Cohousing-L Mailing List: About colors, design elements and how they influence people who buy built cohousing homes

[Rob Sandelin (floriferous]

I have often wondered how much the built environment influences who later
buys in, and if there is any correlation between built elements and the
kinds of people who choose to live there. Will having brightly colored homes
filter in certain kinds of people, and filter out others? If so, what kinds
of people will be attracted and what kinds not attracted?  I have wondered
about cohousing and the kinds of people that come in and buy homes, once the
place is completed. What is it that attracts them, what is it that turns
them off. For example, how much of a barrier is shared laundry to attracting
people with young kids? Over time, will a facility like a shared laundry
only attract a certain demographic, so over time, say 15 years, your group
demographics changes? What about pedestrian environments, house size, color,
etc.

Or are these all secondary elements to the community aspects, the child
friendliness, the social richness, the closeness?

It would interesting to examine a build cohousing group that has say 50%
turnover and see what attracted the people who bought the homes. Any
sociologists looking for a project?

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood, where the homes pretty much all blend into the background with
earth tones.