Cohousing Urban Design Architecture Landscape architecture Ecosystem integration Re: pre-built or owner built
From: Wayne Tyson (landrestcox.net)
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:55:58 -0700 (PDT)
CoHo:

This is a subject of great interest to me, even though I am not currently a cohousing resident. I hope I am not still exceeding the desired number of posts.

Having studied most of the relevant subjects or disciplines (including psychology), both in and out of institutions, I do sometimes come at these issues from different directions. This does not mean that I am being critical of other approaches; both "sides" can be "right" as well as "wrong."

Dowds is quite right about the "standard" model of single-family housing being inefficient, but circumstances do alter cases, as does the manner of design and the use of materials and the kinds of materials used. As Dowds points out, the land should be conserved (rather than squandered), and the efficiency of ecosystems could be better integrated into the whole living fabric that addresses basic needs rather than traditional desires. I am willing to discuss this further, including specifics, if there is any interest.

I will, for the moment, leave it there.

WT

----- Original Message ----- From: "R Philip Dowds" <rpdowds [at] comcast.net>
To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 5:39 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ pre-built or owner built



I can think of two possible disadvantages of the selling-off-lots model:

Forming a group to co-design and co-develop a community infrastructure is an enormous challenge, but many believe that struggling with this challenge helps bond the community. (At least, if you succeed before your group blows apart ...) Single family homes are incredibly inefficient users of material, energy, and land — not to mention your own household resources. Even if you are in a rural setting, there is much to be said for compressing your dwelling units into at least a row house format, living closer together, and reserving most of your property for either a natural or cultivated state.

Philip Dowds
Cornerstone Cohousing
Cambridge, MA

On Jun 19, 2011, at 5:17 PM, Deryk Wenaus wrote:


I'm involved with a forming cohousing group in Nelson BC and we're contemplating two approaches to cohousing and seeking advice and experiences from the cohousing community.

What are the benefits and detractors for the standard cohousing model where you plan everything out then build it all then move in vs an alternative model of only selling lots to members and then people build their own houses.

The setting would be in rural.

I look forward to replies.
Deryk
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