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CREATING A SUSTAINABLE URBAN INFILL COHOUSING COMMUNITY
ARCHITECT'S PERSPECTIVE We live in the Yulupa Cohousing community in the North Bay Area above San Francisco, California - an example of a higher density urban infill community. A recent focus on urban infill is the result of a dynamic political climate where, due to the pressures of population growth, ecological, economic, housing, health, and social and economic justice, values often collide. This is one of the least affordable areas for housing in the nation due to its proximity to the coast and to San Francisco, Oakland and other employment centers. The wise decision to protect natural open space and farmland by creating greenbelts around cities has ironically further increased the price of available land in the area. Since the cost of land is increasing and the land base is diminishing, more attention must be placed on urban infill development. Sustainability is now the value that is guiding our strategies to: preserve our natural resources and our agriculture; address transportation problems that stress our infrastructure; provide housing for low and moderate income families; provide a vibrant and healthy community life; and create economic stability and growth. Whereas higher densities often contribute to friction between residents, our density of 18 units per acre actually contributes to the quality of our community life. Ideally, if we had an adequate public transportation system, some of the land that is dedicated to required parking for 57 automobiles would instead be utilized for children's activities and for a larger garden. The diverse cultures within the United States do not create an optimum environment for living closely together. On the other hand, cohousing, with a value of diversity, benefits from higher density, actually enhancing the social interconnection between members, who join together to live a community life guided by the following values:
These values form a magnet that attracts members of similar persuasions to the cohousing life. They not only serve to create a stable, socially sustainable cohousing community, they also have a ripple effect that touches the surrounding neighborhood and sometimes the small city in which it is located. It is not unusual for the common house, the physical heart of the community, to be used by environmental and political organizations and sometimes by neighbors need an after-burial gathering place for a loved one who has passed on. As a result of our variety of unit sizes from studios to a 4-bedroom and the government-assisted "First-time Homebuyer Program" that we qualified for, we have financial diversity and age diversity ranging from young children to the mid-80's. Ten accessible units provide for aging members who may have a need for accessibility in the future. The variety of unit sizes and the accessibility offered promote an intergenerational life that encourages families to live in the community for generations, further promoting sustainable community. As the architect, my challenge was to create a functional design, fitting a total of 29 units on 1.65 acres (18 units/acre), while creating a significant usable outdoor space - the central courtyard, which serves to enhance positive energy within the community. In addition, the site had to accommodate 57 parking spaces, which were required by the city (a non-sustainable number). However, the design extends beyond mere function to provide a " living environment" where curved shadows appear, disappear and reappear and where colors that change with the position of the sun become brighter on gray winter days. When wet from rain, all the plaster colors increase their intensity and sometimes only parts of the buildings show these saturated colors. It was deliberately designed to affect the community and others with its playful atmosphere, perhaps bringing a moment of joy and wonderment into their lives. The aesthetics were also crafted to provide an environment that expresses that this is not a normal apartment house or condominium - that something very special is happening here. Many constraints limited where and how sustainability could be addressed by the use of structural systems and materials. The density eliminated most alternative construction systems due to Building Code requirements regarding fire safety. Since conservative lending institutions found the cohousing paradigm to be challenging, they were not in a position to finance construction processes and materials with which they were also unfamiliar. Another constraint was an incredible jump in the costs of materials, building fees and insurance, which totaled close to a million dollars. Though these cost increases forced us to eliminate a metal roof (of 80% recycled material) and cellulose insulation, we were able to include the following sustainable elements: SITE DESIGN/ECOLOGY
ARCHITECTURE & USE OF MATERIALS
SHARING
SPECIFIC TO COHOUSING
Those living in healthy, cohesive communities that have enough continuity to create their own history are encouraged from a deeper sense of belonging to contribute to their environment and to each other. Cohousing is a movement that is successfully creating healthy and cohesive communities. The escalation of building and development costs all contributed to some compromise of our vision. Yet, each attempt to address sustainable issues contributes to the raising of consciousness that our precious planet, its resources and our health are being threatened. We find comfort in believing that any action, no matter how small, contributes to the changes that must take place in order for our world to flourish, perhaps for our very survival. Return to top Return to New & Links
LIVING AT YULUPA COHOUSING
Resident Perspective
-Alexandra Hart
When a guest visits for the first time, we residents realize all over again what a different experience living at Yulupa Cohousing is from the usual American neighborhood life. They may begin by trying to describe the architecture, comparing it to everything from Gaudí or Hundertwasser to Dr. Suess. Then they move on to the friendly greetings they receive from the many people they meet or to how delicious the community meal a stranger prepared for them has been. Most of those of us who live here together began to meet together a year or more before the buildings were finished, to start the community-building process. We began to learn consensus decision-making and how to make meetings both efficient and fun. Potlucks at meetings assured us that our future meals together had great promise. However, it was some time before we could see the architecture emerge. At first we relied on our abilities to read plans and project three-dimensionally, something not all of us were skilled at doing. The whimsical nature of the elevations of the front and the interior courtyard entries gave us some idea of the exterior design. But, it was more difficult to visualize the volume and feel of the interiors of the homes. Because of the tight, high density site and two-story condo plan, the units are quite long and slender without side windows, which gave rise to concerns about whether there would be enough light. What few of us could imagine was the effect of high ceilings and the roof plans which, with a lower flat area in the center, usually over the kitchen area, allowed for clerestory windows bringing light to both the front and back of the upper homes and skylights in that central, lowered roof. My own studio, located at the north back-side of my two-bedroom home, has both a skylight and a high, clerestory window into a loft area in addition to generous windows to the north. To my surprise, this is a very bright room, lighting up the whole back of the house. The unusual design has inspired many of us to paint our homes in colors we never imagined we would use. The interior spaces, with their high ceilings, lofts, and work-stations whose walls don't extend to the ceiling offer many opportunities for contrasting color combinations. Another delightful surprise was how the courtyard works to bring us together and create bonding. With so many closely located homes, concerns for privacy and noise competed with desires for community. The front sound wall and a fountain helps to keep street noise from penetrating into the community living spaces. The way the homes are insulated and sound-engineered keeps the noise of children playing or outdoor gatherings in the plaza from disturbing one's quiet and privacy when the doors and windows to the plaza area are closed. Throw them open and you're immediately part of the community activity again! There were many, more subtle surprises in store for us as well. One early meeting opened with a question about what it is like for each person to be living here at last. One member said, "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven!" and another, "It's like living in a dream that I couldn't have dreamed myself!" At another meeting we asked what each person's favorite thing is. Here are some of those comments:
Local environmentalists have begun to talk about close community being an element of sustainability. We certainly are experiencing that here, as most of us are looking forward to growing old together. Long-term friendships are established and meaningful relationships forged which help us to become better and more active citizens of our larger community, joining into city and county political issues and inviting our favorite groups to meet with us in our common house. This spreads awareness and engagement and increases our sense of truly "finding Home." Return to top Return to New & Links |
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