The 6 Characteristics of Cohousing
As Part of the Creation of Washington Commons
Adapted from Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities, by Kathryn McCamant & Charles Durrett.
1. Collaborative participatory design process.
Residents have and will continue to participate in the design of the Washington Commons so that it meets their needs. Our design process included 4 workshops (2019) with our architect and developer team which were attended by almost all residents. The first was focused on how the property will be used – including the massing of the building(s). The second workshop addressed what community facilities our members want and need. The third workshop define the design of housing units within Washington Commons – i.e. number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. The optional 4th workshop helped finalize the design. Future design workshops will be added as necessary.
2. Architectural and site design for community interaction.
The physical layout and orientation of the building(s) or "site plan" will encourage a sense of community. Community meeting areas, gardens, mail pick-up areas, and other amenities will be designed to support informal interaction and help to build community.
3. Community and privacy.
All households will have fully functioning and independent homes, so Washington Commons residents can expect to have both community and privacy. Common areas, designed for daily use, will be an integral part of the community, and supplement independent private residences. We expect the common areas to include a gourmet kitchen, dining area & patio, gardens, guest rooms, laundry, and also may contain a workshop, library, exercise room, media room, art/crafts studio and other facilities.
4. Resident management.
Residents will manage Washington Commons, and also perform much of the work required to maintain the property. They will participate in the preparation of common meals, and meet regularly to solve problems and develop policies for the community.
5. Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making.
Leadership roles naturally exist in cohousing communities, however no one person (or persons) has authority over others. Most groups start with one or two “burning souls.” As people join the group, each person takes on one or more roles consistent with his or her skills, abilities, or interests. Most cohousing groups make all of their decisions by consensus, and although many groups have a policy for voting if the group cannot reach consensus after a number of attempts, it is rarely or never necessary to resort to voting. We had our first "Process" workshop in January 2020 which included fun community building activities and practicing consensus, reviewing and building on previously adopted values, mission and vision statements
6. No shared community economy.
The community is not a source of income for its members. Occasionally, a cohousing community will pay one of its residents to do a specific (usually time-limited) task, but more typically the work will be considered that member's contribution to the shared responsibilities.
Residents have and will continue to participate in the design of the Washington Commons so that it meets their needs. Our design process included 4 workshops (2019) with our architect and developer team which were attended by almost all residents. The first was focused on how the property will be used – including the massing of the building(s). The second workshop addressed what community facilities our members want and need. The third workshop define the design of housing units within Washington Commons – i.e. number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. The optional 4th workshop helped finalize the design. Future design workshops will be added as necessary.
2. Architectural and site design for community interaction.
The physical layout and orientation of the building(s) or "site plan" will encourage a sense of community. Community meeting areas, gardens, mail pick-up areas, and other amenities will be designed to support informal interaction and help to build community.
3. Community and privacy.
All households will have fully functioning and independent homes, so Washington Commons residents can expect to have both community and privacy. Common areas, designed for daily use, will be an integral part of the community, and supplement independent private residences. We expect the common areas to include a gourmet kitchen, dining area & patio, gardens, guest rooms, laundry, and also may contain a workshop, library, exercise room, media room, art/crafts studio and other facilities.
4. Resident management.
Residents will manage Washington Commons, and also perform much of the work required to maintain the property. They will participate in the preparation of common meals, and meet regularly to solve problems and develop policies for the community.
5. Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making.
Leadership roles naturally exist in cohousing communities, however no one person (or persons) has authority over others. Most groups start with one or two “burning souls.” As people join the group, each person takes on one or more roles consistent with his or her skills, abilities, or interests. Most cohousing groups make all of their decisions by consensus, and although many groups have a policy for voting if the group cannot reach consensus after a number of attempts, it is rarely or never necessary to resort to voting. We had our first "Process" workshop in January 2020 which included fun community building activities and practicing consensus, reviewing and building on previously adopted values, mission and vision statements
6. No shared community economy.
The community is not a source of income for its members. Occasionally, a cohousing community will pay one of its residents to do a specific (usually time-limited) task, but more typically the work will be considered that member's contribution to the shared responsibilities.
Adapted from Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities, by Kathryn McCamant & Charles Durrett.