Webcast: Central Valley’s first ‘cohousing’ development planned for Fresno

FRESNO
September 6, 2006 12:01am

“Cohousing” is a term that may not be a household word in the Central Valley, but a small group of Fresno-area residents hopes their foray into the cohousing world will be a model for others in the region.

As defined by the online resource Wikipedia, “a cohousing community is a kind of intentional community composed of private homes with full kitchens, supplemented by extensive common facilities. A cohousing community is planned, owned and managed by the residents, groups of people who want more interaction with their neighbours.

“Cohousing differs from standard condominium development and master-planned subdivisions because the development is designed by, or with considerable input from, its future residents. The design process invariably emphasizes consciously fostering social relationships among its residents. Common facilities are based on the actual needs of the residents, rather than on what the developer thinks will help sell units. Turnover in cohousing developments is typically very low, and there is usually a waiting list for units to become available.”

La Querencia, Fresno’s first cohousing community, will host a free presentation about the development on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Woodward Park Library in Fresno.

“The residents design and manage the community, and have come together intentionally to live in this environmentally friendly way,” says La Querencia spokesperson Larry Bassman. “The homes will have bright, naturally daylit rooms. We’ll be using non-toxic building materials, and energy saving appliances, low-water-use fixtures, passive cooling design techniques, super-insulation, radiant barriers and highly energy efficient windows.”

While new to the Central Valley, there are 44 cohousing communities either complete or in development throughout California.

La Querencia will be built at 2658 Alluvial Ave. in Fresno and will have 28 homes. Construction is expected to start in 2007.

Architect Charles Durrett, author of the book “Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves,” talked with CVBT about the cohousing concept.

((Listen to the conversation by clicking on the link at the end of this story.))

Mr. Durrett will be the guest speaker at the Sept. 13 presentation.

Mr. Durrett, and his wife Kathryn McCamant, are credited with introducing the concept of cohousing to the U.S. Mr. Durrett is also credited with coining the word “cohousing.”

Over the years, he has designed over 30 cohousing communities in the United States, including Muir Commons, the first cohousing community in North American, and has consulted on many more around the world. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Architecture, and a variety of other publications.