Opið samtal | Co-housing Communities

Charles Durrett spoke at an open conversation, Opið samtal, at the Reykjavik City Library about co-housing communities and how to design neighborhoods that prioritize the wellbeing of the co-habitants with accessible spaces to gather and do something together. Charles is an architect, author, and advocate for efficient, socially responsible, and sustainable design. He influenced the development of socially oriented architecture and co-housing communities in N-America as well as having a consulting role in many others around the world. 

Charles introduced a step-by-step guide in how to start a co-housing community. It begins with a group of people gathering with the same interest – building a co-housing community. The next step is to find out as a collective the values and aims for the housing, what people want to do and how do they want to gather. Once the financing of the building is secured, it takes around two to three years for the collective to move into their new socially sustainable housing.  

This Opið samtal was organized in cooperation with the co-housing advocates Kjarnasamfélag Reykjavíkur who have been striving to create a co-housing community in Reykjavík. They are now pushing to be able to acquire a building plot and design the layout for an Icelandic cohousing. This conversation was getting people warmed up for the conference on collaborative housing "Living Closer" which will be held in Reykjavík 10th and 11th of October 2024. 

Opið samtal is a platform where we practice respectful and open exchange. We will experiment with different topics and discussion formats to explore in what environment open discussions can flourish. You can contribute to Opið samtal with a topic that is important to you. 

Further information on Opið samtal:
Dögg Sigmarsdóttir 
Project Manager | Civic Participation 
dogg.sigmarsdottir@reykjavik.is