What do you think?
Rate this book
The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living
No matter how rich life is in youth and middle age, the elder years can bring on increasing isolation and loneliness as social connections lessen, especially if friends and family members move away.
Senior cohousing fills a niche for this demographic—the healthy, educated, and proactive adults who want to live in a social and environmentally vibrant community. These seniors are already wanting to ward off the aging process, so they are unlikely to want to live in assisted housing. Senior cohousing revolves around custom-built neighborhoods organized by the seniors themselves in order to fit in with their real needs, wants, and aspirations for health, longevity, and quality of life.
Senior Cohousing is a comprehensive guide to joining or creating a cohousing project, written by the US leader in the field. The author deals with all the psychological and logistical aspects of senior cohousing and addresses common concerns, fears, and misunderstandings. He emphasizes the many positive benefits of cohousing, including:
Better physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health Friendships and accessible social contact Safety and security Affordability Shared resources Successful aging requires control of one’s life, and today's generation of seniors—the baby boomers—will find that this book holds a compelling vision for their future.
Charles Durrett is a principal at McCamant & Durrett in Nevada City, California, a firm that specializes in affordable cohousing. He co-authored the groundbreaking Cohousing with his wife and business partner, Kathryn McCamant.
Senior cohousing fills a niche for this demographic—the healthy, educated, and proactive adults who want to live in a social and environmentally vibrant community. These seniors are already wanting to ward off the aging process, so they are unlikely to want to live in assisted housing. Senior cohousing revolves around custom-built neighborhoods organized by the seniors themselves in order to fit in with their real needs, wants, and aspirations for health, longevity, and quality of life.
Senior Cohousing is a comprehensive guide to joining or creating a cohousing project, written by the US leader in the field. The author deals with all the psychological and logistical aspects of senior cohousing and addresses common concerns, fears, and misunderstandings. He emphasizes the many positive benefits of cohousing, including:
Better physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health Friendships and accessible social contact Safety and security Affordability Shared resources Successful aging requires control of one’s life, and today's generation of seniors—the baby boomers—will find that this book holds a compelling vision for their future.
Charles Durrett is a principal at McCamant & Durrett in Nevada City, California, a firm that specializes in affordable cohousing. He co-authored the groundbreaking Cohousing with his wife and business partner, Kathryn McCamant.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2005
18 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Charles Durrett
13 books3 followersCharles R. Durrett is a renowned architect, author, and advocate for affordable, socially responsible, and sustainable design. He has made significant contributions to community-based architecture and cohousing, having designed 55+ cohousing communities across North America and provided consulting services for many more internationally. Additionally, he has designed an equal number of affordable housing projects for a wide variety of incomes and populations.
In recognition of his substantial achievements in cohousing and community architecture, Durrett has received hundreds of awards, including the Human Habitat Award from the United Nations, the International Innovations Award, and the Mixed Housing Development Award presented jointly by the American Institute of Architects and the United States Department of Housing. He has delivered over a hundred public presentations, including two before the U.S. Congress, as well as lectures at the Commonwealth Club of California and 50 universities including Princeton, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, University of Stockholm, and The Royal Danish University, School of Architecture. Continuing his commitment to education, Charles Durrett shares his expertise in architecture and affordable housing developments. He currently serves as the principal architect at The Cohousing Company, based in Nevada City, California.
In recognition of his substantial achievements in cohousing and community architecture, Durrett has received hundreds of awards, including the Human Habitat Award from the United Nations, the International Innovations Award, and the Mixed Housing Development Award presented jointly by the American Institute of Architects and the United States Department of Housing. He has delivered over a hundred public presentations, including two before the U.S. Congress, as well as lectures at the Commonwealth Club of California and 50 universities including Princeton, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, University of Stockholm, and The Royal Danish University, School of Architecture. Continuing his commitment to education, Charles Durrett shares his expertise in architecture and affordable housing developments. He currently serves as the principal architect at The Cohousing Company, based in Nevada City, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 19, 2023
Senior Cohousing is an outstanding introduction to how to start a Cohousing development in your community written by the architect who brought the concept of cohousing from its place of origin in Denmark to the US.
Cohousing is both a way of life and a resident-centered housing development system. Developments are generally 15 to 35 units, which may be cottages, duplexes, townhouses, or apartments, and a shared common house with space for community meals, activities, and guest suites. Residences are connected via common pathways that encourage getting to know neighbors. Note that cohousing is not a commune. Households are private but shared spaces are more generous than in most developments.
As a development strategy, cohousing begins with a design program crafted by its future residents. Neighborhoods are designed to make cooperative ventures like vegetable gardens, social events, and shared resources easier.
This book offers a step by step plan for building a cohousing community.
