Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities

The cohousing "bible" by the US originators of the concept.

A man's home is his castle. But demographic and economic changes haveturned our castles into islands. How can we regain the elements of the traditional village – family, cooperation, community and a sense of belonging – within the context of 21st century life?

Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities is an in-depth exploration of a uniquely rewarding type of housing which is perfect for anyone who values their independence but longs for more connection with those around them. Written by the award-winning team that wrote the original "cohousing bible" and first brought cohousing to North America, this fully-illustrated manual combines nuts-and-bolts practical considerations and design ideas with extensive case studies of dozens of diverse communities in Europe and North America.

Cohousing communities create unique opportunities for designing more sustainable lifestyles. Whether urban, suburban or rural; senior or intergenerational; retrofit or new, the authors show how the physical structures of cohousing communities lend themselves to a more efficient use of resources, and make everything from gardening to childcare to socializing easier.

Creating Cohousing puts the "neighbor" back into "neighborhood"; and is an essential resource for anyone interested in more environmentally and socially sustainable living.

Charles Durrett is a principal at McCamant & Durrett in Nevada City, CA, a firm that specializes in affordable cohousing. He co-authored the groundbreaking Cohousing A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves with his wife and business partner, Kathryn McCamant. He also authored The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living.

Kathryn McCamant, and her husband Charles Durrett, co-authored Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves and founded McCamant & Durrett Architects and The CoHousing Company. They coined the term "cohousing" for which they are credited in the Oxford English Dictionary. Kathryn founded Cohousing Partners in 2006 with developer Jim Leach..Together they have designed and developed over 50 cohousing communities.