M Torres Cohousing Thesis


Below is the extensive Table of Contents and the Abstract
of Maruja Torres's 2001 PhD thesis  from University of Florida
College of Design, Construction and Planning


_OUR COMMON HOUSE: USING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TO DEVELOP
   SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES_

The complete thesis is available at

M Torres Cohousing Thesis complete 10.5 MByte

NOTE that since the following note was written typical Internet access speeds have
increased significantly and dialup access has become less common.  This makes the
note less relevant but I'll leave it andyway.  Fred 2011

Note that the PDF document is very large and takes about a half hour to
download via dialup modem.  I suspect much of that size is due to the 56
images in Appendix B (see below).  Note that page numbers in the table of
contents below plus 15 equals the PDF document page numbers due to the
initial Roman numeral pages.

This large pdf file can be viewed online via the Online Viewer (link below).
FIRST COPY the URL of the thesis:

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0000360

so you have it to paste into the viewer's form.
It took about 10 (?) minutes for the viewer to download and prepare the
thesis to be viewed.  You need to click on each page to enlarge it to be readable.

Online viewer for PDF, PostScript and Word

Fred H. Olson,   fholson at cohousing.org , maintainer of this page


TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                        page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................... ix
LIST OF FIGURES........................................................... x
ABSTRACT................................................................ xiv

CHAPTERS

1 CREATING COMMUNITY IN AMERICA........................................... 1
  Quest for Community..................................................... 3
    Expert Approach: Community by Design.................................. 5
    Alternative Approach: Community by Action............................. 8
    Cohousing Approach: Community by Design and Action.................... 9
  Opportunity for Research............................................... 16

2 LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................... 19
  American Cohousing Literature.......................................... 19
    Cohousing in Context................................................. 23
    Cohousing and Society................................................ 25
    Cohousing in Detail.................................................. 27
  Void in the Cohousing Literature....................................... 31

3 METHODOLOGY: RESEARCHING SOCIAL CONTACT AND DESIGN IN A
  COHOUSING COMMUNITY.................................................... 34
  Action Science, Research, and Social Change ........................... 34
  Methodological Considerations: Applying Action Research to Cohousing .. 36
  Research Plan.......................................................... 41
    Case Study Strategy ................................................. 44
    Experiential Techniques.............................................. 48
    Analytical Techniques................................................ 53
    Environmental Design Theory.......................................... 57

4 PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS OF A COHOUSING COMMUNITY................... 67
  Development Process ................................................... 70
  Social Profile ........................................................ 77
  Physical Profile ...................................................... 81

5 DESIGN IN A COHOUSING COMMUNITY: ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS
  FINDINGS................................................................86
  Architecture of the Commons ........................................... 86
    Layout............................................................... 86
    Ordering principles.................................................. 88
    Proportion and scale................................................. 92
    Space and enclosure ................................................. 94
    Circulation.......................................................... 98
  Architecture of the Common House...................................... 102
  Architecture of the Typical Unit ..................................... 108
  Social Contact Features............................................... 113

6 SOCIAL CONTACT IN A COHOUSING COMMUNITY: PARTICIPATORY
  RESEARCH FINDINGS..................................................... 116
  Interaction........................................................... 118
  Participation......................................................... 133
  Support............................................................... 137
  Safety................................................................ 144

7 DESIGN AND SOCIAL CONTACT IN A COHOUSING COMMUNITY.................... 149
  Interaction, Participation and Support................................ 150
    Affordances of the common house..................................... 152
    Affordances of the commons ......................................... 153
    Affordances for participation and support .......................... 158
    Affordances for unity............................................... 162
  Community and Privacy................................................. 165
  Feeling Safe in the Community......................................... 175

8 THEORY FOR COHOUSING DESIGN........................................... 185
  Theoretical Considerations............................................ 188
  Intentional Neighborhood and Social Contact Design.................... 194
  Cohousing, Action and Social change................................... 198


APPENDICES
A RESEARCH QUESTIONS.................................................... 207
B PICTORIAL ESSAY OF LAKE CLAIRE COHOUSING.............................. 213
LIST OF REFERENCES ..................................................... 254
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH..................................................... 262

LIST OF TABLES
Table page
4-1. Development data ................................................... 77
4-2. Demographic profile_individuals, February 2000...................... 78
4-3. Demographic profile_households, February 2000....................... 81
4-4. Community design factors ........................................... 82
4-5. Common areas design factors ........................................ 83
4-6. Common house design factors......................................... 85
4-7. Typical unit design factors......................................... 85
5-1. Summary of social contact design features described in literature.. 114
6-1. Summary of most frequent answers to research questions ............ 117
6-2. Organized activities in Lake Claire Cohousing ..................... 124

