Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities

by Charles Durrett, Kathryn McCamant

The cohousing “bible” by the US originators of the concept.

Genres: Nonfiction, Design, Sustainability

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

Charles R. Durrett is a renowned architect, author, and advocate for affordable, socially responsible, and sustainable design. He has made significant contributions to community-based architecture and cohousing, having designed 55+ cohousing communities across North America and provided consulting services for many more internationally. Additionally, he has designed an equal number of affordable housing projects for a wide variety of incomes and populations.

In recognition of his substantial achievements in cohousing and community architecture, Durrett has received hundreds of awards, including the Human Habitat Award from the United Nations, the International Innovations Award, and the Mixed Housing Development Award presented jointly by the American Institute of Architects and the United States Department of Housing. He has delivered over a hundred public presentations, including two before the U.S. Congress, as well as lectures at the Commonwealth Club of California and 50 universities including Princeton, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, University of Stockholm, and The Royal Danish University, School of Architecture. Continuing his commitment to education, Charles Durrett shares his expertise in architecture and affordable housing developments. He currently serves as the principal architect at The Cohousing Company, based in Nevada City, California.

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good introduction to the concept of cohousing, that is, a neighborhood in which residents work together and share large common spaces (as well as common dinners) in order to foster a greater sense of community. The idea of cohousing sounds GREAT, and it's so in-depth that I can't really go into it here, but learning about this kind of community is a must for anyone who wants to raise their kids in a safe neighborhood, get to know their neighbors as people they can count on to be there for them, and live in a more environmentally sustainable way. http://www.cohousing.org/ , the website for The Cohousing Association of the United States, would probably be a great resource for anyone who wants to learn a little of what cohousing is all about before getting the book.

Creating Cohousing was written for an audience who knows nothing about cohousing (like me), and Part 1 explains what it is, how it works, and what the effects of it are. Part 2 details its history in Europe (cohousing began in Denmark) while Part 3 explores current cohousing communities in North America from early communities to ones that are still being built. This book also explains how to start a cohousing community and what you should expect in the design process at the end, so this book remains useful for people who decide after reading it that they want to start their own. The writers themselves are architects who build cohousing communities on the west coast, so you can trust that what you're reading is from a credible source! Also, nearly every page has pictures and/or floorplans for the communities they talk about, and the visual helps a lot.

The reason why I didn't give this book five stars is because it gets kind of dry and repetitive after reading about all the North American cohousing communities (the authors include 15, and each is a chapter long), and I was a bit disappointed that they didn't include some of the failed cohousing communities so that we could see what had gone wrong with those and learn from their mistakes. It also got a bit annoying that the authors seemed to be promoting their own work as if they wanted you to hire them for your cohousing project, but it wasn't that prevalent and I guess it kind of is to be expected. Otherwise, this was a great book.

[fprincess]

1. Core Thesis
Modern life has turned our homes into islands. Demographic and economic changes — dual-income families, single-parent households, aging populations, suburban isolation — have eroded the traditional village networks of cooperation, mutual support, and belonging. Cohousing offers a proven, practical model for rebuilding community: private homes clustered around shared facilities, designed and managed by the residents themselves. It is an old idea — the traditional village — adapted for contemporary life.

2. What is Cohousing?
Definition: An intentional community of private homes clustered around extensive common facilities, designed and managed by the residents themselves to foster a strong sense of neighborhood and mutual support while maintaining individual privacy and autonomy.

What cohousing is NOT:
Not a commune — residents own their own homes and have private finances
Not a cult or ideology — no shared belief system required
Not an HOA with extra steps — residents genuinely design and govern together
Not housing for the poor — it's market-rate (though affordability is a goal)
Not utopian fantasy — over 150 communities operating in North America, hundreds more in Denmark and Europe

Origin: Emerged in Denmark in the 1960s as "bofællesskaber" (living communities). McCamant and Durrett studied Danish cohousing in the 1980s, coined the English term "cohousing," and brought the concept to North America with their 1988 book. Denmark remains the "gold standard" for cohousing worldwide.

3. The Six Defining Characteristics of Cohousing
1. Participatory Process
Future residents participate directly in designing their community
Not just choosing paint colors — shaping the entire site plan, common house, and neighborhood
Builds ownership, commitment, and social bonds BEFORE move-in
Facilitated workshops and design sessions over months or years
Ensures the community reflects the actual needs of the people who will live there
The process IS the product — relationships forged during design carry into daily life
2. Intentional Neighborhood Design
Physical design deliberately encourages interaction and community
"Social Contact Design" — the built environment creates natural opportunities for neighbors to meet
Houses face each other across pedestrian pathways (not driveways)
Front porches, shared gardens, and gathering spaces along daily routes
Parking on the periphery — cars don't dominate the community
Children can play safely in car-free common areas
Private homes are modest; shared spaces are generous
Transitional spaces (semi-public to semi-private) ease interaction
3. Extensive Common Facilities
The Common House is the heart of every cohousing community:
Large kitchen and dining room for community meals (typically 3-5 per week)
Children's playroom and teen spaces
Guest rooms for visitors
Workshop, craft room, or maker space
Laundry facilities (reduces need for private machines)
Meeting/multipurpose room
Library, lounge, or sitting area
Exercise or yoga room
Office or co-working space

