RE: Common House and grounds design questions (FWD) | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Fred H Olson WB0YQM (fholson![]() |
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Date: Wed, 22 Mar 95 15:24 CST |
Willie Schreurs WILLIE [at] FORTNET.ORG is the author of this message but due to a listserv problem it was posted by the COHOUSING-L sysop (Fred). **************** FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS ********************* Diane Burgoon wrote: >> Has anyone synthesized Common House questions and comments posted on the >> internet? I asked a bunch of Common House questions in January and received some good feedback, which I compiled for Greyrock Commons. Since it's rather long and consists of messages which have already been posted here, I'll just email it to you. I did compile a summary of what I got out of these messages and some conversations with members of existing communities; I'll attach that to the bottom of this message. In addition, in May '94 there was an extensive discussion of kitchen design, food-serving stylesm, and much more. You can find that in the CoHousing-L archives, available either by gopher or email (Web, too?). Instructions for getting to the archives were in the introductory message you got when subscribing to the list, which is also re-posted monthly. Following is the summary. -------------------------------------------------------------------- *Disclaimer* Please note that it is highly condensed and is MY interpretation of what I heard and is interspersed with my comments. I hope that I accurately portrayed a synthesis of what I heard, but inaccuracies may have crept in. COMMENTS FROM EXISTING COMMUNITIES ABOUT THEIR COMMON HOUSE: A SUMMARY Executive Summary: I have spoken with, or been contacted by, people from: Muir Commons (MC), Southside Park (SP), Winslow (W), N-Street (NS), Sharingwood (S), Highline Crossing (HC), and Nyland (N). In my opinion, two major themes have emerged: NOISE - especially in the dining area FLEXIBILITY - the ability to modify the function of a room with minimal reconstruction or expense Also critical: Placement of the "kid's room" relative to the dining room. Additional details: Noise in the dining area appears to be very difficult to control. Deal with as much as possible in design. Some suggestions: acoustic tile, banners from ceiling, quilts on wall, dimmable lighting. Flexibility is not a term that was used by anyone with whom I spoke, but seems to cover many issues that came up. Two communities (MC, W) have reprogrammed or started to redesign their common house. One group (SP) wanted an expandable common house and regret that it is not, and some others also want more space. Most groups have changed the functions of rooms or moved them around, either because they weren't working right or to deal with changing needs. Nyland didn't finish the basement initially, waiting to see what they wanted to do there first; seemed to work well. The common house is a living building, reflecting the character of the community and changing as the community grows and changes. We *will* change it, so make it easy to do. Placement of kid's room: It's a balance - "not too close, not too far" - "can hear screams but not giggles." MC moved theirs closer, SP likes their arrangement, across the kitchen from the dining room. Kitchen: -opinion was divided on the use of commercial vs. consumer appliances, leaning slightly towards commercial (especially dishwasher) because of their ease of use and durability. The "institutional" feel has been dealt with by the use of wood trim & cabinetry. -make sure the sinks are big enough for the largest pots. -more than 1 oven; more than 1 cooktop (perhaps one a griddle) -serving meals: most prefer family-style but tend to use buffet style more (easier for cooks/cleaners); sometimes use a mixture (some dishes on tables, fetch the main). -good flow patterns for serving and for cleaning/dishes -food storage: plenty of storage for bulk foods, large refrigerator. Separate storage for cleaning supplies. Dining: -see noise comments above -lighting: lights low over the tables was often suggested, but one group that's done it (SP) found it reduced flexibility and have actually raised them. Track lighting or wall sconces were suggestions, especially with multiple circuits. Dimmable lighting can help with noise. -many people preferred a range of table sizes. -reserve money for furniture (W) - castoffs can look trashy. Random Notes: Guest rooms - were generally well used. Winslow didn't have one and are glad they now do. One might be enough. Adult space - meet, converse, relax. Winslow miss not having one. Additional storage on main level (don't want to lug up & down stairs) for tables/chairs and bulk non-food items. Bulletin boards - need many to aid communication. Best in a space for themselves and not intruding into the dining room. Several separate spaces (acoustically as well as physically) so that more than one function can occur simultaneously. Make sure we don't build on too large a scale (given financial constraints, this probably *won't* be a problem!) - preferably "like your home, but larger." Music (stereo near or in kitchen/dining areas) - helps the cooking and cleaning crews (of course, there might be conflicts between Mozart and Def Leppard, ... ;-)) Multipurpose rooms - many groups have at least one room that can be used for many functions; exercise/meetings/movie nights/etc. Integration between inside & outside spaces -- eating outside in summer. Fireplace or other focus to facilitate gathering - cozy might be they key. Deal with regulatory issues up front (health dept., fire codes, childcare regulations, tax) so that there are no surprises later. ------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ Willie Schreurs <willie [at] linden.fortnet.org> /\ //\\ or <71500.2232 [at] compuserve.com> //\\ ///\\\ Future Home: Greyrock Commons, Fort Collins, CO ///\\\ ------ Forwarded message ends here ------
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