodo no mori Cohowsing 4 PART TWo ~ hopter 14 Cicumstance: py physical setting and my apie Inerncton nrpeserl wien ee tems hap Relate ae apter 17 Engagement: belon, 3 137 Seperis geen hinge = i Chapter29 Sustainable Communi 19 16 i the cohowsing mad Ping thelesene Biography tea 1% List of Tables Community Data, Quayside Village Cohousing. Data, WindSong Coh Dats, Songala Cohousing a's ten-year development Table 5.1: Community Data, Paget Ridge Cohousing ‘Communi Dats, Meesh Connmnora Community Data, N Street Cohousing ‘Community Dats, Berkeley Cohousing Table 9.1; Community Data, Swan's Market Cohousing Table 10. Community Data, Escthsong Eco-Neighbourhood Table 102; Projected average household cost savings Earthsong, Eco Neighbourhood Table 1.1: Community Dats, Cohousing Cooperative Table 112: Restered car pooling and childcare arrangements, Cahousing Cooperative Table 121 Community Data, Cascade Cohousing Table 13:1: Community Data, Kyodo no mori Cohousing Table 14.1; Prior and current locations of cohousing households Table 14.2; Reported changed ovnership of vehicles and bicycles Table 143: Density analysis Table 14.4: Dwelling size (in m) by numbers of bedrooms Table 145: Cohousing household’ current and prior divelling types, Table 146: Typical cohousing recycling protocol Table 14.7: Food Preferences chart at Berkeley Cohouing.sonrnn nn Table 151: Demographic characteristics of the American cohousing population Table 152: Distribution of vocations in American cohousing. : ‘Table 15 3:Gross annual income of residents with full-time employment Table 161: Changes in houschold ownership of goods. Table 162: Lending list of household items available to others Table 16.3: Schedule of existing and proposed common facilities. Table 164: Area analysis of common versus private space Table 165: Cohousing affordability analysis. Table 171: Development timeline for each project. ‘Table 172: Reported participation in community activities.This book is deste nycidren Anna ana Liberty thor chen should they have any ad tau genratons of dren t9 come 1| Introduction vironmental sisanablity goes hand in ar with socal sustainably Towns ind cites are frst and foremoot places where people live and work, wok jos a indivsuale bot ax comin urban ara ide cd places tr people to ve and for comm To mtr ow they are, they will not be sustainable 8 The missing link Since the 1970s, environmental values attitudes and practices have been thoroughly investigate in fnumerous popular polls and university surveys. Consistently én the West. about 90% of people ‘Claim to be concered about the state of the envitonmient. Furthermore, most appear to recigmise that high levels of personal consumption contribute decisively to environmental degradation. Yet Strangely, very few of those same people can claim to have modified thelr Mestyles acortingly. Little connection is found between people's professed concen consumerist behaviour. Eyen easily achieved behavioural chan reduced driving, de not em to occur asa result of for the environment and. thet 1, such as increased recycling ot ised environmental awareness ‘Why is this 50? Why do intelligent, informed, well-meaning people have such dificulty walking thelr environmentalist talk’? ‘The principle intent ofthis book is to provide answers to this question and to suggest how things might be different The disconnection between environmental awareness and consumerist behaviour is perhaps not surprising given tha affluence is widely invoked as an essential component ofthe good life’ and the ‘reat’ Australian or American or Western European dream. However this book reveals farther tues. It chaws how the quality of our social relationships and our ‘sense of community’ are major {oterminants of our capacity for pro-environmental behavioural change. Thereby, it establishes « Tink betw fy and ‘sustainability. The argument is eventually broadened te encompass issues such as urban form, mass housing and ecologically sustainable development Concepts and definitions ‘Throughout the book, frequent use is made of a number of terms that have been notoriously iisused through popular usage and in the literature: ‘sustainability’ and ‘community are obvious tramples, Yet itespective of problems of meaning, soc terms con be useful as widely understocd ‘escriptors of powerfl ideas; their very popularity being evidence forthe power and currency of their taage, In this setion, these and other Key terms are kentified and their meanings, as they're defined for the purposes ofthe book, are clarified ‘The concept suistainailty originated in the early 1970s, being first articulated in the inifuentil paper Blueprint for Surcioa, poblished in the journal, Te Ecole. The nireduction to Blaser Commenced with the words: The principal defect of the industrial way of life is that it is mat Sietauble"® The authors detailed the multitude of ways in which unrestrained population growth, Combined with excessive material consumption was untenable, and if Teft unchecked, would jncvitably undermine the prospect of human survival. They used the descriptors sustainable and Stable almost interchangeably ‘Over the last 30 years, experts and non-eyperts alike have used the wore, sustaiable, and its Cerivative, sustanabfity, ina maltitde of ways, sometimes manipulating its essential meaning f citscrving or opportunistic ends. Interpretation is often based on the reeds and proclivities of Ghapter I ivoductionsnabity in reference tothe ad ‘whilst economists might oat ms thigh icp logit Ty oye rm based the ati of market fone ee ores a te oi ; Staci ers he impct of Faran groupe Sin anrert tstlerttenmenS cm ofamalive: moralistic ant! polemical connotation nd deg CL Gere tn pos, univer eo wage a word he on em ne Spo nt ho Seaton Tati SENET ity and age H with the seat cr ah be mt coy, nt wie Beads Workd Couision on Environment eepted detmaon propia ty Oe ent aout compromising the ability of fume event ht eg Be v of ft forint rr The i-inr ack of conscry ant efits of Fe ena Snap eames cf cermunity are so diverse ttm tecports te octal caress sc meton, shard tes freephone ips cher ats sch shure, toning Foci cos Conga wag ae Peed cde abstract aseaton (ef eset emmy ete oy torment) ad fo accommodte ate twentieth certs rsh the ae oil em. 1 fhe sein. “emmin sear ston” acodingly disregarded erdnglyclaregarded oF relaxed then Zs nant ap rede came nets members Forte Bresso this ok tice vil he ig eee apr hs th wl he dig sro corrunty This hits wel wah he aes cess, comunity, ‘comma “communitaranisn semi, meaning to share The “dates Than strings haan cea ok Resin and munis meaning Sar chose elaionships and the notion ct unity, made wor worse perhaps The clase nd common Aa aetna conan a ppd to athe pe, le sg togcer and commit) ee eer ant ddd ya 8a group of mostly unrelated specific common values _ ralues or goals, Again, this meanings of the words intentional and ton hae on the sciehlorwand das Exper isa ren shang processes I iy developed theoretical JS Senerally associated wap eo felewance tertional ongoing process centred in the local communi ‘and group. parttpation, ‘aiued resources gain greater le through which peop In other words, empowerment 1s the metns by which individuals, acting calletivey, gain tunderstanding of ther circumstance and, inthe process, greater contol over their Wes. Clesely alld to the concept of empowerment (s that of community development, which ix w brimder cptualistion of the way groups gain socal coherence and develop a sense of collective strength Inivoduction to cohousing the beginning, of the lnwentional community ical evidence for the central propositions of this book (tine! 1) is gathered through an investigation of cohousing. a new form o he link between the social dynamics of sich a group and the prom that provides clues to nvironmental bchaviours ofits members. housing fist appeared in Denmark during the 1970s and spread throughout Norther Europe "0, took root in the United States, Canada and Australia, More ncenty luring the 8s. In th projects have appeared in Britain, New Zealand and Japan. Cohowsing has attbutes that ink it the long history and traditions of communal living, Residents share propery, resources and Tey eat, meet and recreate ogether, Cohousing communities network, publish and they constitute a resurgent communalst movement Cohousing has distinctive architectural and site planning featores. Typically, purpose-built attached housing is st within a parpose designed neighbourhood. Autonomous private dwelings fare integrated. ‘with shared ublities and recreational facilities such as Kitchens, dining halls ‘workshops and children’s pay facilities. Danish projets range from as few as six dwellings to more than a hundred, but most are between twenty and forty houscholds, Several hundred sich bofellesaber (which literally translated means ‘living: community’) Rave been built n Denerks im North America, where they typically comprise twenty to thirty households, over eighty cohousing communities are now built and many more are on the drawing board or under construction, 1 ‘Australasia there are just four projects of between ten and twenty households and in Japa single aspirations hold national conferences. Colletivel ‘ohousing commonty of eleven houscholds the late twenkieth century = CCohousing has arisen in precise response to perceived social problems of personal alienation and the breakdown of community, in particular. Members seck to establish lose, supportive socal relationships and uliise their shared facilities to establish a rich commarity life of sala, receational, cultural and work activities. Probably the most important communal activity tthe shared meal held regulary on particular nights of the week: Common meals ae tle, They are emblematic ‘Valued for their practical advantages and forthe social interaction they ‘ofthe group as an intentional community, Since the 1960s, countless groups have lived communally, most famously in places lke Nimbin in ‘Australia and Christiania in Denmark, bu in fact throughout the Western world. Common fo many, Such altermative este’ has boon a commitment to ving more simply than "normal in smales Tess elaborate dwellings with fewer material possessions. By chovce, daily lite fess hectic, travel: dependent and prescribed, Usually, amongst practitioners of alternative lifestyles there is considerable social support and a palpable sense of community rong pro-environmental values and, unlike many grens i “apply ther values in day-today life. They consume Tess Most people living alternatively have st ‘mainstream society, are generally able to Capen rahecewth euch ess impact on the environ Seiten pall minority an! therefore will non. has change Wma ST eis of a fature sustainable got arg tee ey ane whorl cOmMUNItes but wouy Sorcerer erent sie pe 18a ond 7s race ig ps er a ug as lance of comunity in the process of attitudinal ang ee — deeply ratgate what is now understood to be the ecologic Q foeus on cohousing, this too Characteristics of cohousing ets sane) hav at ati disingushng f ot dfning characteristic 4 articulate! by: Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett: in ‘seminal be aA Conteriporary Approach to How sang Ourseives? ta ee Tune A 1. Participatory process Cohowsing groups atch real imporsance io the parc A particpot nthe desi a i ASSP or even more, bu! pill, per da Htotim othe dae finite eT Lis Ewen to and foe poses nn ‘any peopleareinvelved inthe