Outdoor common facilities:
Shared gardens and courtyards
Children's play areas
Tool sheds and shared equipment
BBQ/outdoor dining areas
Paths and gathering spots
4. Resident Management
Residents manage the community themselves — no outside landlord or property manager
Committees handle maintenance, finances, meals, landscaping, social events
Shared responsibility builds accountability and connection
Regular community meetings to discuss issues and make decisions
Work parties for maintenance and improvements
Costs shared fairly among all households
5. Non-Hierarchical Structure & Decision-Making
No one person or group has authority over others
Decisions made by consensus (or modified consensus)
All residents have an equal voice regardless of unit size or investment
Leadership rotates; committees are open to all
Avoids the "tyranny" of both majority rule and individual veto
Teaches negotiation, listening, and compromise
Can be slow and frustrating — but builds buy-in and community trust
6. No Shared Community Economy
Residents are NOT financially interdependent beyond shared expenses
Each household has its own income, budget, and financial life
Shared costs limited to common facilities maintenance and community expenses
Individual home ownership (condos, co-ops, or equity cooperatives)
This distinguishes cohousing from communes and income-sharing communities
Lowers the barrier to entry — you don't have to merge finances with strangers
You can leave without complex financial entanglements

4. Social Contact Design (SCD)
McCamant and Durrett's signature concept — using physical design to promote spontaneous, natural social interaction:

Houses face each other: Front doors, porches, and windows oriented toward shared spaces — not toward private backyards or streets
Pedestrian-oriented layout: Walking paths connect homes to common house, parking, and gardens — creating "casual collision" opportunities
Cars at the periphery: Parking lots or garages on the edge of the community. Walking from car to home means passing through the community.
Common house centrally located: Placed so everyone passes it daily. Visible, accessible, inviting — the community living room.
Graduated privacy: Design moves from public (common spaces) to semi-public (paths, porches) to semi-private (front yards) to private (home interior). Residents choose their level of engagement.
Modest private spaces: Smaller private homes encourage use of generous shared spaces. Why have a huge private kitchen when the common house has a great one?
Children's areas visible from homes: Parents can watch kids play from their windows or porches. Creates natural supervision and community.
Shared gardens along pathways: Gardens aren't hidden behind homes — they're community spaces where people meet and chat while gardening.

Key insight: Design doesn't force interaction — it creates OPPORTUNITIES for interaction. Residents always have the choice to engage or retreat to privacy. The best cohousing design makes community effortless, not mandatory.

5. Common Meals: The Secret Ingredient
The single most important community-building activity in cohousing:

Typically 3-5 shared dinners per week in the common house
Cooking teams rotate — you cook once every 4-6 weeks, eat communally the rest
Dramatically reduces individual cooking burden (especially for working parents)
Participation is voluntary — eat at home whenever you want
Cost-effective: bulk cooking is cheaper than individual meals
Children eat together, play together — builds cross-age friendships
The dinner table is where community happens — sharing news, solving problems, building bonds
New residents integrate quickly through shared meals
Dietary needs accommodated (vegetarian options, allergies)
Reduces food waste through shared planning and bulk purchasing

6. The Problem Cohousing Solves
Modern isolation — "Our homes have become our castles, but our castles have become our islands":

Dual-income families: Both parents work; no one is home to build neighborhood connections. Children in daycare, not playing with neighbors.
Single-parent households: One adult doing everything alone — cooking, childcare, errands, maintenance. No support network.
Aging in isolation: Seniors living alone in large homes, disconnected from community, lacking daily social contact and mutual aid.
Suburban design: Garage-front homes, car-dependent layouts, no gathering spaces. Neighbors are strangers.
Loss of the village: Extended family networks have dissolved. The traditional support systems — grandparents, aunts, neighbors who watch your kids — are gone.
Loneliness epidemic: Social isolation is a public health crisis. People have fewer close friends and less community connection than any previous generation.
Environmental waste: Every household owns its own lawnmower, drill, guest room, workshop — massive duplication of rarely-used resources.

Cohousing's answer: Recreate the village — the practical cooperation, mutual aid, and sense of belonging of traditional neighborhoods — within a modern, intentionally designed community where everyone has privacy AND connection.

