What is cohousing?
Cohousing is a way of living which brings individuals and families together in groups to share common aims and activities while also enjoying their own self-contained accommodation and personal space.
Cohousing communities are a means of compensating for the alienating effects of modern life where neighbours don't recognise each other and where day-to-day collaboration is minimal. They offer particular benefits for children in terms of secure play-space and shared activities with their peers. Older people can also find companionship and mutual support in such communities.
The main features of cohousing communities are:
- They are set up and run by their members for mutual benefit
- Members are consciously committed to living as a community
- Developments are designed to encourage social contact and a sense of neighbourhood among members.
- Common space facilitates shared activities like community meals and other amenities like laundries, heating systems, guest rooms, transport, etc may be shared
Cohousing in the UK
There is a rapidly-growing UK interest in cohousing - take a look at our map of UK projects. There are an increasing number of groups seeking sites and many individuals seeking a group to join. There are eight fully-established cohousing communities in the UK: Springhill in Stroud, the Community Project in Laughton, near Lewes, Thundercliffe Grange near Rotherham, Canon Frome in Wiltshire and the Threshold Centre in Dorset. Smaller cohousing schemes include Stroud Co-flats, Frankleigh co-flats and The Courtyards near Bradford upon Avon. All are based on owner-occupation, although the Stroud community has three shared ownership units. It is difficult to pin down the exact number of groups as they are constantly in flux. We estimate there are 25 - 30 forming groups currently functioning, with another tier of up to 60 loose coalitions interested in cohousing.
To find out more, to register with us, and learn what this site can do for you, click here...The UK Cohousing Network website is a repository of information from many people. When reading an article, note whether it has an author beneath the title. If it does, that piece is the author's own views. This site hopes to encourage the sharing of as many viewpoints as possible so we can support each other in developing cohousing. But note that only un-named articles can be attributed to the UK Cohousing Network.
Springhill photo © Alexander Caminada.
International cohousing experts to visit London in April.
Tue, 04/27/2010 - 20:33 — adminCharles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant, the award-winning California architects who pioneered cohousing in the USA and wrote the cohousing 'bible', will be guest speakers at a UK Cohousing Network Conference on Saturday April 24th in London.
For Sale: 12, Laughton Lodge - Spacious 3 Bedroom House
Sat, 03/20/2010 - 16:03 — admin12 Laughton Lodge
Spacious three bed roomed wing of 1930s villa in co-housing project set in 23 acres of land in Sussex countryside bordering the South Downs and within six miles of Lewes, with meadows, woodland, communal buildings, vegetable plots, polytunnel, chickens, horses.
This is a wonderful opportunity to live in beautiful, spacious surroundings in a neighbourly environment, with lots of opportunity for developing creative projects, making new friends, and bringing up children in an open, caring and creative environment.
Cohousing - Low carbon living and community development
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 23:05 — adminPaper delivered to the TCPA seminar 'Delivering sustainable housing for eco towns'
Right click and Save as to download it for free.
Cohousing article in the Sunday Times
Thu, 03/18/2010 - 21:50 — adminWe’re all in this together
Communes are back in fashion across the United Kingdom, but with a contemporary green twist. Let's meet the neighbours
Click here to view the article at TimesOnline.
LILAC cohousing visit to Thundercliffe Grange Cohousing
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 23:09 — AlanNext in our successful series of social events for Friends (100 of them now!) is a visit to the nearest existing cohousing project to us.
Thundercliffe Grange Cohousing has been going for 30 years. There are 12 privately owned flats in this former mansion house. Whilst quite different from LILAC there are sure to be things to learn. Depending on the weather, we can afterwards go for a walk amongst the bluebells in Woolley Wood. More info at www.cohousing.org.uk/thundercliffe-grange
Video story about LILAC project in Leeds
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 23:00 — AlanWatch this short news story about LILAC: https://northern-indymedia.org/videos/564
Invitation: new cohousing group in Cardiff area, 1st meetings on 11th & 14th March
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 13:28 — adminWould you be interested in living in an eco-development? We are a group of people planning to build a housing community within reach of Cardiff which will feature:
- Ecologically sustainable homes
- A mix of people of all ages living in a supportive and friendly environment
- A balance of private spaces for living, and communal spaces for shared activities
- A high degree of self-sufficiency in the production of food and energy
- Social and economic links with the local community
Would you like to find out more? Come along to one of our meetings or contact us using the details below:
Thursday 11th March
- 7pm-9pm
- Chapter Arts Centre
- Meeting Room 2
Sunday 14th March
- 11am-1pm
- Chapter Arts Centre
- Meeting Room 2
For more info, email us at: i...@CohousingCymru.org.uk (click on 3 blue dots to get full email.)
International collaborative housing conference, Stockholm, 5-9 May 2010
Wed, 02/24/2010 - 10:00 — admin
The conference will provide a forum for researchers, housing companies, politicians and activists to meet and discuss experiences of different models of collaborative living. The conference is intended to give an overview of current international praxis and knowledge and to strengthen existing international cooperation.
The last 20 years have seen a growing interest in cohousing and other alternative forms of living in Sweden as well as internationally. The search for a sense of community remains an important driving force behind demands for cohousing. During the last ten years new aspects have been added, such as housing for the “second half of life” and planning for more sustainable lifestyles.
Collaborative housing networks in a number of countries have taken an inte-rest in the Swedish cohousing model, which is characterized by a strong involve-ment by municipal housing companies and by political initiatives combined with efforts from independent non-government organizations. The fact that these com-panies offer rental housing means that cohousing is accessible also to single parents and retired people with limited incomes.
Against this background, the association Kollektivhus NU and the Division of Urban and Regional Studies of The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) invite interested persons and organisations to an international conference on col-laborative housing, to take place in Stockholm 5-9 May 2010.
Venue & language
The conference will take place at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm. The conference language will be English (except for two work-shops, which will be carried out in Swedish).
Registration, conference fee
The conference fee is Eur 200 when registering before 1 March 2010. After that date the fee will be Eur 275. The conference fee includes access to keynote lectures and workshops, snacks in coffee breaks, lunches and a conference package. After the conference, additional study visits to cohousing units in West and South Sweden will be offered to interested participants. The dinner Saturday night and the study tours are to be paid separately. Find a registration form at http://www.kollektivhus.nu/eng/index.html. Recommendations for accommodation will be sent out upon registration.
Documentation
The conference will be documented in a report to be disseminated electronically. It will consist of keynote lectures and conclusions from workshops.
Address:
International Collaborative Housing Conference 2010, Div. of Urban & Regional Studies, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden. Email: koll...@gmail.com (click 3 blue dots to get full email), telephone +46 706559483, or fera...@infra.kth.se, telephone +46 8 7908988
See attached leaflet below for full details of programme and speakers.