prec 2. Neighbournood design Cohousing projects enerally adopt one Ges lw en Pernt ern ny ren bed ee = space AY. divelings have a private 4 hybrid ofthe set and edge of the rer at play es, cultures 8. Common facities nimunities are eancentated in the common house! = ‘Kitchen and dining room lange enough to Typically two or thee times per week in iain a shared laundry, mult-purpose social spate eildre's oom and workshop. Many communities share one or two guestrooms ora library or oie. Scone tay havea room for tens defor games ras or exercise allow: common meals tobe Held re addition, most common house 4, Selfemanagement Inthe sprit in which cohousing is designed and bull, residents take fll responsiility forthe sel ‘management of the project once its completed and occupied. This involves them in alow all the decision-making, as well as the activities and duties jute for the day-to-lay running of the community. Apropos their participation in community life, there isa further charactenatc of cohousing not often fours! amongst other types of intentional community. Cohousing groups pay particular attention to what i elled ‘sustainable dynamics’, whichis primarily a function of the size. They aim to be large enough to allow members to occasionally withdraw from the group without jeopardising its social dynamics, but not too large that members cannon get te know one another through regular participation in community ite MeCamant ancl Durrett’s original definition of cohousing, which appeared inthe first (1985) edition ‘oftheir book, comprised only the above four points. The following two were included in the sicond (1994) edition, presumably to distance cohousing from communes or intentional communities With ‘charismatic or spiritual leadership and/or a common economy 5, Absence of hierarchy Cohousing is fiercely democratic in its decision-making processes, Consensus is universally uilsed to ensure that all members have an opportunity for input. Although cohousing groups are started by a core of strong individuals, once the project is occupied these members take mo more ofa woe in ‘management decisions than others, 6, Separate incomes. Cohousing; members and households do not poo! their capital or financial resources, Indeed, a shored economy or ‘common purse’ is rare amongst intentional communities generally, bing mest likely to occur in sectarian communities. It is usual in cohousing to have a wide diversity of ‘ccupations and incomes. This creates significant challenges. Quite wealthy members and others on low oF even subsistence incomes might have to reach consenstis on sich matters as inereasing ‘ionthly levies, expensive infrastructure development and the eos of common nals, ‘There are at least two farther characteristics that distinguish cohousing {rom many if nok most ther contemporary intentional communities. Cohousing communities place a stronger emphasis on the balaice between community life and the privacy of individuals and households Divelings are Chapter Tatreductionsw amb eros ie aciletora form, pen heat oes lo Sig ang se CANS ate te Pt on eed ea Tom mol ee ay canta ea Sel wr ee bon Leen Goto tas dec ie Doand has continued fo spread there ever since Ty the ee : 790 Bere ligpurnd mio Neh Amex sna fas Hourshed there to this day. In thes, cohort eee eats wanttclane dich tusppcares in jap alierepeepe i SS eloped RT doping uncvned ty many oft Pose et fea tetson communes Inprtny however, choise pe os shousing projets also varied significantly Seteadstnetions being diferent from country to costes Danish communes of the 15606 and 70s were unremarkable by comparison with tie Amosces Sourterprts. Few were sectaan { chursatc andthe proportion advoating “rig use and/or fade! iestyls such a complex Matic and bohemian or hippie Heme sly a Heuiehalds had ther oven private guaran The inproved through ie Marne of resources, "They were x oll were ‘penealh feelings that the invigua men eat middleclass i proposal, designed in saure of stability, warmth, genuine afeton ana r built E¥entually the pot and radial socal it arly the homeless, single parents and awe ful and wanted” Most Communaeds were wef ‘ional employment and rereatcnsl purse; They tae on of a etvil and tolerant Danish soctety and wore cohousing ike llity from particular neighbours and wos ure ofthe late sates inepinead seo Danish coking, urchase properties in Hillerod (North of Copentagen) coat Copenhagen, itself Financial ans practical diiculties delayed occupalion of thee paneer aad 2 and 1973 respectively The differences between Danish and Swedish echeusing Ke principally in their physi fom and thelr socioee mie underpinning, Danish iched dwellings with a separate, detached common house [Pho nly, the architecture takes « nco-vernacular character, its layout, form andl mae te "ived from rural building traditions. The common fwouse ts usually located central at the whrance tothe ste as and functional importance. Swedish cohoumng onthe ther hand, is mostly found in mesiam to highsise apartment blocks that appear ile lees from conventional mass housing ty 2), Common facilities are often buried within the building, although their presence may be indicated by larger thon expected windowaes voles, ‘Chapter I> Introduction Figure 1.2 (above): Extensive common faciibes on the fith floor of the Swodish communal housing project, Stacken, (Drawing by NOARK Architects) Photo 1.2 let): Typical Swedish collective housing: mediunrsise buildings with commen facies within (Phote by Dick Urban Vesti),Tole bull) in fad (and contin he burden of housework, parti Fakdren with working (often sing tance from maledomuny ers ina manner ronly used 9 provi Sri isa PS scent ose, dea owsework uch cba ite Seat eis etan ead user PS11 wham a an Sans peal ehh hing a Se cao li wth cues ls reg houschotda crass ual hve deel come li ea ol hr Sticke Impure this due t a humastic Bae ‘Tien and ding moe (Fygre 13). ne he manipulation of space and fo gs similarinscale ta Danish cohousing be 1 Bose the Netherlands i significantly n ry hws pe oR soning pregecs Ben ith, and are inte “ Danish and Swedish cohousing der to achieve intimacy pot with the whole comm groups, not withthe nuit iy, esidonts can join a cluster of households wth ‘commen mes per week) and move betwren fran wth scan Ie Dak toss amen 0 hs nay ore more ining ed to gcc ‘esis ype ot Den ‘ale ard uber chases 0 ees a sco stato the EAS ame way ws Danish cohousing argh ‘Yer isso intent and consequently the demographics ve alays ter citerent ror the Dah a ont the Seon cae re focused on the practical advantage of communal living: sod pore sealer proportion of ingle patents and the elderly. Dutch cabusing really seeped og using providers allke. Cursently n the Nethedantie eo in Sweden, litle housing of any Kl te ult ety nd practice, Housing profs in general, commonly tnapoag desig, centralised parking and shared spacea and facies, less extent in Denmark andl ‘The USA and Canada Dane nid atts, Kate McCamant and Chuck Durett returned to Calforia fom a study tur of Frei chaning and in 1588 published tei finding in Calousing A Contempo area theiing Cures. 1 sll 000 copes nthe frst month such wasthe-rpenae oie eae oF thee years, MeCamant and Durret vigorously promencdsohvasoy ase Iuble wovkahops and slide shows, One held in Davis, Cllr in ate IRS oes da Pmercan projec, Muir Commons, complete in 1981: Within afew years prakeee had been established in Notthern California, Washington Stats Rlocectae fugentan projects sncomporated most ofthe physics attnbutes of Danish coleacing took ea Tee aached dwellings centalsed common facies and peripheral patking) heteoc men oy adopted significant new variabons of architectural character (Phase fa) fa Renmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, most cohousing is developed as soil housing by rane Rroft cnpinizations. This rain America. One project Window Cohouning wor denon ty Sr SHINY cooperative of residents and another by a non-profit orgaaaton selieg et agh cotousing for low-income Black community. Predominantly however, Ameen poet ac, Privately developed by the residents as a condominium whereby residents own thee ey hae outright. Most groups use professionals and developers to expedite the eign and procorenerg process, About 80% ‘us consultants while the remainder design and develop thelr oa Brose tally with mput rom member profesional. About A work wth popery develope nao yplcally undertake financing an project management roles. One development comears Eagieular, Wonderland Hill has largely been responsible fr a wave of cohousing develope th vendo, American groups often employ aot development move! whereby a at is coved up ints Rouse Tts thot are sold separately (together with a share of the commons) an! evloped {netvidually,” This results in cohousing projects with considerable diversity of architectural fee, Seale and character the ies of which isnot much found in European eohoang Fonte. 14: Diversity of architectural character amongst US cohousing projects as seme adoot tie (en femacular character or ‘style’ of thei regen: the Pacihc North West (et tie South We (contre) and New England (ight) (Chapter: Introduction ®walt projects, ts Know as retrofit wee fo ear op tmibcus one Pa Se hn the teres on I igre pact ge ytars seh pe et re cars aN eI ty auburt ae nected with tre Teng se cis 2 he and in some cases, pon? sca yeas! wth Pole tater on part i Pelee aay easing snort that ofthe Danish, sap, 2 In addition wn there ee co ako Nth Aer commu decree = med thee se ste oP can etre Tare sec sansa chs This Bas ering ard high eels of practical Support Resins iy ration. to cahoasing with extensive i is} contrary to an overwhelming nati rer ‘owns an jure * sepa ing > dwellings are sal by Armercan stone sig ech tings Cab eae Sioeren Fare ecter ares veel tree fxr Bonne (ore Crate oe Another distinctive hares of Noch Amer and networking, Word of mouth networking and ever increasing publicity has very ‘prea interest incabexsing, Many communities are now wired for internal (i, intranet electrons, ferimniion anhe Word Wik Web le intent to promote and provide suppee slay to sn cohousing is a propensity for communication estvely {or development groups and communities. National and regional conferences are her Fora cranks has thee tae above alee that give the cohousing [Penomenon in Norh Amen, he fel ard momentum ofa genuine socal movernent Australi ond New Zeland Fema ne a il tds erp soy, star contest with he Bart Tamas en Aes This pjet aside Cohoseing ne Sisal re Fea Wy, EE a nly two mane ene Shean pear heey a 2d aothrn Hobart (1999), Cohouring S atialy specifi reason, Communal living, tron ia, has remained outside pic cece man op ners a Oe man a AEB tea ots ke Hoban and Fremantigy ad torn lan coservatin” Altman ate erp hs eb ‘wo plo THe ea on Prac and lamp Ra Te tS MEN pred cee” Cy Pulteney He The patos in tomar Me Australian attitudes an Sw a en enn ra atts nd rk. prespet pect an By aly ie) andthe essential foc meetin. consumerism and has become a value in isa ninka, Xe distrnt of one need i dance atitcllctuaisen, bat a ¥ deivel Vision of Amores an . yin tha country. ‘helt itm ‘he Australian psyche, have no doubt contributed to the mage pioneers that has Fisk taking! which rapid developmen rm ot be pa n_ New Zealand's fst cohousing projets partially complate (9e Chapee 10) Across the Taam Earthsong Exo.Neighbourhoud has encapsulated in its name the Intention to build a prjee ait ey