Sunnyside cohousing community: a model for developmental living

Abstract

This theoretical project aims to design a cohousing community for single parent families within an existing building in Calgary, Alberta. The design's objectives are to enhance individual, social and environmental awareness through its programmatic and spatial interconnectedness. Relationships between users, facility and the surrounding community were explored qualitatively through a series of creative abstract reinterpretations. The conceptual relationships that emerged in this process exist on a social and environmental level and become a template applicable to a number of design solutions. This ideas were applied to the housing environment of single parent families in Calgary Alberta. Through learning about the developmental phases of children and the needs of single parent families, the importance of enriching environments for these users was understood and further explored. Utilizing the social structure of cohousing facilities in combination with alternative education techniques, varied interactions were established that could exist between cohousing members, as well as that within the surrounding community.

"Key Words" Cohousing communities, single parent families, developmental phases of children, alternative education, programmatic and spatial interconnectedness, social networks, merging new and existing architecture and design process.