home & garden
It’s All in the Details Cohousing neighborhoods are built to be inclusive and foster interaction among neighbors. In many cases, founding community members have a say in how they want the development to be designed. Doug Henderson-James, one of the founders who spearheaded Durham Central Park Cohousing (Durham Coho), worked with the architects to design the building. One goal was to ensure that all common spaces had outdoor lighting. “Even the most utilitarian common spaces, such as the mail room, should have outdoor light, because that would be a place where people would interact with each other,” Doug says. “We wanted it to be a welcoming place in the sense that it’s bright, it’s light, and it feels good [to be there].” The hallways in Durham Coho were intentionally designed to be larger than the average condo or apartment hallway so that the corridors between rooms would act as a place for members to stop and interact with one another. Libraries line the halls, artwork decorates the walls, and gathering spaces are around every corner. In one of these common spaces, residents keep a building-wide game of Scrabble going – they place a new word on the board whenever they pass the table. The kitchen also features specificities. The ceilings of the dining room are lined with acoustic panels, so the room can be full of people, but each voice can be heard. The tables and chairs are even light and easy to move around for various events and activities. One of Amy Vincus’ favorite details about Durham Coho are the benches in its backyard garden. When the condo was built, the sidewalk in front of the property was destroyed. Instead of throwing away the curbstone, some members decided to preserve and move it to the backyard to transform into seating and other parts of the landscaping. “It’s beautiful, and it also is a really nice reminder of being sustainable,” Amy says. The construction of the building was “one of the most exciting periods of our lives and was very positive,” Alice Alexander, another founding member, says. “[It was] difficult at times, but the difficulties brought us together.” ABOVE “I love that each member of the community finds a way to contribute and be involved, and that each member’s contributions are recognized as important and valued,” says Katie Bauman, here with son
Callum, 7. “Whether it’s making a meal, painting a sign for the garden, organizing a social event or building a shed, we each find ways to use our strengths to enhance the community for everyone.” BELOW On Blue Bottle Lane, house numbers make an artistic statement with blue bottles found during property excavation.
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durhammag.com
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april 2020