coral co-housing
London
Create and live in an intentional eco co-housing community which maximises the
collective to create a better quality of life; financially & practically. Create
and live in an intentional eco co-housing community which maximises the
collective to create a better quality of life; financially & practically. Create
homes with high environmental standards and lower bills. Learn and use best
practice from pre-existing successful co-housing models. Progress quickly; keep
it simple, start small, be adaptable and grow. For Coral to showcase the
financial, environmental and health benefits of community life, achieved through
straightforward and simple design principles and financial models. Vision
Location Location. Ideal location near Brighton & Hove or Lewes, but open to
wider Sussex region. Transport. Good public transport links. Schools. Near good
primary and secondary schools. Design & Build Eco-design. Using affordable, and
where possible local, non-toxic, beautiful natural materials. Low ecological
impact – using renewable energy sources. Architecture. Well designed by
professional architects who have experience of designing co-housing projects to
enhance community life. Homes. Up to 50 households each with their own front
door, with a range of house/flat sizes and mixed tenure. Space. Shared outdoor
space/ garden/allotments. Communal building. With kitchen/social space/guest
room/connected to the wider local community/possibly some commercial space.
Community Intergenerational community – mixed age ranges. Diverse group of
people who want to contribute to the community. Collaboratively managed. Sharing
resources – saving money and reducing environmental impact. Regular shared
meals. The Project Who are we? We are a newly formed co-housing group, created
by a range of individuals who share common principles and who bring expertise to
the project, in areas such as; eco design, engineering and construction,
research, community development, fundraising, charity and homelessness sector,
arts, education, facilitation and training. The story so far The group started
informally in 2017 and later joined together as a formed group of five families
and committed to progressing quickly in 2018. We have been supported by the
Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust and have been successful in securing
funding to work with Bioregional on their One Planet Affordable Living (OPAL)
process to develop our project. We are continuing to apply for further funding,
look for sites to build on, develop our membership policy and financial plan.
What is our plan? We have developed a three year plan which involves securing
significant funding, finding a site to build on and partnering with an eco
developer. How will we finance & ownership work? We are in partnership with an
experienced eco developer to support the development of an investment model
which can incorporate home owning mortgages, rental and social housing. How will
the community work? Homes will be separate units, there will some shared
land/garden and play area and a common house; which will have a shared kitchen
and dining area and possibly guest rooms, meeting/office space and laundry
facilities. We are aiming for a simple community model – with the minimum amount
of rules and process that allow us to live as harmoniously as possible. With
everyone understanding that, if we all actively contribute to the community –
the better it will be for all of us.
