DWELLING AND WORK PLACES IN THE POST-INDUSTRIAL ERA

by Proefrock, Philip S

Cohousing is a relatively new form of housing. Begun in Denmark in the 1960s and first introduced into the United States in the 1980s, it seeks to create intentional communities with smaller individual dwelling units plus added common facilities. While a desire for community is the stated goal for many cohousing groups, sometimes these developments can take the form of enclaves, rather than becoming truly integrated communities. At the same time, the contemporary work environment is undergoing profound changes. New technologies are changing not only the way people work, but also the relationship of work to life. Adapting some of the ideals and approaches of the cohousing movement to working life enables the creation of a workplace that suits the needs of contemporary workers and simultaneously provides a more fully integrated and community-forming community.