“Sustainable Lens: A visual guide” published by NewSplash available through Amazon. How to convey the essence of sustainability in a few sketched lines? I’m wading through the …
Oddly, the city has proposed not to encourage a popular concept: handfuls of cottages that surround a common yard
A project of Design:SD • Illustrations by Paul H. Boerboom, AIA, and Jeremy Altman, Assoc. AIA Adapted primarily from: AIA’s Ten Principles for Livable Communities, with inspiration from Minnesota Design Team and several other sources When you start designing projects for your community, how do you know they will actually work—that whatever you build will ...
Crescent Communities recently launched a new infographic that explores the health benefits of community spaces and the design elements that go into a great public park – check it out after the break!
I want to encourage y’all to go out there and host your own gatherings. If you’ve ever wanted to, but felt nervous or unsure of how to go about it, then I hope this blog post gives you some clarity! Here are 5 of my top tips for planning n’ pulling off a fun and meaningful event for your community.
We aim to be an industry leader in empowerment and support of people within the community through integrated services and employment opportunities
A new development in Mannheim, Germany, is the ultimate walkable community.
We offer free publications, safe-space community forums, and affordable, inclusive online permaculture courses.
A century-old idea is being reborn, and it offers smart answers to the demands of today’s market
Planning a solid community strategy is tough. Learn why a community strategy is a must and how you can build one.
Ground Floor Plan Second Floor Plan Co-housing Manor is a design exercise looking at a different form of housing for today's Baby Boomer generation that wants to downsize and simplify from the large homes they raised their families in. In many ways they still need the large homes after their kids have grown and moved away. They need the number of bedrooms for when the next generation comes to visit. They need the large kitchen and entertaining areas for family celebrations and holidays. The three car garage also has become a large project or hobby space that is difficult to give up when downsizing. And often an adult kid may need to come back to live at home when economic hardship or divorce happens. Family members often like to be in closer proximity to each other. Like in the case of an elderly relative that needs to watched over, or the need to take care of a house while someone is traveling for extended periods. The expense of gas and frustration of traffic at certain times of the day can limit the ability of family members to travel across town or between cities to be supportive of each other. Families today also are comprised of close friends that they feel the same level of care for as actual relations and are an integral part of their lives. Co-Housing Manor is a way for a close group of people to live together in a supportive way and still maintain a level of privacy and autonomy. It is five independent living units that share larger common amenities that are difficult to give up when moving to smaller homes, as well as allow the supportive family environment that close proximity allows. There are five living units ranging from 638 to 1729 square feet. The total building area is 8900 square feet giving an average of 1,800 sf per unit. So it allows you to downsize to about 1,500 sf yet retain the large public areas that would be common in a house of 8 to 10 thousand square feet. There is a 19' by 32' Great Hall that can be used for large entertaining such as holidays or family celebrations like birthdays or weddings. It can also be available to invite the wider neighborhood in for community interaction. There is a likewise large outdoor covered gathering space for more casual or impromptu socializing. Supporting both spaces is a large central kitchen which can have larger capacity appliances for use of residents and offers more space than in their private units for projects that need larger layout counters. There is a guest suite attached to the common area to accommodate visitors that allows both they and you privacy that is difficult when you have downsized to a condominium. There is a separate garage that can be set up for a shop or be used for extra storage of sports equipment or hobbies that would not fit within the single garage provided each unit. There are five two story townhouses at each corner separated by garages so they are very private and there is no chance of noise transmission through common walls. The rooms are on the small side, but there are large master baths and walk in closets normally found in larger homes. There is a second space that can be used for home office, guest room or media center. A studio apartment on the second floor can be rented out or used for an adult child that has moved back, or for a person that can act as a caretaker for the complex. Click here to see exterior views. Click here to see interior views. Click here to see another Co-housing Design Concept
These developments offer the beauty of farm living—minus the hard labor.
Have you ever wanted to address a need in your community but weren’t quite sure how to do it? Check out 5 basic steps on how to develop community programs.
Let us be honest. We do not own the city. And by we, we mean people who are pushing the boundaries of urban development by taking matters into their own hands – taking collective ownership. We are talking about people-driven urban initiatives that adopt an approach that is becoming an increasingly familiar phenomenon in our cities. Still, many conventional actors, such as institutions, architects, government offices and developers, find themselves out of touch and ill-equipped to effectively implement collaborative approaches that link the ‘bottom-up’ with the ‘top-down’ in development practices. We Own The City aims to bridge this divide. This book reveals the vitality of diverse and dynamic bottom-up initiatives, brought to life in five major cities: Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Moscow, New York City and Taipei.
A food systems approach to habitat enhancement and social sustainability. Ananas represents a bold approach to urban development that celebrates the agricult
Goodnight mixed-use development to add 3,500 homes, retail, parks
Image 18 of 20 from gallery of Brooklin Community Centre And Library / Perkins+Will. Plan
Image 24 of 27 from gallery of Rehovot Community Center / Kimmel Eshkolot Architects. Floors Plan
Beyond the allure of living in a compact, efficiently-designed space lies an often underappreciated aspect of the tiny house movement: the power of community.