7. Benefits of Cohousing
Social Benefits
Deep sense of belonging and community
Built-in support network for childcare, eldercare, emergencies
Children grow up with multiple caring adults (the "village")
Seniors remain active, engaged, and supported
Reduced loneliness and social isolation
Cross-generational friendships and mentoring
Conflict resolution skills developed through consensus
Celebration of milestones together — births, deaths, holidays
Practical Benefits
Shared meals reduce cooking time dramatically
Shared tools, equipment, and facilities reduce individual costs
Informal childcare — neighbors watch each other's kids
Pet care, plant watering, package pickup when traveling
Bulk purchasing saves money
Shared expertise — there's always a neighbor who can help
Guest rooms in common house (no need in every home)
Shared laundry, workshop, exercise room
Environmental Benefits
Smaller private homes = less energy use per person
Shared resources reduce consumption and waste
Clustered housing preserves open space
Car-sharing becomes natural among neighbors
Community gardens promote local food
Bulk purchasing reduces packaging waste
Energy-efficient common house design
Behavioral change — seeing neighbors recycle motivates you
Economic Benefits
Shared facilities reduce per-household costs
Lower utility costs through efficient design
Reduced childcare costs through informal sharing
Bulk purchasing discounts
Higher resale values — cohousing units sell at or above market rate
Lower maintenance costs through shared labor
Reduced need for individual purchases (tools, equipment)
Some communities share vehicles, reducing car ownership costs

8. The Participatory Design Process
How a cohousing community goes from dream to reality:

Phase 1: Vision & Group Formation
Core group forms around shared interest in cohousing
Define values, goals, and vision for the community
Recruit additional interested households
Hire experienced cohousing architects and consultants
Establish governance structure and decision-making process
Begin education about cohousing model

Phase 2: Site Selection & Feasibility
Search for appropriate site (urban, suburban, or rural)
Assess zoning, regulations, and approval requirements
Financial feasibility study — can the group afford it?
Secure options or purchase land
Navigate local planning and permitting processes
Build relationships with local officials and neighbors

Phase 3: Participatory Design
Design workshops with all future residents
Site plan development — placement of homes, common house, paths, parking
Common house design — what facilities does the group want?
Individual home design — floor plans, sizes, features
Iterative process — multiple rounds of feedback and revision
Budget reality checks throughout
Professional architects translate community wishes into buildable plans

Phase 4: Development & Construction
Secure financing (construction loans, individual mortgages)
Select contractor or builder
Construction oversight by residents and architects
Ongoing community-building activities during construction
Prepare for move-in — establish committees, meal schedules, governance
Typical timeline: 2-5 years from formation to move-in

Phase 5: Move-In & Community Life
Move-in and settling period
Establish routines — meals, meetings, work parties
Integrate new residents
Ongoing governance and maintenance
Conflict resolution as needed
Celebrate and enjoy community life!

9. Challenges & Criticisms of Cohousing
Time & Patience Required: The participatory process takes 2-5+ years. Many groups don't survive the development phase.
Cost: Professional design and development costs are significant. Final unit prices are typically market-rate, not "affordable."
Consensus Fatigue: Making every decision by consensus is exhausting. Meetings can be long and contentious.
Personality Conflicts: Living in close community means dealing with difficult people. Conflict is inevitable.
Lack of Diversity: Cohousing tends to attract white, middle-class, educated professionals. Economic and racial diversity is a persistent challenge.
Zoning & Regulatory Barriers: Many municipalities don't have zoning categories for cohousing. Approval processes can be hostile.
NIMBYism: Neighbors and local officials may oppose cohousing out of misunderstanding or prejudice.
Burnout: Managing the community through committees and consensus is unpaid labor that can exhaust residents.
Privacy Concerns: Some people feel "watched" or pressured to participate more than they want.
Not for Everyone: Cohousing requires a genuine interest in community life. Introverts and very private people may struggle.

10. Types of Cohousing
Intergenerational: The classic model — families, singles, couples, seniors all living together. Age diversity is a strength.
Senior Cohousing: Designed specifically for adults 55+. Mutual support for aging in place. Growing rapidly. Durrett wrote a separate book on this.
Urban Cohousing: Adapted for city living — often multi-story buildings with rooftop gardens and ground-floor common areas.
Rural Cohousing: Clustered homes on larger sites with shared farmland, forests, or natural areas.
Retrofit Cohousing: Adapting existing buildings (apartment complexes, neighborhoods) into cohousing communities.
Pocket Neighborhoods: Smaller-scale clusters of 4-12 homes around a shared courtyard — cohousing principles at a smaller scale.

