2023 Spring Issue - 90

The interior shared space
at La Borda, a cohousing
project in Barcelona,
Spain, is defined by an
open atrium.
group. Cohousing buyers contribute pre-development
costs, provide equity, and help ensure that most
houses are under contract before construction starts.
While every project is different, the developer's
guarantee fee is often 5 percent of sales, with
additional compensation for development management
services.
Diversity
Cohousing residents tend to be politically progressive
and affluent-and they also skew white. " I
definitely think cohousing has a diversity problem, "
Powers says.
Takoma Village's demographics do not represent
those of Washington, D.C., as a whole, which until
recently was majority Black. Resident Alicia George
notes that the community is diverse in age, religion,
sexual orientation, and other ways, but not in race,
and increasingly not in income either. Addressing this
gap across cohousing projects will require intentional
strategies such as broader outreach and awareness
building, and economic interventions like the inclusion
of affordable housing.
At Aria Denver, the affordable housing component
helped bolster the development's economic and
racial diversity. " This community is so much more
interesting because of the mix of residents, " Powers
says. " But it's hard to figure out how to do that unless
there's a requirement. "
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is a cherished ethos for
the cohousing movement.
90
URBAN LAND SPRING 2023
In Barcelona, Spain, the La Borda cohousing project
by Lacol features a passive cooling and heating
system. Cooperatively built by architect-residents, it
does not have any parking for cars. Its 28 apartments
have flexible walls-allowing for reconfiguration as
residents' needs change-and are organized around
an open atrium.
In Cambridge, England, the Marmalade Lane
cohousing project, which was built in 2018, includes
42 individual homes-including tidy brick rowhouses
and apartments-clustered around a common house
with a shared kitchen. The multigenerational project
features a pedestrianized central courtyard, an outdoor
play area and garden, and shared laundry, gym,
and workshop. The development used environmentally
friendly materials and designs that promote low
energy use and a reduced carbon footprint.
Environmental efficiency is achieved across
cohousing in multiple ways. Because individual
cohousing units are smaller than average, they save
building materials. At Takoma Village, energy for the
common spaces is provided by rooftop solar panels,
with the development generating enough power to
sell it back to the grid. Power tools, ladders, and a
lawn mower are owned in common and shared by
all residents. A nook in the apartment building is
stocked with clothing and supplies that owners no
longer need-a popular community amenity. Parking
is relegated to the outer areas of the development.
Governance and Sales
Many American cohousing projects, including Aria
and Takoma Village, are established as condominiums
and governed by a homeowners association.
LLUC MIRALLES
2023 Spring Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2023 Spring Issue
