Gatekeepers - Cohousing Pattern #6

Different families living in cohousing often take on roles within the larger group that promote the resilience of the community as a whole.

A Degree of Publicness discusses the tendency to be more public towards the physical center of the community. In my observations, it appeared that those residing closest to the Common House acted as gatekeepers – informally monitoring activity in the community. At Ådalen 1, while all families had a small table and chairs in the covered street, the family that lived closest to the Common House served role of gatekeeper. The male head of household often sat at his table in the early morning and late evening to drink coffee, read the paper, and smoke his pipe. Often, other residents would come to sit with him or his wife to engage in a brief conversation before dinner.

Similarly at Drivhuset, the residents that occupied the unit closest to the public entry into the covered street served as informal gatekeepers, helping visitors find their way. Likewise, the units facing the common path at Andedammen were the “eyes” of for the community due to their proximity to the community entrance as well as the Common House.

Drivhuset Cohousing in Randers, DK. Designed by Niels Madsen

Kilen Cohousing in Birkerød, DK. Designed by Jan Gudmand Hoyer

Bakken Cohousing in Humlebaek, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Andedammen Cohousing in Birkerød, DK. Designed by Hogsberg og Wested, Hoff og Windinge

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Degree of Publicness - Cohousing Pattern #5 [36]

Cohousing can facilitate a range of potential interactions between residents, neighbors, and the surrounding community, with spaces designed for differing degrees of publicness.

“Some people want to live where the action is. Others want more isolation.” This personal preference can easily accommodated within a community through proximity to the Common House. The homes closer will likely be occupied by people that become the community caretakers or “gatekeepers” who know each of the community members well. Likewise, the families further away may form closer ties with their immediate neighbors.

One can observe the degree of publicness residents are comfortable with by looking at the items placed in the public areas. At Drivhuset, some residents define personal space with landscaping while others required no barriers. Similarly at Ǻdalen, some residents placed benches outside their units while others placed a table and chairs. Given the narrow street section, residents who desired more privacy recessed seating areas into their entry alcove. At Leerbjerg Lod the patios outside each unit demonstrated varying levels of desired privacy - some were very open with low plantings while others were secluded by tall hedges.

Adelan 1 Cohousing in Randers, DK. Designed by Peter Krogh

Adelan 1 Cohousing in Randers, DK. Designed by Peter Krogh

Drivhuset Cohousing in Randers, DK. Designed by Niels Madsen

Leerbjerg Lod in Hillerød, DK. Designed by Arkitektgruppen | Aarhus APS

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Centrally Located Common House - Cohousing Pattern #4

As indicated in the patterns Main Building and Activity Nodes, the siting of the Common House is very important. Locate the Common House at a central location where every resident in the community is likely to come to it at some point during the day – to do laundry, check mail, eat meals. Its location will determine the frequency of its use and, thereby, its success. 

To illustrate, at Ǻdalen and Drivhuset the Common House is located at the end of the covered street. While the street is successful as a gathering place, the Common House becomes just the place to prepare and eat meals. The covered street is more central to all residents and becomes the location for community festivals and celebrations. Conversely, Jystrup also has a covered street, but the central location as well as its size makes the Common House the obvious place to hold community meetings, events and celebrations.

As discussed in the Main Building, a central location implies a visual hierarchy and can serve as an architectural orienting device. 

Jerngaarden Cohousing in Aarhus, DK. Designed by Ole Pederson og Finn Norholm

Jystrup Savvaerket in Jystrup, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Leerbjerg Lod in Hilleroed, DK. Designed by Arkitektgruppen | Aarhus APS

Saettedamen Cohousing in Hilleroed, DK. Designed by Theo Bjerg og Palle Dyrebord

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own. The number in brackets [#] refers to Alexander’s pattern numbering system.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Main Building - Cohousing Pattern #3 [99]

“A complex of buildings with no center is like a man without a head.” 

As people move about in the physical world, they create mental maps of places they visit and inhabit. 

“Such maps need a point of reference: some point in the complex of buildings, which is very obvious, and so placed that it is possible to refer all the other paths and buildings to it.  A main building, which is also the functional soul of the complex, is the most likely candidate for this reference point.”  Whether it be a child in the community, a frequent visitor, or a first-time guest; there should be visual clues about the hierarchy of buildings that would allow the Common House to be recognized as being more important than the other buildings in the community. 

As the main building in a community, the Common House should be architecturally significant.  A unique color, central or elevated location, or distinct roof form provide the important visual cues.

Munksoegaard Cohousing in Roskilde, DK. Designed by Mangor Nagel

Stavnsbaandet Cohousing in Farum, DK. Designed by Ortving of Friis Jorgensen

Kilen Cohousing in Bikerod, DK. Designed by Jan Gudmand Hoyer

Trudeslund Cohousing in Bikeroed, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Local Town Halls - Cohousing Pattern #2 [44]

The Common House is the venue for community decision making and committee meetings. While this pattern was originally written for the scale of a city or neighborhood, it aptly applies to the cohousing Common House. A local town hall is 1) “... made in a way which invites people in for service, spontaneously, to debate policy, and the open space around the building is shaped to sustain people gathering and lingering.” and 2) “...located at the heart of the local community and within walking distance of everyone it serves.” This is most visibly manifest in the site planning and location of the Common House within a community which is addressed in pattern number 4.

Grace Community in Dobongsan, Seoul, South Korea

Lange Eng Cohousing Community in Albertslund, DK. Designed by Dorte Mandrup

Jystrup Savvaerket in Jystrup, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Adelan 1 Cohousing in Randers, DK. Designed by Peter Krogh

Jernstoeberiet Cohousing in Roskilde, DK. Designed by Jan Gudmand Hoyer, Jes Edwards og Helge Christiansen

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Grace is a co-chair of Community for the Health of it

Grace is leading the effort to put on this year’s national cohousing conference. The event is open to all, those new to cohousing, in a forming community, living in cohousing, or who are members of mature communities. The conference is Saturday – Sunday, June 1-2, with Pre-Conference Intensives and Tours offered in advance on May 30-31. And Sunday after the Conference enjoy Open Houses.