Cohousing can be found in many forms - from urban factory loft conversions to suburban cities to small towns. Whatever the form, cohousing projects share the six components that are listed here and described more fully below:
​

1. PARTIPATORY PROCESS: Residents help organise and participate in the planning and design process for the housing development, and they are responsible as a group for final decisions.
2. DELIBERATE NEIGHBOURHOOD DESIGN: The physical design encourages a strong sense of community,
3. EXTENSIVE COMMON FACILITIES: Common areas are an integral part of the community, designed for daily use and to supplement private living areas.
4. COMPLETE RESIDENT MANAGEMENT: Residents manage the development, making decisions of common concern at community meetings.
5. NON-HIERARCHAL STRUCTURE: There are not really leadership roles. The responsibilities for the decisions are shared by the comunity’s adults.
6. SEPARATE INCOME SOURCES: Residents have their own primary incomes, the community does not generate income. 

See a video discussing these principles below.
​

Transforming together,

​Phillip & Denise


Information gathered through learning from Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant
​The Cohousing Co (USA)

The ‘Why’ is very important in working out a vision for any organisation… in this little video we (Phillip & Denise Daffara) touch on Chrysalis Cohousing’s reason for being.

When the WHY is clear, the HOW (principles and process) and WHAT (project definition/outcomes) follows with transformative impact.
​

Transforming together,

​Phillip & Denise 

Here is a video recording of my presentation (Meetup 2/7/2021) about the importance of participatory design in making cohousing communities. I cover the purpose of participatory design, its value to cohousing and how to integrate participatory decision making into the codesign process.