environmental impact In using the tourhood rather than ecole the eommnanty ated urban project, not an autonomous tual ome, the intention to design and construct buildings and serves andlards of sustainable human settlement" Furthermore, fs making the point thot the ‘explicitly incorpor that “demonstrate the highest pr they acc 10 “assis inthe education and public awareness of sustainably by demenatatig set Fometing innovative community design and environmentally responsible carewacree Japan and Korea A unig ation of eohousing principles to suit local cecumstances has occured in Japan. tn F ‘vo communal housing projects dicectly. inspired by Banish and Secsh ded privately (see Chapter 13) and the other, publicly (Photos 1518), ‘the F process. Both have cemplors, one fund fide cohousing; the obher isnot or lack ofa participatory desig mon meals to suit the stressful lestyle and late working taken unconventional approache: hours of Japanese employees. The former iregularly utilises a barbeque pit set within ie et ‘ooftop garden, the other commissions serviced meals twice a day, six days & week Photos 1.5:1.8: Common facies in Tokyo's publicly funded icohousing-ike! communal housing library and traditional guest room (clockwise from top left). project: the dining room. rach Ghapier = rreocion athdebers fotlvi jy anc i Vast ni i ang vee eH Feat oes meanineslaces of trey 8 Sep tat Nd 71 unis each (PHotO> 19-112) Tho Photo 1.13: The work of Kareem men pase ST fg monly elderly In recogni ahora stents Gated on ha Jes and © ‘ng joo | eoePoming hardship ard mute eehousing mo (aac ganna tht pr tn Kores thee is sila growing Scie “Bei ta! ey way cobs soups Become onda vous Shee a a coum new Be thy deel he nd os a ele PS Become bonded through thy academics if : the general public A sociology. profesor has scent published @ book atout eohousing sod ai ens asa ena RE ihe Nata nse of Pubic Health hitecture has published an trugele amongst themsely at on cle about cobousing in the jou a mise Hats" Dr Min, reve Store they stated dhe those sland hg of the Korean Housing Assocation» ere al aid ad of the Furr Houses by implement His students, the next generation of thm are po ate imps te ete Korean architects, have eon eer designing cohousing, projects in te teaching” studio. Kewwledge of chowsing in Asia remains mostly theoretical Only the private Tok Project has been designed and built by participatory process. Yet. there sufficient interest and commitment 6 stiggest that others may soon fll Asian interest in cohowsing theory and prctice fies in the face of previous cobousing rhetor: Cohousing has often been touted as an exclusively Western phenomenon with lite leven son: Western societies presumed to be based on extended far lies and high amblent levels of socal Support. In truth, Asia has suffered devastating social disruption over recent decades through raped and illconsidered. Westemisation that has brought a breakdown of fami, and. ommerine structures aswell as loss of cultural Values. Theee is an appreciation now ofthe role hat eohousing has played in addressing these trends in the West and a eadiness to apply cohousing prinpals address similar needs. DrMinai writes, Japan has a quite diferent way of thinking about housing and community development from the United States and other ‘Western Countnes. On the ether hand, we do have common problems of small scale families and other relaed problems of community destruction. Children find it difficult to play outside. and they do not encounter different attitudes of adults, Many ehiren do not have the ‘chance to discuss their thinking with their neighbours. Cohousing may solve some ofthese problems"! Cohousing in Africa? Africa has similarly undergone huge secial disruption over long period of colonial domination and Postcolonial aftermath. South Africans, to take an extreme example, have suffered unthinkable upture to community cohesion and development atthe hands of the Apartheid regime. Theefforts Df the post-Apartheid regime have failed to improve the situation in many respects. The provision of critically needed social housing, for example, has suffered for being based on an idealised Chapter E Tntroduction B ai nt sa tn gi Stason (eal Be ge ut, Doli Fearne to, sane ce paeraiaseit sas del angst Soh AIAN AEM, any fw ear ace Supe hoa sc) i frit fe recs cousng stetgies Figured), oe mat wine SO Baa pip! Sn aT Ae Peak and Austin hs prope meet iat ne mid or ed yp Sis per mt oral a ox OmmU CTE) is ome UN Fe cas inadtenn he HIV/AIDS pandemic, fan csenta element of sheet hassingpovon er acer, partly thse orphaned by the disease. Cohousing eget pea 9g that might mitigate the catastrophe, eel pm hg ah a Phot 1.14: Goverment provided so housing. Figue 14 Shayamoya, (Drawing by BESG) SEIS Of be ohonsing model, te. ts ction in its various guises Beri and Attn deepens tay ‘0 ut diffeent cated ed Thae london oper en Sn umily tradition is comm, ae = ae ea : = rea ety patio another, and ‘sentry, an ee mporlant means of housing an eustainabty shotning has deep me rpms We pee a ree cent A lak Genury “esl alton a here cm fete eee ee Hesse Community payehloy it sah “amar eden ean bs deere which mmumise oatne dvcopment and ota Bae ne ae ‘hon people te sot etn ie ty belonged, hey gue meron the pose a postion of Uh porch nee pa eee pavllons provided.” Tes acti enlcones panic poet exchange with neighbours The matter of whether design pe extremely vexed ton might once have held that stray cam help build a sense of belonging ora sense of community is and much discredited history of architectural determine which 5 moving into-an appropriately designed neighbourhood would likely cohere as a community. One need only browse the marketing material fr the net wate housing development to be presented with this illusion, sill Gated ‘communities, however are generally designed without the involvement of future residents. The involvement of prospective Tesidents inthe design and development of cohousing, on the other bund, builds socal esheston and ‘commitment within the group before inhabitation of the project. The process creates 4 sone of ‘community up front that is absent from most ether forms of, or proposals for, sustaituble urken evelopment There is The intentionality and social cohesfon of cchousing communities facilitates ongoing manipulation of the built environment for social and environmental gain. Their socal tes and level of commitment ‘enable residents to aet as a single entity when implementing particular technologies appropeate for consenstal communities = centralised neighbourhood heating, for example. Such “termediate: scaled” energy and waste systems are likely to function more effiently and responsively than ‘conventional ones, CoFfousing’s principle contribution to a sustainable society is that it offers another scale of social organisation ~ an intermediate scale between the single family and the town or municipality ~thereby expanding the palette of technologies that can be applied ® Social cohesion and trust facilitate sharing andl collaboration that makes possible a range of practical savings, many with environmental consequences. There is potential, for example. for coordinated activity such as car pooling, bulk food storage and organic farming The process is cyelical, since Social relationships are built through residents working together to address practical needs, In ohousing, social cohesion engenelers personal responsibility for one's actions through “its provision ‘of a human scale, knowable society in which inividals have reflected to them, and recognise the ‘importance of thei personal roles. The community provides a touchstone. Ik “seeks to maintain isalf as an ongoing entity, providing a fixed context against which to measure the changes in out ‘Chapter: Introduction 151 changes im the Vag, thay esterase Sh sa in rs tba te cori) ata fixed point in time. re oe ther distinctive and differing characteristics. The ee eer usta by the divers and cultural specificity th te Imported the Fst Noch American examples. This book features Sc Scere tarendnermes sre Mots oy “‘cicumstance, ‘interaction’, ‘relationship’ and ‘engagement’ Chapter 14 discusses sircumstay i eee (elm ep sedis cored sens schas ring and composting. Chapler 15 investigates two kee Sexapererl tren in chousing influence and exchange. Chapter 16 examines relation ee Bree me icecream me Nea Facer lations aang rom the prevatng analysis Chapter 18 tes the threads of the ees ‘together with an holistic theoretical model, the ‘Community Empowermer (CEM. Ree Galeton ses ar een t(D. ae npn ‘of cohousing to issue, “A Reprint for Surviva English Donan 19 "The Ecologist 2(1): 1-432. Fale Brusels wi # World| Commission on Environment and : munity: Areas of Agreeme pe decade addtional meaning en By RAF Wed ito diinguigh Rural Sociology 20-111-123 sistenly been attached to the label contemporary communities from nt K. and C: Durtet (1954), Caftousing A Co Anpressh to Housing Ourselves, sta Press, = Durrett 099410) Dureet (1994 13, Shey, TM. (1977) “Why Communes Fai A Comparative Analysis of the Viability of Danish ative Analysis ofthe Vib of Danish ad ‘American Communes". Journal of Marriage and the Family 3/3(Augiet) 612 * Fromm, D. (1988), "Living-logelher Housing”. Architectural Review April 63-75: 66, {4 The mater of which was fit sept atleast we eahoasing pel stad os enna ‘communities in the 1980s and later became known as cohousing. io : McCamant an 28 At about 70%, Australia has the highest rate of home oveneeship in the world Altman, D. (1980), iehcaral foF Change: Plies and Culture Ausralia Melbourn, Fontan’ 45: 1 Eanuong Kee-eghbourhood 2H), Ifornaion Booklet, Aucnd, Eanhsons Eoneahourood Personal communication, "Dwelling Research Group (2000) Cohousing in the World: Dwelling with Neishbosts, Seoul, kyomunsa 2 Shin, Yong:Jac (2001) “A Study on the Harmony of Privacy and Community in Cohousing” Housing ‘Research Journal, Korean Housing Association, VI2/1: 45-56, 5 Personal com % Mullis, M. G. Meltzr, eal. (2001). Co-operative Modes for HIV/AIDS Shelsred Housing sn Souths nal Association of Housing Science) Cangres, 2st to the 25th of May 2003. Ljubljana, Slovenia, ® Lorin, R. P. and J. R. Newhrough (1996). "Psychological Sense of Community: The Purslt of the Field's Spirit. [ournal of Community Psychology 24(4: 311314: 31 Plas, | M.and E. Levis 1996), “Environmental Factors and Sence of Community i a Planned Town” American Journal of Community Psychology 241) W143: 197 © Coldham, B. (199). “The CoHousing Path to Sustainability”. CoHousing: Journal of the Coffin 1k 86, Fall) 1921.19, % Butcher, A. (199). "The Marketing of Communitarian Values", CoHowsing: Journal of the CoHousing. Network 9@. Summer} 67,1313, » Butcher (1996: 13), > Matters of methodology, such as the reasons for casting the analysis in terms of these pustcular domains, have generally been omitted from this book Sufice to say, thatthe four eategeries represent the predominant influences (nominated by the survey respondents themselves) onthe pro-envitonmental ‘alk altudes and bchavious of cohousigrsdens. For fller explanation ofthe theo) See e in the application of Meltzer, G. (2000), “Cohousing: Venfying the importance of commun environmentalism”, Journal of Architectial ond Planning Research 17(2) 1105 ‘Chapter 1 IntroductionPart One * Earths ibourhood AO pete Cohousing C¢ ative ees SSS j Location of the cohousing Projects featured in