Cohousing-L Mailing List: Enclosed "outdoorsy" spaces

[Mmariner (Mmariner]

Here's a *non-political* topic for ya!

Are there any North American cohousing sites, built or planned, that include
covered streets like the one(s) in Denmark in the Cohousing book?  If so, let
me know, I'd love to see pictures or come visit.

For those of us in cold or rainy climates, doesn't having some  all-weather,
outdoors-feeling space appeal?  A place for kids to play all year and adults
to have various activities....  I just come in from the cold Colorado
evening, and was thinking how great it would be to have some space where you
could sit comfortably in a greenhouse like setting -- at least early in the
evening if not all night -- on cold (20 degree F) nights.

You energy-saving construction buffs out there:  what if, say, two 4-unit
buildings faced each other and had, say, 50 feet between them, what would be
the energy savings by putting up some clear, greenhouse-like roof and
enclosing the sides?  How about costs -- compared to a free-standing
greenhouse of similar size?

What about just roofing over between buildings with "normal" roofing
construction, but with *lots* of skylights?  Doable?  Practical?  Energy
efficient?  I was thinking of hail and snow loads.  Skylights you could open
up to ventilate on hot days....

What if you used some cheap, "alternative," (e.g., not code approved like
straw bale) energy efficient building material for walls to enclose space
between buildings?  What about glass bricks with the air space inside?  I
hear they're energy efficient...

How about designing enclosed, covered interior courtyards, hacienda style?
 How about just glass enclosed walkways in certain areas?

Mike M