How can architectural design facilitate community engagement?
Amidst growing bottom-up and top-down interest in cohousing, this book highlights that it is not simply shared spaces but an engaged community that is the source of cohousing benefits such as informal care, mental health and sustainability. While much attention has been paid to the political, financial and organizational factors involved in making cohousing a successful reality, this publication addresses the gap in attention to spatial design.

Through literature reviews, participatory design, and site visits across the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK, a “pattern language” of base principles and design solutions has been developed. These principles and patterns transcend specific contexts, architectural typologies, and lifestyles, making the principles and design patterns widely applicable. The book also links the design advice to aspects like financial, legal and social considerations in the Dutch cohousing context.

This book is written for people who want to analyze existing projects, those who seek inspiration and guidance for developing their own project, and architects faced with the task of designing architecture that facilitates community. CoWonen is also always available for tailored advice for your collective housing project.

I share this book online for free. I will continue updating it to share ever developing insights. Please always feel free to contact me with any questions and remarks. Enjoy reading it!
– Tijmen Kuyper