Cluster Cohousing Revisited

A number of architecturally bold, collaborative housing projects have been built in the past half century, based on ideas by future residents and realized in a participatory design process. This book revisits one pioneering grassroots development, the Wandelmeent, the first cluster cohousing built in Holland. Part of the famous Dutch experimental housing of the 1970s, the Wandelmeent creates small clusters, sharing a common kitchen and dining room, within a larger community of 50 households. With aspirations of close neighboring, the residents have created private, semi-private, common and public spheres. Cluster Cohousing Revisited walks readers through the history of the Wandelmeent’s beginning, the inspiration for its novel design, and the process of bringing a community to life. Authors Els de Jong and Dorit Fromm describe how the ideals that shaped the Wandelmeent are embodied in the daily lives of its current residents. This “co-occupancy” evaluation is a case study to see if and how cohousing can support community cohesion, promote intergenerational diversity, and enable residents to manage their community spaces, while maintaining independence and privacy.