EXTRA SLEEPING SPACES serve a variety of uses as life and circumstances change, making it a valuable asset for aging residents. Whether for hosting guests, accommodating caregivers, or transitioning to single-story living, an extra sleeping space provides numerous benefits, enhancing both the practicality and comfort of aging in place.

TRANSITIONAL SPACES are the connective tissue of a home. They are the porches, atriums, courtyards, sunrooms, and all of the other spaces that connect one room or area to another. These spaces play a crucial role in a home.

Transitional spaces are not just aesthetically driven architectural elements but vital components that enhance the overall living experience, particularly for those who are aging in place. By incorporating these spaces thoughtfully, we can create homes that are not only more livable but also more adaptable to the changing needs of their residents, making aging in place more practical and sustainable.

As the American dining room disappears from new residential construction, we are faced with a question, can our need for connection outweigh years of societal and economic shifts to preserve space for gathering?

Maintaining a home and managing the associated costs are unavoidable aspects of home ownership. Material and construction technique choices made early on can greatly alleviate many long-term costs, though they may seem daunting at first. By focusing on easy maintenance, we can create homes that support long-term independence, functionality, and comfort, central to the principles of Aging in Place. A home that is easy to maintain ensures that residents can live comfortably and safely for longer periods without the constant need for costly repairs or laborious cleaning efforts.

Cohousing is an intentional community model where residents live in private homes but share common spaces and amenities. Designed to foster community interaction while maintaining personal privacy, cohousing addresses modern isolation by fostering neighborly connections. These communities feature shared areas like kitchens, dining rooms, gardens, and recreational spaces, encouraging social interactions and mutual support. Cohousing promotes collaborative governance and resource sharing, providing a sustainable and enriching living experience. For those seeking a sense of belonging and a supportive community, cohousing offers a transformative alternative to traditional housing arrangements.

Did you know that “it is illegal on 75 percent of the residential land in many American cities to build anything other than a detached single-family home”? This restrictive zoning, highlighted in a 2019 New York Times article, exacerbates our national housing crisis. But while zoning changes are coming, slowly, we don’t have to wait to create the housing we want to live in now. Maxing out allowable density is nothing new to developers. However, housing projects designed with community in mind is much more rare. There is a balance to be found between maximizing density and designing spaces for harmonious living. Crow Woods, a nine-unit cohousing community in development in Seattle, exemplifies this balance and shows how intentional, community-driven design can create not just housing but homes.

Learn how integrating Airtable with tools like DocsAutomator and Documint can streamline your data management by automatically generating and saving beautifully formatted PDFs, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in your business operations.

Do you often find yourself sifting through documents and spreadsheets when trying to keep track of project specifications? Keeping clear records of all of the products used on a project is essential to ensuring that it is delivered on time and on budget, which can be hard to do when the information is scattered.

Join me in attending Rooted In Belonging, the 2024 National Cohousing Conference!

Maximize Your Business Efficiency with the Business Operations Hub: Streamline your operations with this template: a comprehensive management system tailored for small businesses, project managers, and non-profits. Easily customize interfaces for tasks, invoices, contacts, and more, with options for advanced features and integrations.

In a podcast from October 2019, Ezra Klein interviewed former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy on the loneliness epidemic. The following piece is a response to and summary of their conversation.

Organizations using Sociocracy as their system of governance can customize Airtable to meet all of their digital collaboration needs.

Weaving transparency into a home allows for organic connections between spaces while still creating distinct program areas.

Airtable is an invaluable and infinitely customizable tool to have in your back pocket for any project you take on.

Aging In Place needs to be considered at every stage of the design process because we all benefit from creating inclusive environments that allow everyone to thrive.

Access to reliable electricity is a crucial and often overlooked component of aging in place because of its impact on so many of our basic household functions.

The Sociocracy For All (SoFA) website is a great resource for any individual, company, or community looking to learn about and explore Sociocracy.

In order to share my thoughts on design, project management, and all that goes into to fostering thriving communities I am starting a new blog.