Bay State Commons Vision Statement

As written during visioning workshop facilitated by Kraus-Fitch Architects November 17, 2013

A group photo taken at Cornerstone Cohousing after the visioning workshop in 2013.

We intend to create a cohousing community that fosters group cohesiveness and serendipitous social interaction between neighbors.

We envision a community in the Boston’s Metro North area with a small-town character and an emphasis on beauty in both architecture and landscape.

We value a balance between the private and the shared, with individually-owned homes supplemented by extensive common facilities and shared green space.

We seek a diverse, multi-generational community with residents who are eager to participate in both design and governance.

We promote an environment that encourages social serendipity:

• We will design our community to facilitate unplanned socializing.
• We aim to build a community which enables a natural and easy transition from private space to shared community space.We strike a balance between private lives and community needs:
• We prioritize the needs of the individual in private spaces, and the needs of thecommunity in public spaces.
• We respect the privacy of the home.
• Our community will make space for both privately owned homes and shared common facilities.

We promote a cohesive community:

• We think of our community as a family of choice.
• We plan to have community meals on a regular basis.
• Our members enrich each other through exchange of knowledge, shared projects, and hobbies.
• Our community shares in music and celebration.
• Our community is defined by our care and respect for one another and for our common spaces.

We foster participation in our community:

• We follow an efficient consensus-based decision making model.
• We promote good communication and conflict resolution.
• We encourage our members to participate in the design process.
• We plan to welcome participation of renters in community governance.

We promote diversity in our community:

• Our community will be inclusive to people of different social, economic, generational, and racial backgrounds, as well as all sexual orientations and gender identities.
• We will provide a range of unit sizes and prices.
• We will strive for cost efficiency for individual units.
• We will provide accessibility to differently abled people.
• We promote sustainability in our community:
• We support an ecologically sustainable lifestyle.
• We strive for energy efficiency in our community buildings.
• We will reduce redundancy by sharing selected resources and costly equipment. (We are not an income-sharing community.)
• We strive to reduce fuel use through car sharing and a bike-friendly atmosphere.

We picture a small-town character:

• We strive for a warm and welcoming atmosphere for both residents and guests.
• Our community will be a safe and nurturing environment in which to raise children.
• Our ideal community size is 20-30 units.
• Some or all units will have immediate access to outdoors (private entrances).
• We will use landscaping and architecture to create a peaceful captive green space full of natural beauty.We intend to place our community in a convenient location:

Our community will have access to quality public schools.

• The commuting time to Park Street station will be under 1 hour.
• Our community will be within one mile of regular public transit.
• Our community will have easy access, by foot or bicycle, to basic services and downtown areas.
• Our community will be within biking distance to conservation land (if possible).