Part OnePreto 2.1 (above): The junty ari ot Quays Vilage Cohousng eee Phot 22 ft) tema ou al coutyare wih he ammion house at ground level, . Prato 23 (oto: A father-and sarmen meal cooking team. 2] Quayside Village Cohousing The goal of Quayside Village is to have a community which is diverse i background and family type that offers a sale, fend, Hv affordable, accessible and envi Iie including cman whi menial enacoas, The eniphass on gual of ve nurture of children, youth and elders) » 5 | weg tom ome 3 Fiche Vloo of Courtyard ie Meier Yard alan Wem | tama Malo yet was onde byte Canada Mergage ar 01 hectares Table 2.1: Community Data Figure 21: Site pian ‘Quayside Village Cohousing is characterised by its diversity. True to its mission statement (above) it enjoys a population of diverse age, income, ethnicity, spintual orientation and ile stage. lnvled, its founding members pro-actively sought single, elderly and disadvantaged residents ~ those often isolated members of society who most benefit from close community tes. ‘The children have been amiongst the biggest beneficiaries. OF the six children under six four are without siblings, bul as a ‘tne, they enjoy dose siblingike relationships. In order to include Tower-income households, the project incorporated five ‘affordable’ units (a quarter of the total rnumber), four for sale at 80% of market value and one rental unit® The group received: no government subsidy for these units, ut «0 improve their viability the City permitted an increased site density, reduced setbocks and fewer car parks * ‘The project i located in the resurgent inner city neighbourhwou of Lonsdale, North Vancouver. Tei fifteen minates from downtown Vancouver by ferry and an easy walk fo the ocean, shops, schocll, Tibraris, restaurants and community services® The beilding is situated on a corer, flanked to the ast by similarly scaled four-storey apartment buildings and to the west by detached howses and duplexes. The somewhat jaunty architecture is richly detailed and brightly painted in trick dust, ‘ld linen’ and ‘tea lea? colours. Individually expressed two and three-storey townhouses face the street, above which two levels of single-storey apartments appear to huddle under a massive gable roof (Figure 22) ‘Chapter 2 Quayside Village CohousingFee 22. Wosem eeston (raving by architect, Richard Valee) French os a generos mulyrpne spew for common me meetings, dancing, yoga 5 ocasionaly let for acts ofthe broader commmuniy, such as a health ‘rogram for immigrants. ithe, office, gust mom, bathroom, laundry and ch adoin_On an upper level. an aciaginal domed reading room with Ncw savallabefor reading, homework, aftand mation and parenting hikdren’s room Stunning city and mountain oto 24) hs corporate! many covioecal g Valuable ol bles racers werk West Paya ee een Se soc sles preterit wale and we pubic aor. Tae ee to water and nergy lice standart st bythe BC Hy Power seat a Be Be A singe water meters deere sulin or the we Comet trey wae moyen. lan Contig Cans fe te fist in. Canada be Iori ha mule Bowne prop ets 250 Flor eight a | sd Ceo ee. eyelet frm preexisting dweings om the ut (hi 24) Oke fndisd and sy cab ards of cosiscion waste Were voluntary sorta by members td. delivered aot el epding (ety? "Po all of ese mesures and tgs Propet won a 109) Sher Earle "Awald fon te Goran Home Bue Acct, secs ‘ets project. Mi Bidens” programs Photo 2.4: A domed recreation room with views to Vancouver Photo 2.5: Grey water system, Photo 2.6: Recycled window. 1s “green! technalogy is the hardware, then the software ‘of sustainability is also much in evidence at Quayside Village. Common meals held tscico weekly are mostly vegetarian. In summer, they incorporate fresh organic vegetables from the garden, Organic milk and other produce are delivered to residents keen to take advantage of the economy of scale available in cohousing. The waste recycling program is amongst the most eff in cohousing, with potential to reclaim 90% of household waste (Photos 27 and 28), Tools and ‘equipment are readily shared. Computers and printers move around the building. Kitchenware ‘and garden fools have all been ‘donated’ to the community by individual househokls. Two hhouscholds together own a car whilst others share their vehicles informally. Only one (disabled) member has a washing machine despite all the units being plumbed for the purpose. Clothes are passed down the line as children outgrow them. and passed on by expanding adults to those a size Chapter: Quayside Village Cohousing “acfuklare contre. All furniture ant oy corse hl nt moe Tecoma sro be i rc havecome roa tel shop e288 ste Mesa yds, emi ae My of hs canes ae et Pend ters Cara one of the retired resigen sh te proses, names ST TT cae cere. and in the process sequin, eed a ee se as TS at He eg el cat sat Ae eens deal under-sink layout to each hy cn noes odorant ie oh Wt 0 Foun See ee eee open wing nat th time and expertise, enabiine naan chats haope One rel mene spp hor pope imu nent) eat itt Rls prt ssf a sin otied te poe wenangeyoron lth acl ah pa eetsn I Sgn 7 al Egg tally conscious i te ora a ea or ean Pee eae rrr Sara mee Photo 2.7: Ree ay ta) Soares ‘Quayside Village offers, accordance Sat for dasa tS th sie The bulding amt SRdeable practical and socal Wy astessible by wheelchair and the i deliberately it. However, thi in ae ae Communi a gen BEN commun hice ier rents why fcingincoman 1, iM advocating for ly decisionmaking ? ore genera os Mtication and poor social in alg eee eMd are monty de ie ge Pains rhea cnn ME i Ror the projet dugg gt Oana WC Are struggling BY 0g though ihe Prat dings develop Phos Rt this may be duc resem form the fn 450 aNd decision. S*MNsuRgesting that; can pm st Br og Pos op Be ing ao met in De SeatMap’ Pop al ng a te oe i ph ea aa Nunieations This isan idealised view of the cohousin By one of tenon mus oar cence development races A more li peat mel hare ae that ate mould by an individualitic and priate propery tno! have 3 ey ception of community based on an ideation ob Pare ie dea hat functional community one that dost have coniet Perereicett Conllict is nota ign tha a community ts nat wor Fung. @eamteeraey slfferences and disputes are always going wener o> a aes Sectioning ont inst group may wel have applied moe foto improving her JennaeTuting and cont resoition procedures, Asit way the enoriouscalleapeor eee ™anagers left line time and energy for the purpose, as oe former ater We had a difficult development proces dealing with the complexities. of way. We had tax arrears to dual with and problems of a legal and ‘A preoccupation with business led to 3 neglect of social communication tha lasted for eighteen months afterward and fos had ongoing social repercussions! teed, continued franca pressure has placed an uheiting sn on group cohesion Coal levies hve bun intnuced to cover ongoing maintenance and wronipialeteasiee eine Collective decisions about the distribution of thee costs to individuals an fans ee eee cutee fcitation. Some ofthe dtfcully his been stractarl. nial, fr te parece oe development proces, the group was legally constituted corporaon. Attovein tee odinnere conventional Strats Tile But dil not foals an alemative Choosing bul stl Yalan ad with day 4o-day issues. “We always believed, based onan unspoken undenuanding tteomeeran aia fcetoface negotiation would be enough We had thai level ef naete” adele one clo nthe progression from Corporation to Stata Tile it's an dificult to devclon «decane abot Straa versus cohousing veut scully cohesive common A particularly divisive clash developed over usage ofthe intemal courtyard, sad by some to be id dominated’. Reverberant noise quicKly became problematic for residents and adjoining neighbours, alike. A protracted conflict resolution process resulted in guidelines limiting noise at certain ines, However this isa complex issue that goes bevond the simple matters of decibels and times af day {is underpinned by differences of opinion about child secialisation and the dissimilar lifestyles OF families and eldetly or single members The design of a cooking roster generated another veved diseussion over demands.on members time Like the noise issue, this dispute results, in part from the community’s diversity. Some residents ‘eal daily with a stessful cocktail of werk lf, chil rearing, domestic responsibility andl recreation. ‘One such member comments: "I don't se friends in Vancouver because it fakes all of my socal tne to be even minimally involved in this place, I underestimated the amount of time involved and over imated my willingness to give it”. Other members, on the other hand, are retited, have grown children anc! enjoy a relaxed lifestyle. Their approach is, naturally, quite diferent. “The mone involved Iam, the more I get out of community” suggests one such retiree ‘The difficulty experienced with the cooking roster exemplifies the organisational pressures on smaller cohousing groups. Quayside Village has established thirteen committees ts deal with the day-to-day management of the project Administration and Finance, Community Building. Building Systems, Maintenance, Landscaping, Parents, Indoor maintenance, Room Rental. Unit Rental Parking, Safety and Emergency, Recycling, Building Restoration. On average, each ‘comprises three members. Therefore 26 residents (aime of whom are inactive) are require (0 fill 39 Srlives, committees sometimes exchow scheduled metings, This can Be frustrating for eters ag svsh. "They make decisions on the flyin te levter” maggie ope readent, ONSDSOY teow where the lines of authority relly ate" I the experiense of eter cohousing groupe i any indication, Quayside Village Cohousing wil rationalise and fine-tune - if not completely veal The diversity that Qu lira sought ia probably is biggest challenge, bu Ile ako its greatest blessing verity, for example, ie much valued. Chien roam fee throughout the building visting a selection of surrogate grandparents, The elderly who meal live alone, tresure the contac in return, “T never imagined how moch | would enjoy he ellen, ‘opportunity it offers to participate i, and learn about, non-Western traditions. Abl, 3 Nepalese member, annually adorns the common areas with candies forthe festival of Tir (Photo?29) Tews hep celebrate Christmas, ond Christians enjoy Hanukah Collectively, the group ce ates birthdays, plays music and a mask making workshop said by one resident to be profoundly moving and growihful). Some members encourage each other in fitness work; going to the gym together and having « yoga instructor visit once a week, The group collectively walk their dogs and organise occasional outings The prospects ae bright for this ambitious group. Their high level of comautient to each other ark the project is almost certainly going to prevail over their early teething problems, This is generally the experience of other longerived groups whose history has been similar. ses creative opporities (such Notes: "Community mission statement, which appearsin mech ofthe grows ieratute The currency conversion fs based on relative values a the ime of construction (i 198) > Because real stale values inner Vancouver are so inflated, these units are still not affordable to low income families, They are avaiable to Households on 80% of medium income forthe region, which is stil sonable by North American sandands. Units can only be on-sold at 8 of market value *Site density: increased from 1.2 to 1.95 