49TEXT: JOSEPHINE AGOSTINO PICTURES: GETTY IMAGESYour story
I’ve been atChristie Walkfor
11 years. I’d previously lived in the
bush, then moved to Adelaide and
had a big house in the suburbs, but
it just wasn’t for me.Christie Walk
fits with all my long-held values of
treading lightly on the planet and
sharing resources. It’s 2000m² with
30 per cent devoted to green space.
I have all the conveniences of living
in the Adelaide CBD with transport
right at my door, but when I step
inside the community I don’t feel
like I’m in the city at all.
My two-bedroom apartment
is 55m² – smaller than my old
family room – and I love it! The
energy bills are much lower than
I used to pay and we all share the
water and air-conditioner bills
evenly, regardless of our use.
As there are only 11 parking spaces
for 27 homes, there is a lot of
sharing with cars, too.
We have a shared laundry,
kitchen and dining area in the
community room – I often have
dinner parties there, plus residents
come together for monthly dinners.
There’s a lovely rooftop vegie
patch and often people leave
a bunch of vegies at my door.
We all contribute to composting
and recycling – there are just four
landfill bins for 27 homes!
Living here has its ups and
downs. Early on, my biggest
challenge was seeing people every
day – there are times when you just
don’t feel like talking. On the flip
side, people popped in to ask if
I needed a hand after I had surgery
so it really is a caring environment.
At the end of the day, you don’t
have to get on with everybody and
it still works well.Writer and activist
Sue Gilbey, 66, lives
the co-housing
dream in Adelaide‘
’
something different that allows you
to pitch in and develop deeper
relationships with a circle of friends
and neighbours, it’s attractive.”
Affordability is another bonus. “You
may have more chance of owning
a home, or part of one, which gives you
more security than being in the rental
market. Plus, you can share resources
for day-to-day living,” Tricia says.SUSTAINABILITY
MATTERS
“Some owners choose
natural materials, such as rammed
earth and straw bales, since
most co-housing projects
have a goal to minimise their
energy use, however, that’s
possible with almost any
building material if it’s
designed well,” says Brett
Aylen, an Adelaide-based
architect who specialises
in sustainable homes.
A common theme
is to keep the size of
private spaces modest
and use the saved space
for shared facilities,
such as a roof garden
or community pool.
Brett, who has helped
design four eco-villages,
includingChristie Walk,
says residents can reduce
their footprint by choosing
to build near good public
transport, minimising the
use of cars. Car-share schemes
or carpooling are other options.ALL FOR ONE
A common laundry encourages
sharing of major appliances
and people do this with gardening tools,
too. Produce grown communally isshared, sometimes via group meals.
“Sharing food and eating together
is a great way to build community, so
most co-housing groups have a shared
kitchen and dining room in addition
to private kitchens,” Tricia says.
Residents of co-housing clusters agree
on rules and communal responsibilities.
“There can be a financial commitment
to maintain shared spaces or you’ll
need to attend working bees,” she adds.So who rules the roost?
“Lots of energy goes into
governance and group
dynamics but at the end of
the day it’s about respect,”
Tricia explains. “Decisions
that affect the community
need to be made by the
community.”
Some decisions are
tricky, like whether pets are allowed.
“Pets can be contentious due to noise,
impact on the environment, smell and
allergies,” Tricia warns. “The fact that
discussions can occur outside your
household can be a challenge for some.
But if there is respect, these issues can
usually be resolved.”age people
‘Decisions
that affect
thecommunity
need to
be made
by thecommunity’