Cohousing Communities

Shared lives are healthy lives - McCamant & Durrett Architects designs intergenerational cohousing communities that create and promote environmentally and socially vibrant sustainable neighborhoods.

Intergenerational cohousing communities respond to the needs of today's households by combining the autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of community living and shared resources.

First pioneered in Denmark, cohousing has found enthusiastic support in the United States. Today, over 100 cohousing communities exist throughout North America and new communities are forming monthly.

These communities cluster 12 to 35 homes around common facilities. Residents participate in the planning and design process from the very beginning, ensuring that their community meets their needs, both individual and collective. Each household owns a private residence—complete with kitchen—but also shares extensive common facilities with the larger group, such as a dining room, children's play rooms, workshops, guest rooms, a vegetable garden, and sometimes even a swimming pool. These common facilities, and particularly common dinners, are an important aspect of community life both for social and practical reasons.

Characteristics of Cohousing Communities