FSR. Selbcks: Front yard. 10 reduced from 20 rear yard reduces from 20 se yard, 7 reduce from 15. Parking: 22 stall reduces from24 (12 peri) Services include three high schools, ive elementary schools and th Lion sGate Hospital The systom was funded by the Environmental Reseach Divison of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation as an experimental pi Teas, infact bsen 3 considerable management and financial burden forthe community The waste included 105 yl of wood, 23 yd! of cardboard, 13 ye of metal 9 ya) of paper 8 a) of Styrofoam and 0.5 ya of carpet underlay. ln total 51% of demolition material was reycle, the Righest level ever achieved in the Vancouver are svitches amclevator, wierthan standard doors door levers an rocker lig CGohousing: Constrcton sett begin in mi July Caousing: * Mathew, R. (1997), "Quayside Villa The Newsletter for Cohousingin Western Canada 8Q)-2, * Peesonal communication aPhoio'3.1: Ore ol WindSong/s wo pedestian ‘steels’ or atiums, as they're called Photo 3.3: A private front entrance Photo 32° Hanging atin he atm, 3) WindSong Cohousing churros to rc) tut and susuin a supportive conway, he Lactice and. by encouging open cormunistan tac atooee Seed EE [eee er ae ee ee tT eee eee | Member equity (20%) ena ean rom {erst Th guar te Cade ‘Common fa ‘Ave. dueling —[115m" 11 240% [Project cost [$5 200,000 /US$3.000 C00 Table 3.1: Community Data, Figure 3.1: Site pan, WindSong Cohousing has no formal mission statement. However, the above declaration of purpose succinctly encapsulates the two most notable charicteisis of this remarkable community ~ compechensive interaction andl open communication, WindSong is located in Langley, BC, a one-hour drive southeast of Vancouver. Through the 1980s and “4s, the region was transformed from rural idyll into ‘edge city’2 Productive farms and fecund ‘ecosystems were subsumed by a ereeping suburban landscape of tract housing and tarmac. In 1983, the group's founding members purchased a portion of riparian habitat that may sll have solfered the same fate. The sixacre property was diagonally bisorted by Yorkson Creek, home for millennia to breeding salmon, beaver, racoons, skunks, and countless varieties of bitds end insets {n consultation with professionals and their chosen contractor, the group considered a range of development options that would enable preservation of the weilands. It quickly became apparent that economic viability and the footprint of land available for development impesed severe design constraints. The steering group adopted two fundamental strategies ~ very close clustering of the dwellings and basement parking. This suggested a previously unforeseen scenario, the constuction ‘of single, extruded low-rise building Given the similarity of climate, the group adopted 3 Danish cohousing building type = a glass covered pedestrian street separating two rows of attached townhouses (Figure L1(@)). In seeking Chapter 3: Windsong Cohousingputed the graphic SHOWN 0 Figung Pr obie southwest corner of opment fs shown st apa i gstrous cons ial site planning option ad a cota ey ‘Northmark, the ts ye Sold Pet eyes Spay fers tare ip sve prt cot ati Sper ee mat eI sty cbc “The pt rceveda ly responsive os opt nam ran bese ata bab ans he nln exesive sta a tuling of company smal sows? The common fctes Include a Kitchen, dining nee Aounge cidrens row, te om ct vom workshop laundry, shared office, multieyne room and gust om. All are sesible from Hancock Square ~ the entrance ana eon ‘cation hab through which resides and guess pss many times. a day’ The common ousted miday Bercen to separate residential wings, each with a tio (2.200) lcd pcan ste at rented nstmmer ul unbated in winter: Pacer {in ernpen win emer osme ein, bt potion rom the coments is ieee pharm: All alos the strana town ents dein are festooned okies Seaniture and plants: bike a strip of street clés spilling onto the footpath. The. ar ‘emt Rew he fotpath. The colour and diver ution tothe pubic ran’ well mpeents the indvidealty of the reader Provide a necessary countrpint othe i raisins tothe nie and commanding quality of the architecture Phat, WindSong | its most val WindSong ts not panculaly divert ald socal characteristic i ity ef i 50'S Dance | icra pene a kleand Seal Saturday, to seek 0 ya April 8th, 2000 ne advice oF praia seston Thy hae tent hitb coach, capa etd slum, cite worker, cole suc, dace eeigy me, itm maker, grlog homemaber jurul Mra uth ure, rion office wore therapist. programmer tle, saleperan socal wore St och, therpi urban planner, waiter and x-ray technician® wu wi «Songs diversity extends to: members with esoteric, artistic rl creative talent, who enthusiastically share Uhr skills an passions with the community at large. Those with experiefice in Tai Chi, yoga, dance and areas of personal growth regularly rin workshops: Jean, an acclaimed artist holds regular watercolour courses, Musicians offer tulorial classes and. wordemiths Promote creative writing. Artistic expression, whether by professionals, Keen amateurs or novices, i readily shared with the whole community. A stage in a comer of the common house dinning room is a venue for dramatic and musical performances by young and old. “We enjoy being on sai for each other,” whites one member, “it produces. teasuted ‘WindSong moments ‘CALLING ALL WNOSONG INSTRUMENTALISTS feta Rock round the Sock that lg Norma Wie would ike to hear rom al those wo wuld be inert Inperemang om time etme win a sl ymeaete sep) (elon slayer, te object bag () have equa laa no rll accion a work owas, are 2) gt vse pay lan audience. A move fe eventually bing more WeSong art oi the open ae encourage our young people. Those reesied cal Nema WindSong Cowboy Dinner Teal restate esr ec at enero a a ie lina ba ra alee nat Dinner 6:5 pm Saturday, April 29th lie Masi ane erie ‘ich Mount" Oe ‘olan weet a he do ‘hing opoem 9m sr See-Si ays) forstagine Figure 3.3: Several notices trom the community's newsietter, WindSong World, ilustrating the breadth of talent amongst resents and ther readiness to share GGETINTO THAT TRIBAL FEELING) ‘The Canin had sue «worse tm earning Anean Oxumming ‘hie n ouaay we Movg nal bea grea experenca to Sat ‘ith our indsongtamiy tease aay fo ghee an return fopay wih x= ereaangan energie athe sare No prevovs sunying experance gated. Alages, 9 andup "wecoraueteg apeiomance ne evening. Com'$25. Commer House, 1pm Out th Grape Wiktoong Coaing axl os of WES ae bes Bok Sa geet Tere i peal waletter since 199, nec Say er rechten, I eat vehicle for disseminay Reports trom man meeting are al ‘Rtas and the cusion of camumty mati (Fi teams a chute of commen meas and props fr the ne Wind Song ART SHow Sinday Nov. 25% jy 1 the Dining Room folning Aasidead ants nd Jeans artist friend, Achreshments Visors welon Photo 3.5: Compost bins Few 34: Copies 0 WindSong Wong Photo 3.6: Bicycle storage. Fiowe 35:4, A 962 0 ho community ulti toad shared meals se 2 Because Norma, an lead singing around the Brea mtn the twensich : on meals aE a established format and utah ery SA ads pe fora Sg fame are pe PPEuniy or pr ee Gude i ay a = uh ae ‘Gapierd: Windsong Cohoisinggusing COMMUTIY Is the cong, rn 1 Cito a re coc Ae ie ae OFS ue of le sca vi sr cps “CET me often cven though a Seng li ae re de a nC ch Ue ieee Ree ak omen unm ae none eevee eet OT niciscomsuce ia em be robin an ke he oo ey ea ey PS ene Whilst much communication ba gn hs wa fear Gosh Wining ior hal ards in Hacer” gh eto Houtehol ae ConmtunLin, a seve that troacasts menage Aherates fom scent meetin rs for his oF her own unig, anarchive of useful documents. By meas, writes one member, “we may ke Blea forthe retum of a cul’ favour 8 quest for a Work party in th i enginic garden, announcements abo emergency meeting for hear st Prospective buvers joining us for a pote or git tickets for an outside event” Open communication ungucstionaby the wheels of governance at Wake Gommunity mecings are tld money Proposals intinded” for discussion eulited in advance, enabling anea eOhersis decision-making, "We mee tn the assumption that everyone hi fe IREBed of the upcoming. proposals ai eames ithey) do rok cxpren. PS they must support the ded er a Dy those’ tending ve ae | That's not to. say. tht Sia A Pes made en Cys Panay ORY ites tend to atrat ert Pee re Geet ig Te 1 aD tal map. te mag ther eh Bau pechave 3 mie Feet Penth “Atte BRR years ges Wing oF the deccswsncioe pute. Wehavecome sa Mer ron any storm and EES laughing over similst Prot 37 Noma com 4th pare in te a ia fem wo ph, men the a! eicharge oun uniy Answer to Commonly Aske! Quon", WindSang it New York: Doubleday Ft & {120 5969 dveling ar about al the iz of ew homes bull ia Noth Ameen # Hapeock Square is name of Bill Hancock, for his eral contin 4 the bith of Uo Windsong hos only 4 few members of etn Aisadvantaged or gay and lesbian minors fewer than os other cohousing pg Sethe comuny’s webs, Mp /eecohsng exelent wrong sa Sia on Winton Cohousing” Col fousing Bling Commun One Naitimatod at Time. 19(1 WindSong World: Newskiter ofthe WindSong CoHusing Cammity/Sept39¥7 16:2 Win dSong World: Newsktr of he WindSong Colousng Comma), Sept. 197 -46)18 Night, a Midsummer Night Swedish Fess and a Wrap: nd of spac: cating ecological dueling ™htp://www-cohousingea/col Themes have included an Experimental Fo up Rap Night G. (2003), Long te cohousing iste in Anois A Desslng and G Melzer. Lyme ® Mcintyre, V. 2000) °ilgannon, G (203-157), Mcintyre, V. (1997), "Being here at Windsong”. CoFfousing: The Newleterfor Ghoti i Westen aad 54) 1 Chapter Windsong Cohousing,hot 4.1: Making pocom chars in he common house kitchen, Pro 42; Sogans il vogepror tothe Thanksgiving feast 4) Songaia Cohousing Figure 41: Site plan, ‘espouse no kdcology 6 this truly than the deste for a gain Cohousing th) ean be id not exist, munity but forthe ideals that sustained it through one ‘evelopment periods in the short history of North American cohousing Photo 4.3: Duplexes are the predominant housing form at Sonia (Chaplet Sonn Cohowsing vnar sks moved in 9 a ting oom sa ne th wuld Big jwise se The dap th ara 5 and wk a Coperative gl SRT te to the dream. Early in the rma si a pow erbes Wt Washingion iwolved the group in ty design pest nah Why sper of nighbours they comp ramon. The ear was 19% the process had taken five ye =a massge therapist, 3 wood sop not earns enough money bo However, with renewed tothe drawing Foon They init Alpes and ruatichmert of Preexsting houses Ee ental landscaping ‘residents themselves. At oo recess they had commissioned te avd two contactors. Trenh-sevmm oath Sega some few echousin sommunit.