Collaborative Living Resources (Public site)
This site contains select links to Narara Ecovillage information and to collaborative living and co-housing material previously shared through the Collaborative-living channel of the Slack group "Narara Ecovillage Friends" and at CLaN meetings. Links will be updated as more information is shared.
The Narara Ecovillage does not endorse any particular model, individual or business listed on this site but simply provides these links for you to explore some collaborative living ideas and options. The listing of specific businesses is intentionally limited.
Please note that some of the material accessible through this site is copyright.
To find out more about Collaborative Living at Narara (CLaN) or join the Slack group "Narara Ecovillage Friends" please email info@nararaecovillage.com
This site was developed in collaboration with Collective Know-How - the Narara Ecovillage education centre.
Narara Ecovillage Resources
- Collaborative Living Options FAQ (Including Dual Occupancy) - comprehensive document outlining possibilities at the ecovillage (v6.2, 10 May 2024). These maps indicate which lots in Stage 2 may be suitable for Dual Occupancy.
- Ecovillage Frequently Asked Questions
- NEV Building & Landscape Standards
- Creative Financing - Deb and Vanessa (video, August 2020)
- Ecovillage Tour - Lyndall (video, April 2020)
- Small and Tiny Equals Affordable Living- Jazz and Chris (article, April 2020)
- Collaborative Living at the Ecovillage - Chris and Jazz (video, Sept 2020)
- Talking about Tiny Houses with Chris (video, May 2020)
- NEV Stage 2 Flyover (video by Julian, December 2020)
Architectural Designs (this material is copyright)
The following plans were commissioned and paid forward by a small group of CLaN members - click below to find out more:
Origin of the Large House Plans In early 2021, a couple of CLaN members recognised the need for a tangible house plan, one that explored what was actually possible on one of the large lots in Stage 2 of the Narara Ecovillage development, and that explored Local and State government planning permissions. Their enthusiasm for engaging an architect with experience at the Narara Ecovillage inspired three other CLaN members to participate in the funding, provided that the dream and need for universal design be incorporated. Thus, Graham Hunt from Delisle Hunt Wood (DHW) Architecture and Design and his team brought forward several ideas based on maximum yield for one of the large lots at the Ecovillage. A brief was formed, and the DHW team created several designs based on maximum yield on Lot 91. The CLaN team and Graham have kindly agreed to share the plans with the rapidly forming Collaborative Living groups at the Ecovillage. If you are keen to be in a co-housing cohort and use these house designs, you may choose to reimburse the original CLaN team who paid forward for these plans. In contributing to this slush fund, you will help realise the dream for a universal design house (see FAQs). For further information please email this CLaN Team contact. To develop any of these house designs, you must first contact DHW Architecture and Design to use these copyright plans. |
If you would like to use any of these plans for a full build application then please contact DHW Architecture and Design for the copyright:
- Large House Concept 1_060621 - this file contains a large house plan in line with Central Coast Council planning regulations for R2 zone
- Large House Concept 2_090621 - this file contains an alternative large house plan in line with Council regulations, and a multi-unit/townhouse plan only possible if the Ecovillage's Planning Proposal (rezoning) submitted in February 2021 is approved by Council (approval process can take around 18 months)
Collaborative Living and Co-housing
Organisations
- Collaborative Housing - building a better life together : extremely useful web resources created by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures and packed full of case studies, information about the legal side of things and other resources. For example, see Legal and Ownership fact sheet here (under>> Make it happen>> Larger projects>> Know the legalities).
- Cohousing Australia: promotes collective models of housing, housing diversity, and housing choice. Its mission is to create and expand the sector, network and conditions necessary to make cohousing an option for all interested.
- New Economy Network Australia (NENA) Housing Week - Webinars 7 to 11 June 2021: recorded presentations by practitioners and researchers from dozens of organisations, who came together to discuss social justice and environmental sustainability issues of housing and human settlements in Australia.
- Co-op Federations Assembly (Sydney) - Presentations 18 June 2021: Common Equity Housing (starts at 2hrs 58 min) and Louise Crabtree (starts at 2hrs 42min)
- Foundation for Intentional Community (USA): online courses, resources, international directory of communities
- The Cohousing Company (formerly McCamant and Durrett Architects) (USA): co-housing consultants and leading experts
- Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) - also see ecovillage design cards and map of regeneration
Government sites, legal articles
- NSW Planning, Industry & Environment - Housing SEPP: new policy which aims to delivery more diverse and affordable housing types
The right way to partition property to minimise stamp duty (by AJ Cordato circa 2017): advice on how to partition correctly and three legal cases; article also accessible at this Lexology.com web page via the "View Original" icon
Books, Manuals
- Creating cohousing - building sustainable communities: new cohousing “bible” by Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant with with many new North American case studies, design principles and sustainable design practices (New Society Publishers, 2011)
- The senior cohousing handbook - 2nd Edition: a community approach to independent living by Charles Durrett (New Society Publishers, 2009)
- Co-housing for life - a practical and personal story of Earthsong for eco-neighbourhood by Robin Allison: can be purchased at www.robinallison.co.nz/book
- Cohousing Bootcamp Manual to help you launch your own cohousing community, prepared by LiveWell Cohousing (2017). LiveWell Cohousing Consulting helps people launch sustainable communities, and works to spread the cohousing model across Canada.
