Commonhouse design
From: Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsanmicrosoft.com)
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 12:08:13 -0600
>Along these lines I would ask the following heretical question:  Given that
>it might be used for dinner only 2 nights a week, is there justification 
for
>immediately building a kitchen and/or dining room in our common house?

>From my experience of doing community dinner, 4 nights a week for the last 3 

years, I would say that the key element of our community togetherness comes 
from community dinner.  A lot of stuff gets said and talked about over 
dinner, more so than any other forum in our community.  You will also need a 

meeting space big enough for the group to all sit together in.


>Who out there has tried to have dinner 6 nights  a week?  How many times do
>you have it now?  

We regularly have dinner four nights a week, occiasionally five.

>Do you wish you sacrificed yoiur dining room for a workout
>room?"

No, you can do both in the same space with little hassles, unless you have 
HUGE crowds working out.  If I were you I would avoid 
assigning spaces like the plague.  Make some small rooms, a large room and 
some in between and let your activities determine what you use the spaces 
for.  Since your group has never HAD a community space before, you will 
discover all kinds of things once you use one.  If a large percentage of 
your group goes to a gym to workout regularly, then in your programming, 
your building should reflect that.  However keep in mind that spaces change 
use after awhile and spaces can house many different activities.

In this regard, be sure to wire phone jacks, and cable tv, etc. into several 
locations to maximize flexability of spaces.  Don't get stuck with one room 
being the office forever because it is the only one which has a phone jack 
in it.

If you carefully program your current membership activities into your 
building, design the building well in terms of balancing noisey and quiet 
spaces, you will be pretty much be successful in creating a commonhouse that 

meets the groups changing needs.

 Also keep in mind that what you build will filter who later joins your 
community.  For example, if you have nice kids facilities, you will attract 
parents and kids.  If you have no kids facilities, and few kids, it will be 
harder to attract kids.  If you have "working out" as the primary focus of 
your common building, then it will attract people who are into "working 
out".

If community bonding is something you want to accomplish, then creating a 
space and event (community dinner) to do that in will attract those who are 
into community bonding.  If you provide no such space, then you may attract 
those who are less interested in community bonding.

Your commonhouse should reflect your goals for your community, and also meet 

the needs of those goals.  If the goal of your community is to create a 
neighborhood of physically fit individuals, then build a rec center for a 
common house.  However, if your goals have anything to do with creating a 
sense of community amoung neighbors, you might also want to create a 
comfortable meeting and eating space to encourage social interactions.  



Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood Cohousing


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