> ‘The foundey nen ¥anison involved in ge ved fo Tom a Pre-existing intentions tural Affairs (CA), a non pe es 2 ssa foot rew nercos—— i irk egal arctire hangs ram Coop to Condy SONGAIA SINGS Our Community Songbook fi Figure 4.3: Songaia's songbook cover Bee the tenet wt san pe ete a ey) testes pecs 2 aT ante es DMI CONAN Pon gg yee Fane 6 cures: coe a extensive organic vesetable singh Oo sant odas posable ae Ke range i sw os all Year Mesa vane can conning He Ie of eg houes. Adults cont htsage? This covers the cost of con es. comUTNY paniry ya es (Photo 4.5). In wage ‘om bute $80 peceionth wt nl : fe so ey en apo mers a Ae camed od and lhe ewes, charset The fod pit mors omen - An or tire the cage 6 nts ls ata or the OT wth nine frat veges. rt be mer ofrsidentsdothe Shopping, They pure iSrnou We dont nd atmo, Aco oie 29° Sr Tec asin blk buying omni alo ait 2 De CG fh io gees oie ties pt wes, Menus ts poy Sa maa at he vine ge an cae ontaple itis foreach sched Neto aluntor fo gxk ocean onc a werk or alternatively, undertake the neces Aildare weber to do so. Ths hind option rarely formalised in cohousing althoug, happens inkrmully in many communities. There is no requirement for residents to sign up jor sas everyone’ attendance is sumed! In tes of thee common meals and food systems _geerally, Songun futons very much ikea fam: Ws like having our Songsianstelicve that pourshing the yr a important as feeding the body. Their spirituality Aeon directs mis fhe nd races, cay allied othe vision of sustain future cule in the opening quottin. It draws on dep ecology, New Age spirituality an Native Aineian mystcom.. Established festivals ave adapted fo give expression to these belies May: Day fer examples ceca as Earl Day oth Festival ofthe Earth, when “Wwe recog N ce planing, dsdition, singing, dancing a ¥a4 Songai,invelving as many a Fwo hued We dance’ on “the Commons = the genital lawn ‘pated ritual held every New Yents Eve. A sphere of ‘containing individual and callectve none the May ol ring the coum down o midge anc ote theo ‘We bring in the New Year ina BIG ay at Songaia, We...have lots of fun and make te the coming year” Thanksgiving. or the family and friends gather befone the f to reflect on the past year and record our dream for vali the third core celebration. Members, eds to sings read poetry and play games (Photo 42), “We pps our rate or tha aves far ut amy, ends an een, ar rsa al facets of Lil. Over time these institutions have become Songal’s adie «fold to te foundational tour group identity.to our rouprseultures Honouring the diffrent ects of individ, fry and her tnt of pliloophy. The sume principle i recgnaed by all sohotsne eeu: eho {presse in the sire terns. Provision for individual and hanechel oo cee eee bolanceof individuality and commuty at ocoheusing te, Aton Neo thee esoteric one. *Werespt individual sn amy needs fe privnyanlonc ine, Weston tate educate our children and youth to honor these ‘ ; d space’ by this usage, has metaphorical mevning: it's the psychic ‘space! required for clear nd open personal communication without fear of the consequences. At Sonia, there are regular ‘opportunities for such interaction within diferent groupings There are separate monthly ‘sharing circles! for men, women and parent in addition ta the monthly community Talking Circle, hich is the principal vehicle for expression, exchange and bonding. There are occasional role-plaving ‘opportunities and separate anrival retreats for men, women and the whole community. Comunity (moral) support for individual members is epitomised in 8 modest but quite profound masking of birthdays. These are celebrated with a special meal, whereby the individual being honoured invited to reflect on three things events of the previous year, goals for coming year and ways that the community might support those aspirations. “It another way of connecting and bringing, Intention o what we do,” suggests one member Friday nights are a time for games and having fun. “Songaians will do anything in the name of fun,” suggests a resident known as the ‘Queen of Fun’. “They are open-minded and willing to g0 with whatever itis we're doing. [They will immerse themselves in whatever is going on” In that same spint, almost all gatherings, celebrations and festivals at Songaia are punctuated sith song, (Photo 42). Community singing is one of the longest standing and most valued Songalan institutions, inherited as it was from pacts of the ICA. The community songbook contains hundreds of tems indexed by themes such as * Community eg, No Housing like Cohousing, New Community Bound: Family eg, On Children, Our House; Freedom eg, This Land is Our Land, We Shall Overcome Loveeg, When I'm 64, Black isthe Colour; Nature eg, Rocky Mountain High, My Roots Go Down and, Spiritual eg. Amazing Grace, Rock My Soul The Songbook carries on its cover @ symbol representing three pillars of Songaian culture: nature, fellowship and traditional (Native American) wisdom (Figure 43) ‘Chapt 2 Songala CohousingPhoio 36: The wel appimed and wel used Kichen i the common house, Lelong lersng and openness to divers ane two more closely inked, Song: 24m tee vals are common cobousing generally, tho Me ae he pou tat cen te smmuniy, fr infant to eles 1.5 feu wel marker Res age er atonal brkerson ad cuties aninshst a my och wih Pe eho wih whch Sng mens enc Pepto sents emrice eaing al personal growth, linked their vision. They see themselves as Tesearchers into a lifestyle : fanaa" tr ‘one iy sek Levee My Sows wih other ne gel pe agin that is imperative fr and expertise from outside th Ecral sk itencin ith mgt peg —rmunty outreach. Sora Soe cect im local affairs. Primary activins crm openly extended to neightours teculvestrom conn SS ne fs pro a oa Programs, esponaiy Bra Me E Se En isllane oo igre PET Poca le. aes Secs Teanga rat, ef orm he pa ag yr OP Ad tr at ln nvented in snd Pema eh one a ee Fens th Connection * He Nex ann ating ea acm one Ii te orca apoE Te marge FON Be eet Ft Ft ma eR 0 19 whieh the community + Fuclies a commits responsibe or m Nsntenance an further development of he propery a building her deslop the property and Spinner ecb ft mmon usar commun ops estes etl aoe 2 the Biguias,responsibe fi aping and vegetable garderiny ld suppor relleetion ofthe commonity’s priorities (ie, is ison, Food allocation of chores ate duties, welfare) rather than ara hoe or prac Songaia Cohousing Community is cleanly diferent fom the tracted to cohousing.Quips one member, “if loa life and a litle bit of the TV showy, X n the ind rot likely to suit everyone # lite bit of summer camp, a ile bit of elle them Exposure”. Songs is proudly and deliberately Intentional community movement, unlike other echoung ctlamuanitee ae, Baer to distnce themselves from it In some mspesit bs eset to eee ee ne Ra ‘ohiousing community. Despite hat, or perhaps beat of it Songala Coote Cormtnay aioe {important lessons forthe cohousing movemettasawhik, Naernatee eae = small cohousing communities can be viable, given the guise cove cohesion, ‘sexta cohesion can be crated, given the requisite commitment, and thor ‘© commitinent can be aligned ammered, given the requisite purpose Notes: From the community's Website ssw songa com, june 20 McCamant, K. and C: Durrett (199), Collousing: A Contemporary Apprasch to Housing Oureless Berkeley, Habitat Press: 16, Alexander, C, 5 shikawa, eta. (1 Language NY, Oxford University Press ‘The fundamental pricing problem was one of scale and viability. The County had limited the projet & maximum of thirteen households, so the development and infasinucture cont per nit was ceive high Sharingwood Cohowsing, Community in nearby Snohomish is another, as is N-Street Cahousng in Davis California “See ony For example the charge for an eight year old Would bo $5 x8, oF S40 per month * With few exceptions all members attend orele, organise take-out * www songala.com, June 2002, wew-songaiacom, June 2002 ° wavw:songaia.com, June 2002 ® Lamplhear, F. 2002). The Stuff of Community ~ Economics, Culture and Govemance. Communities Magazine: Winter, 2001, 113, ®Lampheae, F (2001), * sew.songaia. com, June 2002. www songai.com, June 2002, a's Web sit, fora mors comprehensive description Chapter’ Songain Cohowsingroi 1: Acaoking ean prepares a common meal rots 52: Thespacos common house cing room, ur shared values and silanes ond alt this process, we hope to ake fo Tene, support each ci strengthen the friendship that ria Se pane | aa Di | jer Table 5.1: Communty Data, Figure 6.1: Stepan Puget Ridge Cohousing lies in Delrcge ast twenty minutes drive from downtown Seat. 1S an ethnically diverse suburb of low-cost, postwar dwellings, bu ikem Ameri ny inner ety suburbs of large In cities, Delridge is subject to fast changing demographics and rising property values ~ phenomenon otherwise know as “gentrification”. The cohousing projct isan aehitectaral delight Invoking an image ofa emote North Western lumber town of identical houses with stained Western Red Cslar siding, steep shingle roofs, porches and decks. The dwellings face inward onto a ‘meandering pedestrian 'stret”that broadens at each end to form two intimately aed courtyards A natural landscaping of groundcovers, shrubs and trees sensitively meanders between the ‘buildings so.as to interrupt the linear nature of the scheme (Photo 57). A towering common house dominates the middle of the site. All along the western edge, a corridor of native bushland. ‘mtaining a stormyvater detention pond is home to native wildlife and migrating ducks. Cars ane seemingly absent from the site. The project looks and feels ike the setting for a radical social experiment ~a collaborative approach to dense sity ving The unique qualities of this project can be attribute, in par, to an exemplary development process In 1989, following a slide presentation by MeCamant and Durret, a group formed to explore the posniblities ef cohousing in Seale. Apropos their meeting routine, they were known as the Sunday Evening Cohousing Group. Members spent the initial six months honing their goals and aspirations in preference to rushing headlong into the pragmatics of site selection and planning. Then, having established a collective vision and crafted a vitten agreement that defined their structure and purpose, the group was well placed to launch the next phase: they pro-ctively lobbied City politicians and disseminated information about cohousing to bureaucrats and the general publi s ‘Games Papen— — aly by coon dof coh eee Se eer cs ale i fare OT ca it ro a 2 feces Beste eee ee imore mie SF ea sie sale rena mr esaleand several m planning sat rable for poate si emits re boane ent fife Mp eonodrabe faith since Negotiations wi in 1991, the group formed « 5 ee melting vee? ves an at ra ed Forum Sane ioe age crn te get pe CONSE Sort: Mice oe Sea aero pons So eens pry HE ind wsgpnean he PP se pnd ec oct cnt in negotiation with the Mpa vat was spent I HER = w Mppareorthe project: ACHILLE, La ommenced. p moved forward with enthusiasm ; ler io cohousing lore, they hire 8 much as his, h ; complex fe In dae rans theconrcin pve Iran es cwnsc rr nanager, Pa Recharges engged (or “not realy f a - shes) to guide the group throu and effort was worth axording tone mer Prana snl axonal maton’ Funng appeal fra desgn and documentation of the pr, moan andthe sleton ofa contractor delayed construction for anog h negotiation of corsa at. This enable the sy ing of hundreds of plants that otherwise might have been bulldoze the meantime, he group gre from rine t 21 hosel expensive by senna cron estate L700 an se. dating of ee ache ag a To Ri sh Sn smn ay oc eeu tt Seng oa ated ten sey wlan ih iny cra anon" al took the fr We 10h ing page tt 4 ening or and rig a level theta Oto eae ands al Wh woreda sal te he ca oh OPA a spc os tue tmade lemonade (and) did Melinda led the paving childeare 1 collective sense of ache ment giined through working together as members of hips amongst future residents and helps ablishes a patter fr the buildin The personi orchestra ‘establish allegiance to deep sense of community timated. It cements relations ays the groundwork and ex ee eee roe Sela rt tal of satisfaction. If we dit Took down athe rtor eae wg Sera At mang...work parties, pore comple there was a sense o Up at the finished courtyard, cohou and the