Cohousing, which is cooperatively-managed but independently-owned housing, is gaining popularity in the Northwest—a new cohousing project in Portland just opened its doors last weekend. The project was designed by Schemata Workshop Inc.—an architecture firm that focuses on sustainable living—which led an event called “Curious About Cohousing?” at Seattle University on Sunday. The event was meant to provide information to prospective cohousing community members on the cohousing way of life.
What is Cohousing?
An import from Denmark, the cohousing concept arrived in the U.S. approximately 30 years ago. In cohousing each family has its own separate dwelling areas, but residents are generally committed to a common set of values and share common areas with the goal of creating a tight-knit community. (To see some examples of prototypical Danish cohousing, you can go here.)
Cohousing communities can be legally established using condominium provisions or by using a more traditional homeowners association framework. There are currently more than 100 cohousing communities in the U.S. and the number keeps growing.
Oregon just added its ninth project in Portland. The Daybreak Cohousing project is intended to be a “dense, urban village with a physical design that encourages social interaction while respecting personal needs for private space,” according to the project’s website. Following two years of site selection, design, permitting and construction, Daybreak opened its doors to awaiting residents this last weekend.
It’s Daybreak in Portland: The Northwest’s Newest Cohousing Project
Construction on the project began in late August of 2008, but for one couple, the process began much earlier. Ken and Scot Cameron-Bell moved from North Carolina to Oregon before construction began on the project just so they could participate in the design process.
This is not unusual for cohousing developments—design teams will often work with future residents so that all desired elements are integrated into the structure. In the case of Daybreak, community members were able to customize the design, placing high importance on creating an “environment that enhances [the] experience of community,” providing support for multigenerational living, and using sustainable materials and systems.
One of the traditional features in a cohousing community is the common house. Daybreak’s common house is a two-story area designed to provide meeting space and community resources. These resources include a commercial-sized kitchen to be used in preparing meals for community dinners, a kids’ room to offer a safe place for resident children to play together, a great room for hosting large gatherings or dance parties, guest bedrooms and a laundry room. These common areas not only foster a sense of community, but also allow for the community to have an overall smaller ecological and building footprint. Since the shared space will be available to all residents, it is unnecessary for personal residences to have their own formal dining rooms and guest quarters.
Another important green feature of the project is its location. Daybreak’s proximity to the MAX rail line, bike routes and bus service makes public transportation an easy option for its residents. To further encourage the use of alternative transportation, on-site vehicle parking and garages were not included in the community layout. However, the common house contains a bike storage facility that can accommodate 100 bicycles.
Logistical Barriers to Cohousing Development
Although many jurisdictions indicate a desire for community-oriented design, their corresponding zoning codes often present barriers to cohousing developments. In cities such as Seattle, cohousing developments are only permitted in single-family zones as council-approved planned residential developments on sites two acres or larger in size. This level of oversight is intended to ensure compatibility with surrounding residential neighborhoods, but makes for a lengthy and uncertain permitting process for cohousing developments.
Cohousing developments in Seattle are permitted in multifamily zones, but they often have to compete for a short supply of buildable land. Furthermore, cohousing developments are subject to the underlying development standards and design review provisions of the multifamily zones, which are often at odds with a project’s community-orientation. For instance, requirements for private open space and vehicular parking may not reflect the values of the cohousing community residents.
In comparison, Portland’s planned development provisions offer substantial design flexibility, no minimum lot size and an administrative review process. Portland’s single-family zones also allow an assortment of housing types such as attached housing, duplexes and accessory dwellings. This type of flexibility presents a broader assortment of siting options for cohousing developments, which in turn impacts the affordability and sustainability of the project.
Financing can be another road block for people hoping to build a cohousing project. Developers and banks often want to build as many units as possible on a piece of property in order to earn the most return on their investment. So, similar to developers, banks are sometimes dissuaded from lending to cohousing projects. However, financers should not be completely dismayed by the lack of density and comparatively affordable sticker prices on cohousing units. Demand for cohousing is currently outpacing supply, so it is not difficult for cohousing communities to find buyers to fill all the units.
Finding Cohousing
People who attended the presentation at Seattle University—given by architect Grace Kim—were interested in learning whether cohousing would be a good fit for them. Motivation for considering a cohousing community ranged from securing a reliable support system to leading a more sustainable life. At Sunday’s event some people had already begun the process of forming a group to create a cohousing project, while others were looking to join an existing community.
Kim informally defined cohousing as an “intentional community where people know and want to care about each other.” Those interested in learning more about this lifestyle can attend an upcoming tour of Daybreak and other cohousing communities.
The national Cohousing Association is currently traveling across the nation and will make a stop in Portland on Nov. 7 to highlight the city’s cohousing communities. In the meantime, Seattle residents may wish to check out Jackson Place, Duwamish or Puget Ridge cohousing communities to find out more about “intentional” community living.