Cohousing is both a way of life and a resident-centered housing development system. Developments are generally 15 to 35 units, which may be cottages, duplexes, townhouses, or apartments, and a shared common house with space for community meals, activities, and guest suites. Residences are connected via common pathways that encourage getting to know neighbors. Note that cohousing is not a commune. Households are private but shared spaces are more generous than in most developments.
As a development strategy, cohousing begins with a design program crafted by its future residents. Neighborhoods are designed to make cooperative ventures like vegetable gardens, social events, and shared resources easier.
This book offers a step by step plan for building a cohousing community.
October 10, 2021
This handbook is actually more like a “blueprint” for cohousing, a term that Charles Durrell (author) and wife Katie McCamat coined. Additionally, the couple lives in a cohousing community in California and continues to give talks about cohousing options. His writing reflects not only the nuts and bolts of cohousing, but also his passion for helping others create their own cohousing living spaces.
While I read the book from front to back, you can use different parts of the book to read, depending on your interest. For example, Appendix A: “Why Aging in Community?” is an excellent article by Anne P. Glass, Ph.D. that gives the reader an overview of the concept of aging in place in a community like the four examples described by the author. Also, the quote at the end of the article is a good one that can set the tone for anyone making an inquiry about cohousing. It is from Elderspirit Community in Abingdon, VA. and part of Chapter 10 called First Wave.
"We don’t feel our age. We don’t sit around and talk about our operations. That’s a big difference. We’ve got too much living to do. We can live and be aging."
Actually, Chapter 10 at the end of the book is a good one to read next, because it gives four examples of cohousing in the United States:
1. Glacier Circle in Davis, California, the first Senior Cohousing in America;
2. 2. ElderSpirit in Abingdon, VA mentioned above, the second senior cohousing in America;
3. Silver Sage in Boulder, CO, the third senior cohousing in the USA,
4. Wolf Creek Lodge in Grass Valley, CA.
Each example is described in detail: its own distinct version of cohousing, depending on the wants and needs of the group in conjunction with the architect, the developer, and the members’ desires of the community. The communities have much in common as well as a great deal of diversity depending on the group’s well-thought out plans as they build their own “villages.”
If any of these examples lights a fire under you, then I would suggest you start back at the beginning of the book and read about the history of cohousing that started in Denmark, which the author discovered there in 1980. Thus, Part One is described as: Introducing Senior Cohousing as a “living arrangement in which multiple, individually owned housing units (usually 20-30) …(is a) place where community is a way of life……an old-fashioned neighborhood that supports friendly cooperation, socialization, and mutual support…..” The author describes such an old-fashioned neighborhood in great detail, covering all aspects as described in the quote above and providing the reader with a good taste of what cohousing entails.
In Part Two, we learn about cohousing in Denmark, an important chapter because it is the role model used for cohousing here in America. Part Three is a crucial part of the book if you are serious about considering cohousing for yourself and/or your partner.
Because building a community is a group process, there are several steps to help prospective seniors understand the planning and work involved in creating their own “village.” The steps that the author describes is based on the 1995 model by Henry Nielson, employed by Quality of Living in Focus, a non-profit group that uses his five-phase model of how to create a successful senior cohousing community. This is done through several study groups that aim at aging in place in community, rather than alone or in what some of the members interviewed called “warehousing” of seniors in institutional settings, where members have little or no say in the basic plans and activities. The study groups, I believe, is at the core of creating a successful cohousing community.
The book is so comprehensive that I would need five or six pages to provide all that I gleaned from this excellent guide for cohousing. For example, I learned that the seniors in cohousing are very environmentally conscious and part of their plan is to walk softly on the planet with their buildings, surroundings, and lifestyle. Very encouraging! Also, the Appendix of Frequently Asked Questions is very helpful.
Therefore, if you have even the slightest interest in exploring this phenomenon and want to think outside the box, I highly recommend The Senior Cohousing Handbook. I found it inspiring, practical, well-written and filled with many colorful photos of cohousing communities, as well as actual information boxes on the philosophy behind the cohousing examples in this nearly 300-page soft-cover handbook that costs $39.95 (used copies available for much less), a small investment if you are really interested in this topic. (I’m already hooked!)
This excellent handbook by architect Charles Durrett on what the back cover calls “eldership” is published by New Society Publishers (www.newsociety.com), who produced this book on Environ 100, recycled paper with 100% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free, and old growth free. Their book titles reflect their concerns for topics such as: Sustainable Living, Green Building, Environment & Economy, and other stimulating concepts for living well, yet sustainably, with the environment in mind.
