Cohousing
In 'Cohousing: a Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves' by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett, the authors write that there are over 125 such Cohousing ('bofaellesskaber') communities in Denmark, ranging in size from 6 to 80 households. The authors have helped set up similar schemes in the States: 80 groups are at some stage of the Cohousing planning and design process, quite a few with sites in Davis, California; the first group of 26 households has moved in. Here is an adapted extract from the authors' description of the Trudeslund Community where they spent six months:
'I know I live in a community because on a Friday night it takes me 45 minutes and two beers to get from the parking lot to my front door'
Situated in the town of Birkerod, just north of Copenhagen, Trudeslund's 33 residences and a large common house were completed in 1981. The residences line two pedestrian streets, with the common house located at the highest point where the streets meet. With cars kept at the edge of the site and houses clustered together, much of the lower end is left wooded, making it a favourite place for the children to play.
A cooperative store in the common house is stocked with household goods, from toothpaste to cornflakes. Each household has a key, so that residents can pick up goods at any hour. They write down what they take in the account book and receive a bill at the end of the month. The store is run by one of nine 'interest groups'. Every adult is a member of one such group. Other interest groups are responsible for the outdoor areas, special children's activities, the monthly newsletter and minutes of meetings, the heating system, the laundry room, general maintenance, social events and overall coordination of community activities.
When residents take the laundry out of one of the two communal washing machines, they put the next load in, so no one has to wait for an empty machine. Detergents are bought in bulk. Also located in the common house are a workshop, a darkroom for photography, a television room, a walk-in freezer, a guest room, a music room for teenagers and a central computer connected to a personal computer in each home.
Many residents eat in the common house dining room three or four times a week, and have more intimate family dinners at home the other evenings. On any evening, 50 per cent of the residents, and often more, eat together. Two adults, assisted by one child, plan, shop, prepare, serve and wash up after dinner. Each resident has to cook only once a month. Residents sign up for dinners at least two days in advance and pay for the meal after dinner, when the cooks have divided the cost by the number eating.
'Many residents eat in the common house dining room three or four times a week'
Two families share a car, five others own a sailboat together. There is only one lawn mower. Older kids keep an eye on the younger ones. Babysitters are never lacking. Afternoon tea after school provides a meeting place for both children and adults. As one Trudeslund resident put it: 'I know I live in a community because on a Friday night it takes me 45 minutes and two beers to get from the parking lot to my front door.'
The development process
At the outset, the group invited four firms to submit design proposals. Completion of construction came two and a half years after the first planning meeting. Half of the original members had dropped out. Now each resident owns a house and a portion of the common areas. Prices worked out as comparable to those for single-family residences in the surrounding area that have no common facilities. Resale value of Trudeslund houses has steadily climbed.
'Cohousing: a Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves' by Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett (published by Ten Speed Press, PO Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA, tel 510 845 8414; fax 510 524 1052. $19.95, 208 pages). The authors can be contacted at 1250 Addison St #113, Berkeley, CA 94702, USA (tel 510 549 9980). 'Cohousing' is trademarked to them.
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