Some people believe that individualism is not the best solution for a healthy society, so they bet on a lifestyle where community and sharing are the focus. It was people like these who created in the 70s what we know today as “cohousing”.
Cohousing is a way of living in a community, where everyone has their own house, but shares spaces, tasks and resources among all the inhabitants of the housing complex. This style of housing emerged in Denmark and there the original term created for this type of housing is “bofælleesskaber”, which translates to “community life”.
This community life is found more in Europe and the United States, but little by little it is gaining adherents all over the world. To create a cohousing, all interested people participate in a collective planning, where everyone's interests are discussed. The buildings usually have between 20 and 40 houses and the community must have collective spaces such as laundry, kitchen, dining room, leisure area, library, gym, everything to be used by everyone.
In addition to shared spaces, these communities may also be in the habit of sharing other resources like cars and bicycles. Parents can take turns picking up children from school and everyone who needs to get around can use the vehicles, so as not to waste resources and preserve the environment. This demonstrates how the inhabitants of a cohousing are linked to a sustainable lifestyle that values ​​nature.
It is important to note that, despite sharing resources, duties are also shared. Inhabitants share the work needed to keep the community running and everyone must contribute in some way.
Here at España, the architect and urban planner Lilian Lubochinski brings cohousing ideas for us to know and apply here in our country as well. If you are interested in this sustainable and community lifestyle, visit this page organized by the architect and learn more about cohousing.
Text written by Ricardo Sturk from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team