friends abounded,Photo 54: Te extensive angel co-oured garden tons at Puget Ridge Cohousing Pato 5: A conmunty work ay. Phot 56; Practicing inthe common how, ey (edt Tce Fae tne ts np Mh pr. noses vm sce ar Don So : a8 the contr ar ote fre iy MM As . atkidc fore pan ters in hegre SPOKE of rina nr ga adrton Mine ro teat gt +8 vtneaing ng this Throughout the mo ‘sompleted, am Pesiona hey had would NOW be a consisten Ten years on, the prokct is ns pictur Pe nas Goce tcl nents vethin basement The buildings are well maintained, the lags «been rea with sildlife. The topography, archit tion: peed ee mand human scale prompt the metaphor of « Commion meals are held three or four times per week, In oder to ensure that eveyone ew aveeel oh teas two month in ne ensures hat alergis and diary preferences are cacy conanlned, Heccoamein ee cach meal posts menus onthe community notieboard and, once the samtwr anne lon calculates quantities of ingresiens for those doing the chopping. ‘The sstcneiy mea noble butt ensues a quality and balance tothe common meals Hat thence might nateccur, We Wy and keave some room for creativity” expla there are three cok choles pe month advance and circulates a calendar of events to each homeo, ns a committee member. “In addition tothe fixed menu, Residents of Puget Ridge enjoy arich and varied cultural life, “Wee haveso many e hard not to double book,” claims one member. On Friday nights, av of the common house lounge room transforms it into a minicine. Talent nights are particularly popular, Held every few months, they offer an opportunity for aspiring performers to overcome their fears and inhibitions in an atmosphere of trust ents now that its ico projected large om a wall They started slowly but now we have so many people we have to cut the acts Ws getting better and better all the time, People trust that they won't be judged. They just want to express themselves, any way they can, There's a real comfort with the whole event and it's natural for your creative juices to start lowing when the talent show is coming up. The social cohesion developed at Puget Ridge offers profound. if not life-changing benefits for some residents. A retiree in his mid-Seventis explains At the beginning I didn’t feel I could socialise with the younger members. I was of «different generation. In fat it's the itergenerational nature of this place that has changed me. Its enabled me to do things that [never would have done where used to live, in Chicago, I'm more active and healthier Allof my cohort back there are now either dead orinfirmed, If | were stil there, I would be sitting in the house all day. Now | get involved in everything. Here, there's always something exciting going on. We just had an ineredible wilderness trip in Utah, The younger people asked me to-come along. Cohousing has meant a whole new life for me There is a discernable maturity to the social intercourse at Puget Ridge that ean only be found in some of the longerlived eohousing communities, I's a subtle quality that develops imperceptibly ‘over time. Such a maturity renders the community’ 2 family. of sorts, where lives increasingly intersect, even ata subconscious level A female resident in her fifties explains: Cee hee wePhoto 5.7: Mearseig ptnaay runing between cose spaced houses. Oi lives wate once compartment. colleagues at work, fiends. ‘punt Hew by se hgmng er ‘resonance within the et and family, all ehegeang disparate. There was little iy. Buta time has gone on, that has grown. Our ol us who stayed have learned ore they set involved. { Henables them to i reeds and a ed. Inthe process wey a8€35 what we're on sen ne ec tame opmanrers come aut ‘about our Ting has tome se 8 hin the grup ay, Cag ureunde S00 nee eM cen thee TARY BONN. As a result, dexisior ct USSD nw sn ace Ugh ae result, cis ew commit i elep iene egation to. commits mes SPA of Building and grounds ‘BeneTal meeting ea How fields much of the Sk toward ons decision-making, fects 4 land cultural matters. I i nga svi” pyre stbter, “We, ia = pat a we are now md Kenran TN OL OUR an chy OM Shen Tnproved pen and transpatem > Se La f 2 msi of is We and nathing is congealed, In a consensus situation We want to kriow, “Why are ing asde?* L's got wo the bottom of what tis i all about We don't et emotional things sie without clone, We Want everything out in the open. But this isnot easy to do without upssting people You almost have tobe a psychiatrist to be afaciiator aa erly that na one: gets bre tit on the ta facitaton require ena consideration To tat er who al st tthe a tings and olor in order to redirect the discussion if necessary. + the evolution of Puget Rid isto, then during the dove Paul Fischburg desen focus of the group W: in the folowing terms, At the beginning, the pment process, the focus silted (0, “How do we design and build something that embodies that vision?” These were approximately two-year phases, Then, following move-in, the focus became, “How do we live together in this place Daring this phase, the discussion was necessarily about management, maintenance and pragmatics such as, "How should we divide the work fairly?” Fisehburg believes that this phase has outlived its usefulness and that anew focus is now required We've got the realty, We've got the place and the methods of operating. stm to step back and have a retreat and ask our members, “What does community mean to You, in your wildest dreams? In your heart of hearts, hve do you rally want to lise hore” It willbe fascinating to see whether the re-visioning process that Fischburg, advocates willauneh an ‘exciting new phase for this inspiring community Notes: From a“Statement of Community Values’ www sen orgy pugetsklgecobousina/, August 2002, 1. (1996). "How They Got it Built”. Cohowsing- The lournal ofthe Cohowsing Network 9): 2 Lineman 19,22. + Bird, S. (1996), "Rites of Passage”. Collousing: Building Communit 9(1):19-25:19, Bird, (1996; 2) Bird, 5, (1996; 2). Bird, § (1996: 21) * Maintenance Management maintains an overview of the maintenance program and coordinates the roles of each of the following sub-committees: Landscaping, Roofs and Structural, Building Skin Porches, Utilities, Common House, Shop and Tools, Outdoor Walks and Equipment tanding aside” in a consensus process is somewhat equivalent to abstazning from at yoke, although rm ion of which are Beyond the scope ofthis chapter. ighbout ti there are many subtle differences the dese{6| Marsh Commons Cohousing The story Commons. tenacity inthe annals of cohousin one of the mast nost amazing tales of per stence and [oman fi Unon ange 6 hectares ‘1am 4800 Pree ost 540,000, Table 6.1: Community Data Figure 6.1: Ste pian [Arcata is a small, post-industrial university town in the very north of California. Once the domain ff 2 rapacious lumber industry, Arcata ts now celebrated for its sanovative, peo-environmental policies and practices. The Council, business leaders and the populace appear united in their Commitment to the environment. Appropriately then, this was the setting for the most epic environmental struggle inthe short history of North American cohousing, Marsh Commons Cohousing is located atthe exge of the Arcata Mars and Ide Sancta, part of a world-famous wastewater treatment and redamation iniiatve. As recently asthe late 1970s this was a blighted industrial and land site. Uiilsing only lca expertise and technologies, the ity pioneered the development of an aquaculture bused, sewerage treatment system. Now, 19) acres of fresh and saltwater marshes, mudflats and grasslands (Figure 62) are home to over 200 Spevies of birds, Countless ducks and waterfowl drop in en their annual migration. Hundreds more Stay to bred inthe fecund wetlands, Each year, thousands of birdwatchers and nafure lovers enjoy Purpose ui tras and observation platforms provides bythe City? “The transformation from wasteland to wetlands has an uncanny parallel in the devolopment ofthe cohousing project, Tt too, requited the rchablitation ofa blighted, industri site, Group members parchased the property in 1053, Just ive blocks from the contre of toe it comprised an operating Truck stop and motor vehicle workshop. In January 1995 they commenced renovating the 7000 #8 workshop, It is rae for cehousing groups to consiruct their common house before the dwellings Int in this instance an existing building large enough to also include etal commercial space provide! the impetus Recycling the 50-year-old structure presented the first of many chal ‘major structural damage raised the renovation costs by appro lenges to come. The discovery of mately USS40,000, Undeterred, Ghapier6 Marsh Commons Cohousing aings frame an fabric in order, Tt fed fr the project. They ty seal Pe eas redwood + Wall lining lth pee cd amber has beer nn oping hat a i nhs the | 2 RN ety Now to cover ll building ony "8 en cash sents i sing sat var fs i i ily fon nC saves sano gage for the common how ors tian a mre oh co © $000 py Teen lea SIE etings WH a contactor rey to tart ang ye al who race EET pas camtrstion oun promised by yy ee akan and cstv fang soup as 3 who season fast apprcching, “threats. seen feat Un tie than by the bby a previous agen Ta re ee it required a deposit of USS50,009 «.e*e he a a rome Hous Yo par ‘household and for the whole groop to mwct wit ‘embers recall. "We invited the bankers, the city manager, the local newspaper, and the. This wa ent pad whi an mar mae Wit fy of oe ae rr oat aoe (7) N Street Cohousing pay whi pple atk me abi sang find 8 block of house tay Hee SOA chou then to vies they lke fen omar, Whee a ek Moat portany nce re meale at trove meals. By sharing her pompectve memos community grows Wierking tom home ‘Wernbereauiy, sored ars g 3 cali cha {ea OS a ipl poe ee (227 aces onmon fuse. | 99/1000 aa teeming —[ Non? sie0n————} &! [paleo — [USS 960 000 Table 7.1: Communi Data Figure 7.1: Ste pian N Street Cohousing is an example (indeed, the prime example) of re rit cohousing: ie, cohousing that evolves within an already existing residential setting. Itvs not like other projects, purpose built Rather pre-existing buildings and adjacent open space is adapted to suit eohousing principles and practices. The creation of retrofit cohousing is therefore environmentally neutral because no new Jand or buildings are required. It is more afordable than conventional eohousing since it ean begin with as litle investment as the sweat equity involved in removing a fence between two dwellings, For these reasons, some argue that retrofit cohousing is the most promising avenue for the ‘widespread development of sustainable urban communities NN Street, Davis is located within a lange tract of single-family housing builtin 1985 (Figure 72) ‘Though modest, the dwellings epitomise the privatised suburban culture of the post-war period Once identical, these cheap fibro-clad bungalows with driveways to the front door have living: spaces facing into private backyards surrounded by six foot high fences that prevent any possible ‘exial interaction between neighbours. However, they are affordable and close to the University of Golifornia campus so have always been popular with students, 11 1979, five students establishes! a shared house at 716 N Street (Figure 73) The dwelling had Previously been enlarged from three to five mslrooms with the adition ofa second sore. The S04 was politically progressive and socially ambitions, With an emphasis on shared meals: soil Interaction and good