Cohousing-L Mailing List: Common House Design

[JPCOACH (JPCOACH]

Liberty Village
Libertytown, MD

We're preparing for a 3 day meeting with Chuck Durrett re: common house
design this weekend.  We've reviewed all the material from the list and it's
been very helpful....one of the members in our group (who's not on line)
asked me to share this with you all and get your response:

"I'm inclined to think that sewing rooms, craft rooms, reading rooms, and
kids rooms are part of most common houses and yet seem universally underused.
 Whom are we trying to impress?  I think we should forget about things that
sound wholesome and and start think about things that sizzle!  A workout room
comes to mind.  How about an indoor/outdoor swimming pool?  I think we should
think of ourselves as country club managers trying to attract new members.
 An electronic game room, mini TV theatres...

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?

Who out there has tried to have dinner 6 nights  a week?  How many times do
you have it now?  Do you wish you sacrificed yoiur dining room for a workout
room?"

Paul Kilduff
(submitted by Jay Perry,,,JPCoach [at] AOL.COM)