- The Tradies Guide to Good Access - disability access made easy: this practical booklet by Lismore City Council provides renovators, builders and developers with useful information about minimum requirements to assist in making the built environment more accessible and inclusive in the homes and corporate settings.
Radio, podcasts, videos, living in cohousing
- Creating community through co-housing: ABC Radio National’s Blue Print for Living interviewed Chuck Durrett who first coined the term cohousing. Chuck Durret’s website for The Cohousing Company in Nevada http://www.cohousingco.com/
- Share housing with friends or family later in life: ABC radio program / podcast about sharing accommodation in later life and across generations.
- The best of both worlds - cohousing's promise: film explores the concept of co-housing as expressed through first-hand observations of residents of four co housing communities in the United States accompanied by observations by architect Charles Durrett, who brought the concept to the US from Denmark.
- Incorporating Sharing into Everyday Life through Co-housing a conversation with Charles Durrett https://youtu.be/1FMB1-LfIY0
News Items, articles , living in cohousing
- The future of community housing includes social solutions: community housing can also alleviate social problems, says Nicola Lemon of Hume Community Housing (March 2021)
- Eco-homes for all: why the socio-cultural matters in encouraging eco-building: particularly interested in those who collectively self-build homes based on ecological principles and within a small budget – self-build eco-homes often in eco-communities (Nov 2018)
- Tiny house regulations in Australia - what you need to know (July 2020)
- Life in a tiny house: what's it like and how can it be made better? (Feb 2019, VincentCare)
- Norwegian cohousing project is designed around 'gaining by sharing': early community engagement in the planning and development phases sets this cohousing project apart (June 2021)
- New concepts to see older women living together to avoid homelessness, loneliness (July 2021, ABC News)
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) backs new green home loans (July 2021, CEFC media)
- 'Housing for hippies now for hipsters': Alternative plan to boost affordability (31 July 2021, The Sydney Morning Herald)
- A tiny idea to combat Australia's big housing crisis (8/08/2021, The New Daily)
- Supersized cities - residents band together to push back against speculative development pressures (The Conversation, Dec 27, 2017): good overview article on the context for co-housing in Australia.
Models
- LILAC Co-housing Model: low impact living affordable community. Further information available here Lilac Scheme - how it works
- The Sun Villages Model: mixes those with money to invest (including super funds) with residents with capital to bring and allows for all to co-own their home, no matter their financial situation
- Can't Buy Property? a new and revolutionary model of housing: by Stina Kerans
- The Australian Community Land Trust Manual by Louise Crabtree et al (2013)
- Common Equity NSW: the only housing provider in NSW that delivers co-operative housing. It is a community housing provider, a not-for-profit organisation and a registered specialist disability accommodation provider under the NDIS.
- Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL): registered housing association in Victoria that partners with member co-operatives to deliver an effective and sustainable co-operative housing program. Collaborates on projects with Common Equity NSW through The Australian Co-operative Housing Alliance (ACHA)
- Property Collectives: a citizen-led housing model for building homes at cost
- Built for Good: develops bespoke co-housing models with communities
- Baugruppen - a new housing affordability model: baugruppen (‘building group’ in German) is a funding model promising savings of up to 30 per cent on the cost of housing for multi-residential development buyers
- Nightingale housing: not-for-profit organisation that provides apartments that are socially, financially and environmentally sustainable
- Community Led Homes (UK): types of community led housing, land trust model and more
A Place for Tiny Houses – Explore the possibilities - Tiny House Planning Resource for Australia 2017 (ESC Consulting, Q Shelter, The Tiny House Co, Plannery Co, Griffith University, Tiny Consulting): this resource aims to assist planners, policy makers and the wider community to better understand the emerging Tiny House movement within Australia and sets out to explore the model’s potential to contribute to greater choice in housing supply and diversity. PDF can be downloaded from HERE.
- Eco Villages Australia (eva): non-profit organisation that provides the legal and financial model to create collaborative housing eco-communities for small groups of people
Marmalade Lane Co-housing Development : on council land in Cambridge UK. A moderately large development. A talk on planning, design and what its like to live there is available HERE
Some Australian examples
- NewCoh: sustainable neighbourhood underway in inner Newcastle (NSW( of architect designed apartments and townhouses with community facilities and gardens that you co-own. Members handbook contains list of resources and links on last page
- Christie Walk: an inspiring multi-residential infill development on the edge of the Adelaide CBD, accommodating 27 dwellings and approximately 40 residents on a 2,000m2 lot. Dwelling types include apartments, town house and detached cottages
- Chrysalis Co-Housing: community-initiated housing projects (Baugruppen model) on the Sunshine Coast