communication, they successfully established a cohousing-like culture ye ‘fore the word, cohousing, was even invented. ng in they certainly did by the time: This simple practice treot were fun, The If they didn’t know how to cook before mov they left ..Five nights a week one of us cooked for the others Was critical to binding us together as a household. Meals at NS ‘conversations were memorably irreverent and stimulating ——— a hapter 7 N Street Cohousingsin 1984 but changed none ofthe fundament a xene Piece tas winter acne ‘hf the eet ry. Ovee he ar Oe alt fale! i California's Central Valy of hin eins Come delight Sal otis speculated about the posslbtty 7 fra orang I orl, The RP Nh (724 Nites} cane the tearing ere aa Cla us Paring down the fe, WOuld De a Sh sco, for ther share : Yeurrounding propertics with ested i | fof these sppeosches S21 N Street, Another auch) dy view conc the acquisition © followed wher ut of enthuse ‘venes and renters o fnew propertios One its back fence with ‘option on 732 Ste g new members and securing third house, one th oll nd Cloud pure Phot $74 and 75: Homes and gardens aN Si Contributed what they had = their investments ranging from $500 to $7,900, “[They] designed ownership arrangement unlike any that ‘xistfed,” another researcher has veniten, “The Purchase of 708 N Street represented the power that can be achieved through cooperation” # I ‘was to become an important precedent. Further households were incorporated under longterm leases signed with sympathetic absentee landlords. Krovn as ‘Master Leases) these permitted adaptation of properties to suit ‘cohousing principles and practices, including the demolition of fences. Others joined after first lodsceving the activites of the cohousing community from over the fence. They liked ‘what they saw and felt compelled to join in te oop eatosne Perma Figure 7.2:Locaton plan (alter Smith 1998) Figure 73: Development timeline, ‘Am ongoing discussion about the feasibility of a Common house had polarised the commit Many memiers were keen 10 esablish one, ‘wht tors were sats with he status du he original two-storey dling a 76 N Street ‘was the obsous candidate for adaplation since it Jas lange than the others and ontrally located Te tena, however, were not enamoured of he fhe They wore alredy enjoying nightly ‘Genmon meals and cohesive soc elation ‘Turmatey, agreement was reached and a date Aa st fo the star of renovations (Septem Tay which. give spans omailing 1 Panipate a your ©) find altemative ecommodation Bee niece coat ain tara icc: oe = FE ce Colon A Gntmpoes draco Hasng Oe The oheeag ee a ‘tty ra an pea fot ee sk keityenvison beter ad) name hw as eee lesa you are the ook pened previously unhough dss on stent fey ee a ean eee es from members. Ik would signify a" a that provoked a reassessment of arenes iematsommunayye fy commitment ees ‘sonora of acta th communty a et 382 708 N ) ig ownership scheme, the 703 Pernershin Nope Yost tnknown to cac Inter own nig yet between them they could rae tig git Pad lford o bay hone Pay % ent. Nine members each > ——— Part Chapter 7: NStreet Cohousing —_— 8aod wo expel Nant Gung 0 RET Jevclopment a a single legal ee eh a Sain a senchd “granny Tt fr can ing org ter FS boeing shared by’ the two a ns m signi > bine sith 1 vee allow BO EI sa dupes vith Oe rezoning wi ieaeomainis ment of owners Seon ce ee Bach single we pans the BOTY AN, cevelopment. “We bulieve we have eure a canted EY Spt Cahousing to our ng Pa ee inc caramer0 Vale Fe ried cites. At N’Sizcct howevey - have always been dispersed eee umerous outdoor setting Son catunge pi emma. Al Bose 2d mptone path that meander throughout a sh paar es ee portunities for social interaction tended since as necessary, iva ther in practical ways, wen us all” suggests one member The sre of community a1 Stet as palpable as in any purpose built cohousing project where residens have a greater investment of time, energy and cpt. Thehigh proportion of renters (two thirds of adults) and high tumover appears not to diminish sxal cohesion. Indeed, the opposite is nue as Kevin Wolf reports: “Every vear we havea tumover of around 45 renters in the community pth the nes ones almost always adding a wonderul addition of energy to our meals, work, soviol His discusions and fur! Renters can, and do, become homsormners. Houses that become available {Resale ate invanably purchased by already renting members ofthe community. "That's what make, ayes Loe oabah one rer occupant. “Aloe efeyne hare srs asa renter, ‘So howe Pare ly eta theyre infor. Thy sendy te people and llabout ine coer onary Bu the Hou". This span dep font ‘cohousing norm where ‘open orks to people with ite wig experience of com nutty lie Storie dotted mrs nme seth paso tesa rhcan i wih en Gana am he Graeme pecrach Gremony (Photo 72), Participants each conta ae Wmous used git giving Pring, They ne Om the pile ~ ther choice bet Pt Giawm from hat CUED I te roi srt a an be 20 claimed more than this } more appealing, gift accompanies the unwray wee times). Creates, Ppealing gi a oh erp oy pene) Het ami es This somewhat o = Photo 7.6: A duplex developed by to single women Phote 7.7: Barbara, one of the proud frst home ownerssown Wadlitions: ‘Con ate less well pa ‘community tums sint z sa set tection ten nls co seca arses cts el ont it matt Nt TET cl emt an tsk (0 Dead tendons as cg ata Ef departed loved ones, Bask ot Ore. ove Around ity par des ad evoke vA faniy life, their parents, es pe camcey 1 gh loner they sre favounte peis= tego Phoio 78 NSveet founder, Kevin Wa parte'patng inthe annal “Day of he Dead procession, smoterials negate the popular notion of ‘hom Inprvenen hve ney inaction dota The ima ang steed te Rca be cat uhon te Sammy see inp mance, suburan heen been the objective. ee [Wel satored seeds of Some would be thinned, mul Some plants were allowed to sesh ors about pst eon Secation. In sail haan 28 ed 10 the removal of et genesis of he projet, os of ag singe shane hous thet, an unplanned, ‘sible plants actos the er ch would be adiled, FO 10 300d. Asa re Hie experience, the bonds betwee, Featsprtuality of sown making tevolees at an unforced pace and petal progresive fi cohousing communities. In exploring and apleiting the newus between owners ancl renters, Ws kind of living dialectic. N Street personifies ntvashon, antionsumerist and prov ‘environmental values and practices. AS such itis aciteally important oval change model The Sestaisinywellhave been inspite by thedyeligsiiadies They oe modest nthe gir Sad be gl by any ror be cal! Whe nt are now refrbishe, Ssios alton of insulation ac theanlsation of private ars Whe ent established inthe never ben the making of IN, Para lndacoping hos te lot. Pants would have as WOU come up, ‘) Be anageent senegy_ aching reogron th delsecnr aes : imperious sufcssuehar eae a Sus and ros wit eee collection devices. Vegtaed swales ersare that sora alerted BOA aa ‘wound and/or dine tonal da Pond ed fy iigrton sid a sl att (Pato 102)" Pa titore oldies ae Ried a heats” The carping fray : j | ty rl fl | | frowied or Sees aedeouseney IH The vale of tha meses es a) | ee tte to ees gy inproanet he Wider Sos ey saving 0 demon prope Ssotdelleale Sey Oa presen hs calcd can Tt obs be ie ee ‘osetia naar nen Figure 10.5: Household waste production compared with the WCC norm” (Peter Scot} Wastewater eaten 6 the rahe emison om an neni of athens ec ‘gnome: The group had long appre to ost ete of wate, nding seneags To sje femablty. studies have cenftred scot fiviveness and the ss eames west ‘pasta and cheese! ee : ee OK. That coukl b= | ee ‘Sure, But what se? rake Pasta andi Parmess! = f dest These day gum wa the Tho Peta Sots sti dea cove ol towel Ips ard Techn Ke a at i nck he Fe spe! hare Pvt ty ested 3 ‘seb ih whch hy Rough kt inching Kran 9 steeu fA levy lo UE x Figure 12.3: Drawings avaiable for tev sc sappeetrn Gael. Bit at and ches! hiok we shoul cook? + deserts are mote likely ko compris fans cheving gum ales P enon meals: when they sll various cay rest the author 20 each), cards, simp Por beimade at cach event unui sips lay fepingout and camping trips. It appear, ye well as cooperative and creative 9G. sal althe Kids’ Cub! at Cascade “We lays nteresing for me to return fom a tip SS one meni, ed that always, someones prepared 0 do the airport run [ani] og scarab tee Kelso cure tout my home and ends" ® Chikcare snot formic ne I at oightouring Cohousing Coupe {ute ferent. However, informal childcare is ever ava from which childcare Another urd i hep! fo ‘als Informal shang is prevalent, a shared: othe exten that one leaysone wo borrow. Astrist a deepened ope ‘wrote in acooamarity ewsleter ur abilities to deal with problems have matn er ind become able to expres imet ene individuals, we have rea i forme: Neverin myiicn The proximity tot. vd nee Fpl cc io wok and aot Ni i ce Tans fi rea the following satis The eestor an excelent bus. Overall, Cae ts belther the numbers children there and thei ages ar lable and the community maintains a fond po nearer canard metings another important vn the purchase of birthday presents and flowers i for example, a member housing generally. Carsfor example, are liberal, ‘couple managed without a velucle for seven veg ars because ther munication hasimproved. Mary Jenkins once red as we ndeed energy Mes Of a similar size their vehicles about les often than Parti ap Aslan IU Be DA, hoy aut Peels Bey rar oF black water fay Tews The community recyel te Tee wel waste an r8ng of sods Freed 0 the Iocal Tp Shop, a commer # Pte fo JR urwane Be willy sceycled within te cing depot down mate cy toad Clothes an aaa heap, orm arm oF chicken : tive its way inte the Surprising that, at ee ETP. With te ete i the Baa clea Ae Raden re of compost and worms sabi of comp Bees ora ae Te rth ing decade before, Numersee The bulk foo! buying program thee may er fa E “vies both common malate) {ecole mostcomprehensive in cahouuny (reg a ements Rie particular they have Been integy Although the asiitional behavioural change has eccurrea ipscally cohesive, Mary Jenkins expire fective practic sing 6 not any one or mors rated into daily ik 85a whole and the mannerin whigy Decntae Ze? Masse to bog wi pate “itonships ate dosent and thecoromanet ‘Practices have become ecological hae, Thethree Rs reuse eye sscade Cohousing. Theirs i a f not the imperative for ‘Many of ur, emu eye and rece by sharing clothe ca aed as and reduce) are comerstones ofthe proenvonmenia one anticonsumerist stance that recognises the mac folieemore simply and with less” Mary co F middle lass consumers siding stones eae wih 2 Sall hots, storage sted. ometines nko axing storage space but then I remind msele the esos reducing, which ic mori tan sewsng! and ‘eyeing anda eanutatin ee Notes: he Cascade Colousing Legal Agreement (1933) $GeealeCohousing: Project Summary: August, 19%, leskin, M. (2003), Living Small and in Community x Tesora fn Another King reat dwellings and environments, A. Dearing and G. Meltzer. Lyme Regi, Enabler Putleatons eS, poate Blocks that con be ‘glued’ together rather than cemented in place, are ear for none Froesonal builders to ay enki M, (2003148) *Pescnal communication E Fores) (1997), Sunny village, sunny future The Sundou Tasmanian, Hobart 5251/51 ‘eri, M (2008149) ‘Pesonal communication unicato Cohousig, Hobart Unive of [abs PR Worman, ea (196), Environmental Ami for Casade Coho t Texmania “lenkins M (200348) “Jenkins, Mt (2003: 149) a ~~ ___ Ouptr12. Ganaaccg