Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: 180 degrees (360 degrees actually)

[Racheli Gai (racheli]

I had a similar reaction.  It looked like a huge monoculture affair.

Racheli.

On Aug 28, 2006, at 2:25 PM, James Kacki wrote:

> Re/ 360 degree plans with the car turnaround in the centre;
> As a planner / architect, I find the aerial photos interesting, like a
> floral pattern on the landscape.  However, as a living environment, I
> can't imagine that it would be comfortable or uplifting.  The 
> regularity
>   is similar to jailcell layouts where the guard in the middle can see
> everyone, all the time.  The focus of the environment is the car
> turnaround.  I can't imagine that to be a positive living experience.
> Most of the original cohousing developments were the reverse-the 
> central
> focus being a parklike setting, a people-place with activities for
> daily, human-scale interaction.  Someone mentioned that these circular
> developments were often for weekend getaway garden-plots. For that
> 'occasional-use' activity, it might generate a certain conviviality,
> with everyone jammed up against their neighbour, raking, etc. "Nice
> tomatoes, Hendrick".  Other than that, I would suggest those planning
> co-housing environments would do well to keep looking for other
> archetypes.  Just a personal observation.
> James