Re: 4 unit cohousing plans
From: Brian Bartholomew (bartholomew.brianyahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2017 13:33:39 -0700 (PDT)
> I saw a wonderful design for a 1920s elementary school that would
> work nicely for a small cohousing group. The center of the building
> on each floor was a large space with 4-5 classrooms opening off
> it. The center area was used for various activities like
> performances, games, climbing equipment, picnics, etc. Having a
> center space as a common space would give a community a large common
> room to contain shared facilities.

I haven't re-read the Alexander book recently so the architects here
can beat me up, but in many respects I believe floorplan evolution
peaked 100 years ago.  Attic storage space was removed by trusses made
from smaller pieces to save lumber, abominable flat roofs, and lack of
snow load having moved to Florida.  Basements removed by moving to
Florida, with high water table and lack of depth needed for frost
heave protection.  Now the attic and basement storage is down the road
at the U-store-it where it's more expensive and much less secure.

My understanding is the porches didn't fall off the old buildings,
because they didn't have to make the porch foundations flimsy to avoid
a higher tax rate for those square feet.  What I see on old buildings
is the deck rotting, not the outer edge collapsing.

McMansions with a formal room you might use twice a year, instead of a
carport/shipping/receiving/mailroom sorting table type area you use
with every trip from the grocery store?  Why don't the groceries come
in from the car on a mailroom cart, with the entire trip under wide
enough cover it doesn't get rained on?  Universal design for people
who can't bend over?  Accessability?  Nothing to trip small wheels?

Brian

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