Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Words I Wish We Used

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

In re:  using the term “Common House”

I’m not sure I buy BIG HOUSE as more descriptive than COMMON HOUSE.  

COMMON— that which we share together + HOUSE — a building for people = 
activities that people do together in a building made for them.  As in:  break 
bread together.

Culturally, people who live in the BIG HOUSE are/were the ranch and plantation 
owners.  The privileged.  Not great connotation for cohousing.  Big House also 
refers to Prison as in He or she is in the Big House.

I’ll stick w/ Common House.

Best --

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC
Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC
Falls Church, VA
703.688.2646


> On Sep 6, 2015, at 10:08 AM, Sharon Villines <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> On Sep 5, 2015, at 12:23 PM, Emilie Parker <emilie.v.parker [at] gmail.com> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> The design strategy sounds really nice, Sharon.  Is there something better
>> about the term "the big house?”
> 
> Because it is more descriptive I think. "Common house” is a what? We own it 
> in common, but we don’t say, lets go out and play Frisbee on the common lawn. 
> Or park on the common parking. 
> 
> But “big” is a description that is visual and tactile. Not a legal 
> definition. “Main house” is also used. “Let’s go up to the main house.”
> 
> Sharon
> ----
> Sharon Villines
> 
> 
>