2023 Spring Issue - 87

Cohousing joins coliving, microhousing, accessory
dwelling units, and other housing innovations
that are meeting the evolving needs of individuals
and families. Escalating housing prices, concerns
about climate change, and a growing sense of loneliness
and isolation are pushing people to reconsider
how and where they live.
The residences of Takoma Village, located in
Northwest Washington, D.C., flank a small common
green that is open to the street. No fence separates
the 43-home cohousing development from the singlefamily
and commercial buildings that surround it.
" All of this was intentional, " longtime resident Alicia
George says. " We wanted to be good neighbors. "
Being a good neighbor and living in community
are essential values for people who choose cohousing
projects like Takoma Village. In addition to the
village green, the 1.4-acre (0.5 ha) development is
anchored by a common house with a large communal
kitchen and dining room, a children's playroom, a
cozy living room with a television and a bookcase full
of puzzles, and a workshop. The 43 residential units
range from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom
townhouses. Completed in 2001, Takoma Village is
the only cohousing project in D.C. In addition to other
residences, it is adjacent to a juice bar, coffee shop,
and community theater.
Cohousing is often defined as an " intentional
community " with an emphasis on shared space,
shared time, and shared values. Cohousing projects
are usually the result of collaboration between a
small group of people or founders working with developers,
architects, and consultants to bring their vision
to life.
Colorado developer and engineer Jim Leach built
nearly two dozen cohousing projects across the U.S.
West and Southwest before retiring a few years ago.
For the past 15 years, he has lived in a senior cohousing
project in Boulder, Colorado, which he developed
as part of a larger master-planned community.
Leach points to the built-in cohort of buyers-who
both provide financial equity and can speak up in
support of projects during regulatory review-as a
benefit of cohousing for developers. " It's a great
way to make a contribution and a profit, " he says.
Although arrangements vary, cohousing developers
often earn a fee calculated as a percentage of total
development costs or total development revenue.
In cohousing, individual residents and families
own their own homes. Cohousing homes are typically
smaller than the national average because communal
spaces loom large. Although private space is
essential, it is in common spaces where residents
come together to learn, share, and build a sense of
community.
A sense of community is also developed through
shared decision-making and shared tasks. Weekly
communal meals are a hallmark of cohousing.
Responsibility for maintenance and other chores
is distributed among residents, helping reduce
total homeowners association (HOA) expenses and
increase affordability.
Investments in energy efficiency also help bring
down costs and enhance the sustainability of projects.
Kathryn McCamant, an architect, developer,
and cohousing pioneer who serves as an adviser to
founding groups, says that developers working with
founders can test the limits on sustainability.
" If you just want to maximize the investment, then
cohousing is not for you, " McCamant says of developers.
But for innovative ones interested in pushing the
boundaries on design and sustainability, cohousing is
a good proving ground. " Because you have a buyers'
group who will give you real information about what
they're willing to pay for, like geothermal heating and
cooling, " she says. Open budgets mean that developers
and founders can discuss tradeoffs and priorities.
Cohousing holds out the promise of a more environmentally
friendly, connected, and multigenerational
way of living.
Aria Denver
In Denver, Colorado, developer Susan Powers built
a 28-unit cohousing project inside a former convent
building as part of the larger Aria Denver development,
which will host 550 mixed-income residences, a
production farm, and a small commercial strip when
the larger development is complete.
Powers worked with a small group of founders
to plan and design the cohousing at Aria, including
the communal spaces-the kitchen, dining room,
television room, business center, visitor suite, and
bike storage.
Aria cohousing was born out of necessity: the
campus's convent building, originally erected for the
Sisters of St. Francis, needed to be preserved, but
it was not easily convertible to other uses. Together,
Powers and the founders envisioned a new intergenerational,
child-friendly community rooted in mutual
SPRING 2023
URBAN LAND
87
2023 Spring Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2023 Spring Issue
