Centrally Located Common House - Cohousing Pattern #4

As indicated in the patterns Main Building and Activity Nodes, the siting of the Common House is very important. Locate the Common House at a central location where every resident in the community is likely to come to it at some point during the day – to do laundry, check mail, eat meals. Its location will determine the frequency of its use and, thereby, its success. 

To illustrate, at Ǻdalen and Drivhuset the Common House is located at the end of the covered street. While the street is successful as a gathering place, the Common House becomes just the place to prepare and eat meals. The covered street is more central to all residents and becomes the location for community festivals and celebrations. Conversely, Jystrup also has a covered street, but the central location as well as its size makes the Common House the obvious place to hold community meetings, events and celebrations.

As discussed in the Main Building, a central location implies a visual hierarchy and can serve as an architectural orienting device. 

Jerngaarden Cohousing in Aarhus, DK. Designed by Ole Pederson og Finn Norholm

Jystrup Savvaerket in Jystrup, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Leerbjerg Lod in Hilleroed, DK. Designed by Arkitektgruppen | Aarhus APS

Saettedamen Cohousing in Hilleroed, DK. Designed by Theo Bjerg og Palle Dyrebord

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own. The number in brackets [#] refers to Alexander’s pattern numbering system.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Main Building - Cohousing Pattern #3 [99]

“A complex of buildings with no center is like a man without a head.” 

As people move about in the physical world, they create mental maps of places they visit and inhabit. 

“Such maps need a point of reference: some point in the complex of buildings, which is very obvious, and so placed that it is possible to refer all the other paths and buildings to it.  A main building, which is also the functional soul of the complex, is the most likely candidate for this reference point.”  Whether it be a child in the community, a frequent visitor, or a first-time guest; there should be visual clues about the hierarchy of buildings that would allow the Common House to be recognized as being more important than the other buildings in the community. 

As the main building in a community, the Common House should be architecturally significant.  A unique color, central or elevated location, or distinct roof form provide the important visual cues.

Munksoegaard Cohousing in Roskilde, DK. Designed by Mangor Nagel

Stavnsbaandet Cohousing in Farum, DK. Designed by Ortving of Friis Jorgensen

Kilen Cohousing in Bikerod, DK. Designed by Jan Gudmand Hoyer

Trudeslund Cohousing in Bikeroed, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Local Town Halls - Cohousing Pattern #2 [44]

The Common House is the venue for community decision making and committee meetings. While this pattern was originally written for the scale of a city or neighborhood, it aptly applies to the cohousing Common House. A local town hall is 1) “... made in a way which invites people in for service, spontaneously, to debate policy, and the open space around the building is shaped to sustain people gathering and lingering.” and 2) “...located at the heart of the local community and within walking distance of everyone it serves.” This is most visibly manifest in the site planning and location of the Common House within a community which is addressed in pattern number 4.

Grace Community in Dobongsan, Seoul, South Korea

Lange Eng Cohousing Community in Albertslund, DK. Designed by Dorte Mandrup

Jystrup Savvaerket in Jystrup, DK. Designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten

Adelan 1 Cohousing in Randers, DK. Designed by Peter Krogh

Jernstoeberiet Cohousing in Roskilde, DK. Designed by Jan Gudmand Hoyer, Jes Edwards og Helge Christiansen

Please Note:

This series of blog posts is focused on explaining common design patterns in cohousing. Grace Kim, a founding principal and owner of Schemata Workshop, has identified patterns applicable to cohousing from "Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander and has added some of her own.

Grace's additional patterns pay particular attention to the Common House because its design requires special consideration. As the living room for the community, the Common House sets the initial impression for visitors about what cohousing is, what your community values might be, or the perceived benefits of living in community. Schemata Workshop has analyzed scores of common houses in Denmark and North America to discern what does and does not work. Following Alexander's concept of Pattern Language, Grace has thoroughly documented the necessary programmatic and design elements for a successful Common House.

To learn more about cohousing at Schemata, visit our cohousing page.

Grace is a co-chair of Community for the Health of it

Grace is leading the effort to put on this year’s national cohousing conference. The event is open to all, those new to cohousing, in a forming community, living in cohousing, or who are members of mature communities. The conference is Saturday – Sunday, June 1-2, with Pre-Conference Intensives and Tours offered in advance on May 30-31. And Sunday after the Conference enjoy Open Houses.

