Cohousing-L Mailing List: Mini co-housing

[Alex Kent (alex.m.kent]

I would like to thank Sharon, Rachel, Diane, Fred, and everyone else who has
commented both on- and off-line to my posting about single-home
mini-cohousing.  We've also had some fascinating and informative
conversations with cohousing veterans here in Amherst, MA, and with others
to whom we've presented the idea.

 

It is increasingly clear to us that each family unit - whether it be parents
with children, childless couple, or single people - must have its own
discrete private space, including bedroom(s), bathroom, study, and
(importantly) a kitchenette.  No group of people, no matter how much they
like each other, wants to be together all the time.  My morning
bagel-tea-and-fruit borders on a sacred ritual for me, and often that ritual
is best performed alone!

 

We are now thinking that, once we put together a group, we should find a big
farmhouse in the vicinity of town, a place with some land that could support
a good kitchen garden, fruit trees, maybe a chicken coop.  A place big
enough to being subdivided while maintaining or creating common spaces that
would be shared by all residents.  Outbuilding for a workshop (I'm an
amateur woodworker/builder).

 

The biggest challenge is going to be finding the right people.  We've
started by putting up flyers in local food coops, coffee shops, the library,
etc.  But we're going to need to get the word out more broadly.  

 

Does anyone have an ideas?  Is anyone interested in this vision?

 

Alex