Design matters.  In the design of cohousing, intention also matters. What sets cohousing apart from other types of conventional housing models – whether it is single family neighborhood, condominiums, or apartments – is that in cohousing, there is a physical space that is the heart of the community, and that space is the Common House.  It is the stage in which community life (and intention) plays itself out.

While most common houses have the same programmatic elements – a dining room, kitchen, kids play room, and laundry, I would argue that they are not all created equal.  The success of a Common House results from the careful juxtaposition of the above programmatic spaces and how they relate to each other.  And the intentionality behind the design of each room also lends to the success.  After having visited over 80 cohousing communities in the past 8 years my measure of a successful common house is how often its rooms are used by the community.  During my visits to cohousing communities I have seen some rooms that were seemingly well designed, but were reported by residents to have received little usage due to poor acoustics, lack of visual connection, uncomfortable furniture, poor lighting, etc.

I have also seen rooms that were clearly designed as a “multi-purpose” space – and therefore, it serves no single purpose well.  I acknowledge that space is often a premium in cohousing (either due to physical constraints or budget) and that the Common House needs to support a diversity of programmatic uses – large events, community dinners,…

When we designed Daybreak Cohousing, the residents wanted to incorporate some art on the buildings.  However, as the project progressed, there was neither time or budget to create the pieces prior to move in so it was decided to wait until the residents moved in.  The railing system was designed to allow for replacement of wire mesh with art panels.  A concrete wall at the terrace stood ready to receive a mural or artwork.  Blocking was placed at key points on the building facades to receive large hanging pieces – these were structurally reinforced and fully flashed to integrate with the exterior siding.

After almost 2 years, the first piece has been installed.  Resident artist Scot Cameron-Bell created the design and oversaw the installation by numerous residents.  Click here to see photos of the process, including the inspiration for the piece.

Last year, Senior Services embarked upon an amazing series of community conversations which culminated in a Summit on Aging Your Way.  Over 250 people assembled to discuss seven themes that were prevalent in those community conversations.  Those themes were:

Community Connections.

Transportation.

Housing.

Health, Wellness & Fitness.

Local Economics.

Built Environment.

Lifelong Learning.

Arts and Entertainment.

A personal highlight of the Summit was hearing Jim Diers remind us of the story of Stone Soup…how a little “magic stone” helped a village to create something truly delicious, in a time when people couldn’t imagine being generous.  He also reminded us that our society focuses too much on the deficiencies that people have.  And yet when we focus on the gifts and talents that each individual possesses, we can see them as full citizens of the community and the planet.

To me cohousing is the embodiment of celebrating each person’s gifts.  I was proud to present the concept of cohousing to this fantastic group of seniors who were actively engaged with their aging process.  Clearly cohousing was an idea that resonated with many to whom I spoke.

Not only did I host four 5-minute “mini-presentations” (more like a speed date than a presentation), I also facilitated two 20-minute workshops and reported on cohousing at the concluding plenary session.   It was a fast paced day, but one that was fruitful to all of us who participated.  Thanks to Senior Services (particularly Dori, Sabrina, and Joann) for planning such an action-packed agenda.

More information about the community gatherings, including an illustrated report from each one, can be…

Sustainability and community are at the core of our practice. Achieving sustainability at the scale of the neighborhood is achieved over time and as the Portland Sustainability Institute reminds us and “…is the legacy of a generation, not the outcome of a single initiative or investment.”

At Schemata Workshop, we are engaging our community to build and steward long-term commitments to not only sustainability, but truly regenerative design by which we can actually improve the ecology of a place.

Toward this goal, we aspire to empower citizens to create and manage design and sustainability efforts in our community. Our work with the community on Design Recommendation Guidelines for the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station proved that this is possible and that residents are ready to take part in shaping our community. While boundaries are often blurred, the neighborhood is a scale at which citizens are empowered and impacts (both positive & negative) are readily visible. Our interest in positive change in our community continues to be the core reason for our involvement with the Capitol Hill (CH) community through the 12th Avenue Initiative, CH Chamber, CH Community Council, 12th Avenue Transportation Safety Committee, Seattle Central Community College Advisory Board, among others.

People matter most. We all will generally admit that, but it’s been strengthened over the past decade through our work with cohousing communities, our experience on the board of the National Cohousing Association, our work on a variety of community centers, our participation at Housing Washington, and our work in support of local housing developers. A sense of community is critical to achieving social cohesion and connections to people committed to sustainability goals.

Schemata Workshop, and I personally, have signed on…

This is one of the few conferences that I attend annually where I wear more than one or two hats. At most conferences I’m an attendee and frequently I’m a presenter. However, at this conference I also wear the hat of National Board Member, professional (cohousing architect – aka “expert”), and cohouser (member of a forming cohousing group). While it is not uncommon to have these other identities at other conferences, they are not repeatedly highlighted throughout those conferences in the same way.

Keynote addresses were made by Liz Walker, Ross Chapin, Katie McCamant, and Chuck Durrett. Common theme amongst all of their talks were around the importance of relationships and the resiliency of communities. Liz spoke about the Ecovillage she lives at in Ithaca, NY. She talked not only about the cohousing communities that are part of that Ecovillage (FRoG, SoNG, and soon to be TREe), but also of the sustainable agriculture and educational outreach that are integral to their community life. Ross Chapin shared a beautiful collection of slides that illustrated the concept of “pocket neighborhoods” – which is also the title of his recently published book. Katie McCamant inspired us with stories of the early days of cohousing when she and her husband/partner Chuck Durrett recruited friends to help edit/distribute the book which has become known as the “cohousing bible” from their basement of their first home. Chuck Durrett closed the conference stating that cohousing may be at a tipping point in mainstream America; there is a heightened awareness of cohousing as an alternative housing model that is attractive to a variety of families and individuals. The…