Congress for New Urbanism

CNU 24 was held in Detroit this year, and it has been many years since I attended (CNU 9 in New York City). I appreciated CNU’s attention to designing for the public realm and potential for building community, but I stopped attending because it did not seem relevant to me due to its dogma of traditional design and fakery of the architecture. In returning after almost 15 years, I felt that the organization had grown up. While the founders still clung to traditionalist ideals and privileged ideas about their role and who they served, I found that the newcomers brought added dimensions of self-development, equity, and the importance role that Right-of-Way (ROW) design had in placemaking.  I learned about some inspiring and innovative organizations that are leading the food justice movement – Keep Growing Detroit, Detroit Labs, and Detroit Dirt – a full cycle that is empowering people to grow food. Keep Growing Detroit’s mission is for Detroit to become a food sovereign city. Detroit Labs helps residents create value added products from the food produced in Detroit, and Detroit Dirt is taking food waste from corporate cafeterias to create rich compost to replenish the soil and give the residents of Detroit a chance to become self-reliant. Amazing organizations doing amazing work.

Renaissance Center from the Cut courtesy of Grace H Kim

CNU24 was also the first time in almost 19 years that I was in Detroit. When I was working at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, I spent almost 10 months in Detroit – commuting weekly to conduct interviews with General Motors staff to program the uses that would move into the Renaissance Center as GM consolidated to a central World Headquarters. It was a huge move to help re-energize downtown Detroit…which I was uncertain about. But I was pleasantly surprised to see how much the city had evolved. I was in awe of the beautiful architecture that survived years of blight and vandalism, and that a patron had decided to relocate his corporation to Detroit and refurbish the Central Business District. The streets were grand – on the scale of Chicago’s boulevards. They were beautifully planted and super clean. The investment in architecture was balanced with an investment in jobs – scores of people were employed to patrol and clean the streets as well as staff the public open space. Their presence was welcome and demonstrated a high level of community investment.

Campus Martius courtesy of Grace H Kim

Campus Martius was an open space worthy of study – a green space with a bandstand, tables and chairs surrounding the space, a fountain, a beach with cabana-like food/beverage service coming out of a shipping container. Adjacent to that in vacated ROW, there were 4 basketball courts, ping pong tables, and other games available to any and all who wanted to use them. There were staff checking out balls and paddles. And the space was well utilized.

the Cut courtesy of Grace H Kim

the Cut courtesy of Grace H Kim

Another great public space was the Dequindre Cut Greenway. This abandoned rail line was recaptured as a recreational trail. The below grade corridor was landscaped with benches and lighting and graffiti artists were welcomed in to give it life. The 1.5 mile trail connects the north end of Lafayette Park to the Riverwalk, providing several miles of public trails within the city center.

courtesy of Grace H Kim

The food was great, and the shopping was also. For those who want to play up the decay of Detroit…stop it.  It doesn’t exist. Go visit, because Detroit is seeing a renaissance.

Places to stay – Aloft Hotel at the David Whitney, Cadillac Westin. On a budget? Holiday Inn Express or Airbnb in Lafayette Park - 1600 Antietam

Places to eat – Wright and Co., Katoi, Small Plates, La Rondinella.

Places to shop – Shinola and John Varvatos. And oh, they just opened up a Filson’s.

2016 Urban Housing Forum

Grace and Andrew recently attended AIA Seattle’s Urban Housing Forum. These year’s theme “Room for Growth” was based on the rapid population increases in the Puget Sound region, its effect on the livability of our communities, and the response of the design community. The day-long program sought to examine the problem and identify innovative solutions to mitigate the upheaval in the region’s housing market. The morning sessions were mainly focused on housing policy with speakers representing a wide range of backgrounds, from architecture and academia, to municipal government. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the steps local policymakers are taking and to see how other cities and regions are solving their housing problems. The afternoon sessions revolved around design with talks from many local architects and planners. The highlight of the program was the keynote speaker, David Baker, FAIA. David is the founder of David Baker Architects in San Francisco, an award-winning firm that specializes in the design of affordable housing. David's presentation focused on 9 ways architects and planners can build community with urban housing:

1. Reweave the Urban Fabric. Create, repair, and enhance connections within existing neighborhoods.
2. Build the Bones. Design a bold and interesting building form.
3. A Little Goes a Long Way. Concentrate a small amount of premium materials at points of shared enjoyment.
4. Activate the Edges. Energize street life with an engaging ground floor.
5. Be Welcoming. A gracious entryway sets a positive tone.
6. Cultivate Connection. Place compatible uses together to provide convenience and support chance encounters.
7. Enlightened Circulation. Bring light and fresh air into hallways and stairs.
8. Get Personal. Offer spaces for residents to make their mark. Photo shelves, pin-up boards, and recessed entries provide a place for personal expression.
9. Art for All. Use artwork to invigorate common spaces, help with way-finding, and create a strong visual identity.

What are your thoughts and ideas on creating community through urban housing? Let us know in the comments below.

Cheers! 

-The Froggers

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