11. Danish Roots: The Gold Standard
Denmark remains the gold standard for cohousing worldwide:

Originated in 1960s Denmark as "bofællesskaber" (living communities)
Jan Gudmand-Høyer is considered the grandfather of cohousing
Government-endorsed and supported housing model in Denmark
Hundreds of cohousing communities across Denmark
Integrated into mainstream housing — not seen as alternative or fringe
Diverse models: urban, suburban, rural; new-build and retrofit
McCamant & Durrett studied Danish communities extensively before bringing the concept to North America
Danish cohousing demonstrates long-term viability — communities thriving for 40+ years

12. The Cohousing Legacy & Future
Over 170 established cohousing communities in North America and growing
Hundreds more in Denmark, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan
Senior cohousing is the fastest-growing segment
Increasingly recognized as solution to loneliness epidemic
Model for sustainable, low-carbon living
Inspiring "pocket neighborhoods" and other community-oriented housing designs
Influencing mainstream housing development and urban planning
Growing interest post-COVID as people seek community connection
Advocacy for zoning reform to allow cohousing development
Proving that community-centered living is not just possible — it's deeply satisfying

13. Key Takeaways
1. Cohousing is an old idea (the village) adapted for modern life — private homes + shared facilities + intentional community.
2. The six characteristics: participatory process, intentional design, common facilities, resident management, non-hierarchical structure, no shared economy.
3. Social Contact Design uses architecture to create natural opportunities for interaction while preserving privacy.
4. The common house — especially shared meals — is the heart of community life.
5. The participatory process is essential: residents design and manage their own community.
6. Cohousing is not a commune — you own your home, keep your finances, and choose your level of participation.
7. It directly addresses the loneliness epidemic, aging isolation, dual-income family stress, and environmental waste.
8. Challenges include cost, time, consensus fatigue, lack of diversity, and regulatory barriers.
9. Denmark is the gold standard — proving cohousing works long-term at scale.
10. The authors literally coined the term "cohousing" and have designed over 50 communities — this is the definitive guide.

14. Memorable Ideas
"A man's home is his castle. But demographic and economic changes have turned our castles into islands."
"Cohousing is about regaining the elements of the traditional village — family, cooperation, community, and a sense of belonging — within the context of 21st century life."
"The best communities are not built brick by brick, but decision by decision."
"We only build four or five houses a year in Nevada City, and that's the way we like it." — Local opposition to cohousing development
"Cohousing is not about giving up privacy — it's about gaining community."
"Danish cohousing remains the gold standard for cohousing worldwide."

15. The Bottom Line
Creating Cohousing is the definitive guide to a housing model that directly addresses the central crisis of modern life: isolation. McCamant and Durrett — who literally coined the term and designed over 50 communities — show that cohousing is not utopian dreaming but a proven, practical approach to rebuilding the village within contemporary society. The key innovation is Social Contact Design: using architecture and site planning to create natural, effortless opportunities for neighbors to connect, while always preserving the choice to retreat to privacy. The common house, especially shared meals, provides the daily rituals that transform strangers into a genuine community. The participatory process — residents designing their own community — builds the relationships and ownership that sustain community life for decades. Cohousing won't appeal to everyone, and it faces real challenges (cost, time, regulatory barriers, diversity). But for those who want more than a house — who want a home embedded in a caring, cooperative neighborhood — this book provides both the inspiration and the practical roadmap to make it happen.

[Coco Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m probably biased, but from a designer’s standpoint this book speaks my heart.

[Mikyla Limpkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating concept. Really well researched and explained. Can't wait to live in one!

[SS · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful 'how to' book on co-housing development. It contains the usual case studies but includes learnings and steps if you are wanting to establish a co-housing development.

[Jimjoebob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look at Co-housing. The examples are important, of course, but if you want to read discussions of how to build co-housing, you'll need to skip to about 70% through for any real advice.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the writing/editing; 5 stars for the idea + the usefulness of this guide in making that idea happen.

[Derek Gutheil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting…

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

For decades, Denmark (it’s always Denmark, isn't it?) has recognized the fundamental human need for community by pioneering the practice of cohousing. Cohousing communities, as the architects Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant explain, have diverse flavors but share some basic characteristics: Residents, rather than developers, drive the design and planning process and therefore have more invested in their communities; common areas, especially the common house, are prioritized; residents share much more than in contemporary housing: maintenance responsibilities, childcare, tools, cars, laundry facilities and crucially, meals; and homes are typically smaller, clustered closer together and implement sustainable building design and practices (even in areas with abundant land).

Durrett and McCamant highlight cohousing communities around Denmark and in the US, where interest is also growing. They also interview residents and provide a rough blueprint for those interested in starting their own communities. Cohousing tries very intentionally to turn the tide of isolation that has Americans camped out in ever more ginourmous caves. It’s an ideal situation for parents with busy careers, children with their need for space and playmates, older folks and others with mobility issues and single people. The community benefits greatly from this multi-generational pool of wisdom and energy as well.

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book giving details on the how and why of cohousing

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview/introduction.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consolidates 30 years of experience designing and building cohousing into one readable book. This book actually makes it seem do-able, and I hope it is!