While I read the book from front to back, you can use different parts of the book to read, depending on your interest. For example, Appendix A: “Why Aging in Community?” is an excellent article by Anne P. Glass, Ph.D. that gives the reader an overview of the concept of aging in place in a community like the four examples described by the author. Also, the quote at the end of the article is a good one that can set the tone for anyone making an inquiry about cohousing. It is from Elderspirit Community in Abingdon, VA. and part of Chapter 10 called First Wave.
"We don’t feel our age. We don’t sit around and talk about our operations. That’s a big difference. We’ve got too much living to do. We can live and be aging."
Actually, Chapter 10 at the end of the book is a good one to read next, because it gives four examples of cohousing in the United States:
1. Glacier Circle in Davis, California, the first Senior Cohousing in America;
2. 2. ElderSpirit in Abingdon, VA mentioned above, the second senior cohousing in America;
3. Silver Sage in Boulder, CO, the third senior cohousing in the USA,
4. Wolf Creek Lodge in Grass Valley, CA.
Each example is described in detail: its own distinct version of cohousing, depending on the wants and needs of the group in conjunction with the architect, the developer, and the members’ desires of the community. The communities have much in common as well as a great deal of diversity depending on the group’s well-thought out plans as they build their own “villages.”
If any of these examples lights a fire under you, then I would suggest you start back at the beginning of the book and read about the history of cohousing that started in Denmark, which the author discovered there in 1980. Thus, Part One is described as: Introducing Senior Cohousing as a “living arrangement in which multiple, individually owned housing units (usually 20-30) …(is a) place where community is a way of life……an old-fashioned neighborhood that supports friendly cooperation, socialization, and mutual support…..” The author describes such an old-fashioned neighborhood in great detail, covering all aspects as described in the quote above and providing the reader with a good taste of what cohousing entails.
In Part Two, we learn about cohousing in Denmark, an important chapter because it is the role model used for cohousing here in America. Part Three is a crucial part of the book if you are serious about considering cohousing for yourself and/or your partner.
Because building a community is a group process, there are several steps to help prospective seniors understand the planning and work involved in creating their own “village.” The steps that the author describes is based on the 1995 model by Henry Nielson, employed by Quality of Living in Focus, a non-profit group that uses his five-phase model of how to create a successful senior cohousing community. This is done through several study groups that aim at aging in place in community, rather than alone or in what some of the members interviewed called “warehousing” of seniors in institutional settings, where members have little or no say in the basic plans and activities. The study groups, I believe, is at the core of creating a successful cohousing community.
The book is so comprehensive that I would need five or six pages to provide all that I gleaned from this excellent guide for cohousing. For example, I learned that the seniors in cohousing are very environmentally conscious and part of their plan is to walk softly on the planet with their buildings, surroundings, and lifestyle. Very encouraging! Also, the Appendix of Frequently Asked Questions is very helpful.
Therefore, if you have even the slightest interest in exploring this phenomenon and want to think outside the box, I highly recommend The Senior Cohousing Handbook. I found it inspiring, practical, well-written and filled with many colorful photos of cohousing communities, as well as actual information boxes on the philosophy behind the cohousing examples in this nearly 300-page soft-cover handbook that costs $39.95 (used copies available for much less), a small investment if you are really interested in this topic. (I’m already hooked!)
This excellent handbook by architect Charles Durrett on what the back cover calls “eldership” is published by New Society Publishers (www.newsociety.com), who produced this book on Environ 100, recycled paper with 100% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free, and old growth free. Their book titles reflect their concerns for topics such as: Sustainable Living, Green Building, Environment & Economy, and other stimulating concepts for living well, yet sustainably, with the environment in mind.
November 14, 2019
A few months ago we heard about a small group in Quesnel that had started meeting to explore the possibility of establishing a cohousing community. We were immediately interested, attended an initial information meeting in October and this past weekend attended a workshop facilitated by a cohousing resident from the lower mainland of BC.
Although this book is primarily about seniors cohousing, we were told that the detailed participant planning process that is recommended for developing cohousing is also applicable to intergenerational cohousing communities.
17 years ago I was captivated by a book written by Randy Frazee entitled The Connecting Church. His philosophy was that the prevalent individualism and isolation that exists in Western society, including in most churches, cannot be addressed and true community established among people who live far apart from each other and only see each other once or twice a week when they climb into their vehicles and drive a considerable distance.
Frazee suggested that the answer to our increasing problem of isolation is to connect to a common place. He was convinced that Community is best found when the five following characteristics of community are discovered: a) Spontaneity; b) Availability; c) Frequency; d) Common Meals; e) Geography (close proximity).
The board and leadership of our church in Quesnel was also persuaded of the merits of this book and began to form a new vision for the church based on these core principles. This vision for our church ultimately failed to materialize in full, but a seed had been planted deep in my soul where it has continued to germinate in the years following.