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1-1. Danish cohousing model as applied in America........................ 11
3-1: Research model...................................................... 41
3-2. Architectural analysis model........................................ 56
4-1. Urban context diagram............................................... 68
4-2. Lake Claire renovation project master plan.......................... 69
5-1. Design solution..................................................... 87
5-2. Layout. ............................................................ 89
5-3. North row elevations ............................................... 90
5-4. South row elevations................................................ 91
5-5. Neighborhood density contrast....................................... 94
5-6. Isometric view...................................................... 95
5-7. Spatial system of the commons....................................... 96
5-8. Community main enclosure and vistas ................................ 98
5-9. Circulation systems................................................. 99
5-10. Gateways 1 through 4 ............................................. 100
5-11. Close-up of the circulation through the commons .................. 102
5-12. Common house plans ............................................... 104
5-13. Common house main floor........................................... 106
5-14. Perceived shapes of the circulation spaces ....................... 108
5-15. Unit plans........................................................ 110
5-16. Unit plans and elevations: typical unit_type C ................... 112
5-17. Unit plans and elevations: custom unit ........................... 112
6-1. Lake Claire Cohousing community maps, drawn by residents, June 1999 118
8-1. Conceptual model for cohousing .................................... 206
B-1. Lake Claire Cohousing sales board.................................. 213
B-2. Lake Claire Cohousing statement of intentions or "credo"........... 214
B-3. View of Arizona Street............................................. 215
B-4. Cul-de-sac at the south end of Arizona Street...................... 215
B-5. Cottages on Arizona Street......................................... 216
B-6. Community-based shops along McLendon Street ....................... 217
B-7. Local commerce at Little Five Points .............................. 217
B-8. Dekalb Avenue on the southern border of the cohousing lot.......... 218
B-9. Back of Lake Claire Cohousing toward Monterrey Street.............. 218
B-10. Southeast corner of Lake Claire Cohousing at the intersection of
        Dekalb Avenue and Monterrey Street ............................. 219
B-11. Entrance to Lake Claire Park. .................................... 219
B-12. Views of the Lake Claire Land Trust............................... 220
B-13. Main fa‡ade of the cohousing, from Arizona Street. ............... 221
B-14. Parking lot. ..................................................... 221
B-15. Entrance to the cohousing parking lot from the corner of
        Monterrey Street and Dekalb Avenue ............................. 222
B-16. Lake Claire Cohousing garbage storage bins........................ 222
B-17. Monterrey Street fa‡ade .......................................... 223
B.18. Gateway 4: pedestrian entrance.................................... 223
B-19. Entrance to the cohousing. ....................................... 224
B-20. View of the west courtyard hardscape from common house attic deck. 224
B-21. View of the west courtyard upon entering the cohousing............ 225
B-22. Gateway 3......................................................... 225
B-23. View from the west courtyard toward the commons under Gateway 3... 226
B-24. View from the west courtyard to south house row................... 227
B-25. Entrance from the parking lot_Gateway 2 .......................... 227
B-26. View of the common house through Gateway 3........................ 228
B-27. Pedestrian street views........................................... 229
B-28. Pedestrian path ending into the east courtyard.................... 230
B-29. East end of the commons .......................................... 231
B-30. Soft edges: transitional spaces around the commons................ 232
B-31. East end of the south house row................................... 233
B-32. Play area in the east courtyard .................................. 234
B-33. Winter activities in the east courtyard .......................... 235
B-34. Social interaction in the commons . .............................. 236
B-35. Views into the commons ........................................... 237
B-36. Backyards of units toward the north border of cohousing property . 238
B-37. Custom detailing of individual units ............................. 239
B-38. Entry doors ...................................................... 240
B-39. Dwelling interiors ............................................... 241
B-40. Economy of space in dwelling designs ............................. 242
B-41. Common house main entrance. ...................................... 243
B-42. Main entrance details ............................................ 243
B-43. Common house interiors ........................................... 244
B-44. Common house attic deck .......................................... 245
B-45. Seating area in the common dining room............................ 246
B-46. View of common dining room toward the kitchen..................... 246
B-47. Community kitchen................................................. 247
B-48. Menu board ....................................................... 247
B-49. Scenes from a common meal. ....................................... 248
B-50. Activity in the common house porch. .............................. 248
B-51. Bulleting boards in common house lobby............................ 249
B-52. Bulletin board closeup showing chore boards....................... 250
B-53. Residents working on common house maintenance .................... 251
B-54. Committee meeting at a neighbor's home............................ 251
B-55. Scenes from a community workday. ................................. 252
B-56. The researcher looking at Lake Claire Cohousing community
       through the lens of her camera................................... 253


Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the
University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

                  OUR COMMON HOUSE:
             USING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
          TO DEVELOP SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES

            By Maruja Torres-Antonini
                  December 2001

Chairperson: Mary Joyce Hasell
Major Department: College of Design, Construction and Planning

Awareness of the need for alternative community models that are socially
and ecologically healthy has led some Americans to try cohousing, where
a renewed "sense of community" and a move toward environmental
stewardship are encouraged through design and everyday practices. In
cohousing, individual households join to create a community by
participating in the design and administration of the common property,
sharing tasks, assisting each other, gathering for communal meals, and
establishing a social network reminiscent of extended family structures.

Further dissemination of cohousing requires understanding its model. Of
particular interest is finding out whether and to what extent the
physical patterns of cohousing communities contribute to advance
residents toward more sustainable and socially healthier living.
Substantial and continuous reference to "social contact design" as an
essential component of cohousing suggests that specific physical
features of these communities_increased density, inward-facing layouts,
grouped structures and emphasis on pedestrian circulation_may be a way
to represent, encourage or channel the social interaction sought by
their residents.

This research used an action research process to examine the cohousing
model and to explore the linkages between its social and physical
patterns. It relied on qualitative formal analysis of architectural
drawings and photographs to describe the physical setting of a case
study community and on experiential methods such as participant
observation and interviews to document the behaviors of its residents.
The inquiry centered on the desired interaction and on the design
features of the community involved in the development and consolidation
of any of those behaviors.

The linkages between the social and physical patterns observed in the
case study community are explained in light of environment-behavior
theories. Results showed that the social contact design strategies
implemented in the case study community facilitate social contact among
neighbors and foster feelings of safety within the community; and to
some extent contribute to existence of a neighborhood support network
and allow residents to participate in community governance and
maintenance. Results suggest that cohousing may be a viable model for
creating socially and environmentally healthy neighborhoods with a sense
of community.