Cohabitat in Quebec City, by Tergos with Mainguy Verge Architectes, groups apartments and townhomes around a communal courtyard. A building with shared dining, childcare, and other amenities completes the quadrangle.
TEXT Jacob Allderdice
Architecture has a positive effect on society?or so architects would like to think. But often, in focusing on the Vitruvian ideals of firmness, commodity and delight, the social realm is left aside.
Some designers are putting architecture?s social potential front and centre through a little-known housing type: cohousing. Russell Mawby, former director of housing for Ottawa and founder of the Canadian Cohousing Network, has gone so far as to ask, ?Can cohousing save the world"?
In its essence, cohousing creates a form of shared property ownership among a small group of individuals and families. The single element that distinguishes cohousing from other forms of multi-unit residential buildings, or developments like cottage communities, is the presence of a physical Commons. The Commons is a significantly scaled building where meals are prepared in joint, tools and equipment are stored for borrowing, guestrooms are available for rent, and classes and social events are scheduled. To paraphrase Mawby, ?Why pay for 30 lawnmowers, when a single one, shared among 30 families, can clip grass more efficiently"? The courtyard includes outdoor eating, play and gardening areas.
Beyond the Commons, cohousing is planned in ways that emphasize...