Suddenly we find ourselves in Quesnel on the brink of retirement facing the possibility of forming a community based on these very principles. It is fascinating to envision an entire housing complex that is designed by a consulting architect who is committed to cohousing philosophy and the many design features that ensure that community between members living in very close proximity to one another happens naturally, spontaneously, and frequently.
The primary design feature is the common house. This is where a large variety of community activities occur from common meals, arts and workshops. music and movies, exercise, and as many activities as the community prioritizes. Often included in the common house are suites that are used as guest rooms for visitors and, in the case of seniors cohousing, potentially for live-in care aides.
Once the common house is established, experience dictates that individual unit owners realize that the space they need for their individual lives is not nearly as large as they would have thought, given all the activities that occur in the common house.
I was intrigued to learn that most members of cohousing communities are introverts. It appears that we need more deliberate intention for community if it is to occur in our lives. It is not surprising that such communities establish as one of their core values the need and importance for privacy. People need socialize only as often as they desire and there is a great respect granted to people who choose to withdraw for periods of time.
Before attending the workshop last weekend and then reading this book, Karen and I agreed on our preference for intergenerational cohousing as opposed to seniors cohousing. However, it is clear from the participants at the workshop that it is exclusively seniors in Quesnel who are wanting to pursue cohousing. Now I am not so sure, as I see many advantages to not waiting to establish my group until we decide that we are no longer able to look after our house and it is time to move into some sort of condominium complex.
In the coming months, Karen and I will be discerning whether such a community is for us. If not now, then we hope that cohousing will be possible for us in the future as my confidence grows that this might be the best means to satisfy my growing yearning for community in my life.
Although this book is primarily about seniors cohousing, we were told that the detailed participant planning process that is recommended for developing cohousing is also applicable to intergenerational cohousing communities.
17 years ago I was captivated by a book written by Randy Frazee entitled The Connecting Church. His philosophy was that the prevalent individualism and isolation that exists in Western society, including in most churches, cannot be addressed and true community established among people who live far apart from each other and only see each other once or twice a week when they climb into their vehicles and drive a considerable distance.
Frazee suggested that the answer to our increasing problem of isolation is to connect to a common place. He was convinced that Community is best found when the five following characteristics of community are discovered: a) Spontaneity; b) Availability; c) Frequency; d) Common Meals; e) Geography (close proximity).
The board and leadership of our church in Quesnel was also persuaded of the merits of this book and began to form a new vision for the church based on these core principles. This vision for our church ultimately failed to materialize in full, but a seed had been planted deep in my soul where it has continued to germinate in the years following.
Suddenly we find ourselves in Quesnel on the brink of retirement facing the possibility of forming a community based on these very principles. It is fascinating to envision an entire housing complex that is designed by a consulting architect who is committed to cohousing philosophy and the many design features that ensure that community between members living in very close proximity to one another happens naturally, spontaneously, and frequently.
The primary design feature is the common house. This is where a large variety of community activities occur from common meals, arts and workshops. music and movies, exercise, and as many activities as the community prioritizes. Often included in the common house are suites that are used as guest rooms for visitors and, in the case of seniors cohousing, potentially for live-in care aides.
Once the common house is established, experience dictates that individual unit owners realize that the space they need for their individual lives is not nearly as large as they would have thought, given all the activities that occur in the common house.
I was intrigued to learn that most members of cohousing communities are introverts. It appears that we need more deliberate intention for community if it is to occur in our lives. It is not surprising that such communities establish as one of their core values the need and importance for privacy. People need socialize only as often as they desire and there is a great respect granted to people who choose to withdraw for periods of time.
Before attending the workshop last weekend and then reading this book, Karen and I agreed on our preference for intergenerational cohousing as opposed to seniors cohousing. However, it is clear from the participants at the workshop that it is exclusively seniors in Quesnel who are wanting to pursue cohousing. Now I am not so sure, as I see many advantages to not waiting to establish my group until we decide that we are no longer able to look after our house and it is time to move into some sort of condominium complex.
In the coming months, Karen and I will be discerning whether such a community is for us. If not now, then we hope that cohousing will be possible for us in the future as my confidence grows that this might be the best means to satisfy my growing yearning for community in my life.
March 29, 2018
Good food for thought.
I look forward to using this as a starting point for discussions with others who want to pursue cohousing options. Also interested in reading more about it.
I look forward to using this as a starting point for discussions with others who want to pursue cohousing options. Also interested in reading more about it.
June 2, 2020
Does an excellent job of explaining the who, what, where, why and how of cohousing for seniors.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews