Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common function areas in neighborhoods?

[Alice Alexander (alicecohous]

Such a wonderfully simple and accurate phrase from Phil. As I was giving my
up-tenth tour of Durham Coho yesterday - to folks from forming Charlotte
Cohousing - one gentleman thanked me for relating how the architecture
supports community - which is really what it is all about.

I grow tired of touring folks who just want to discuss the physicality of
our space, or how they personally could use the common space - all
opportunities to educate people about the benefits of intentional
community.

I do agree with Rick that common facilities can help build community, but
not in and of themselves.
Alice Alexander, Coho/US Executive Director

On Sun, Aug 30, 2015 at 9:17 AM, R Philip Dowds <rpdowds [at] comcast.net> 
wrote:

>
> Architecture will not create community in the absence of intent to have
> community.
>
> Philip Dowds
>
> > On Aug 29, 2015, at 2:40 PM, John Sechrest <sechrest [at] gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I believe if you look closely, there are many places that have common
> > facilities that are not Cohousing groups. There are retirement homes,
> > assisted living facilities, apartment complexes, Student Housing and more
> > that provide common facilities.
> >
> > However many of these places have the space, but not the community.
> >
> > That is... They have created the "Form" but they have not created the
> > "Function".
> >
> > Specifically, I remember an apartment complex that we were looking at ,
> > which had been newly built. It had a wide range "common facilities",
> > including a "Movie Room", a Common Kitchen, Shared Laundry, and
> > garden/public spaces.
> >
> > However, the feeling of community was not there.
> >
> > I suspect that you have to look beyond the facilities and space question
> ,
> > into a deeper question of relationships and community. Sometimes, a
> shared
> > space provides the function of nurturing and growing the relationships.
> >
> > I remember times and places where there were local communities of friends
> > who shared each others houses. Where the children of the whole block
> would
> > wander thru several houses in the the course of a day. That was a place
> > which held community, even when there was no shared facilities.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 9:43 AM, Richart Keller <
> richart.keller [at] gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Just a thought...
> >>
> >> One of the most important aspects of cohousing is the Common House.  It
> is
> >> a key facility which differentiates cohousing from other types of
> housing,
> >> neighborhoods, and communities.  By providing facilities in which
> residents
> >> interact in various ways--including the mailroom,  the kitchen/dining
> area,
> >> meeting rooms, laundry room, playroom for kids, etc. etc.--it is an
> >> important vehicle for building and sustaining social capital within the
> >> community.
> >>
> >> Are there ways in which such facilities could be provided within
> existing
> >> or new neighborhoods or housing developments?
> >>
> >> Perhaps this would expand opportunities for building community and
> provide
> >> an alternative to forming groups who are not able to gather enough
> folks to
> >> create a full-blown cohousing community.
> >>
> >> Such facilities could also strengthen the sense of community in some
> >> cooperative housing and other non-cohousing neighborhoods.  They might
> also
> >> provide a way to strengthen affordable housing developments...
> >>
> >> Rick
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Rick Keller
> >> Pioneer Valley Cohousing
> >> Amherst MA
> >> _________________________________________________________________
> >> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> >> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> >
> >
> > --
> > John Sechrest      .  Need to schedule a meeting :
> > http://sechrest.youcanbookme.com
> >                                   .
> >                                        .
> >                                                .
> >
> >                                                          .
> >     sechrest [at] gmail.com
> >                                                                       .
> >                           @sechrest  <http://www.twitter.com/sechrest>
> >
> >         .
> >        http://www.oomaat.com
> >               .
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> >
> >
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>
>


-- 
Alice Alexander
Executive Director
www.cohousing.org <http://www.cohous.org>
[image: The Cohousing Association]