Co-housing in Denver
- Roland Pawlitschko
In this residential district consisting of loosely scattered houses, only three kilometres north of the centre of Denver, the entirely blue facades and pitched roofs of this group of buildings make them an unmistakable landmark that is impossible to overlook. The two main buildings and the two smaller ones standing behind them are arranged in almost identical rows that are a mirror image of each other. While at first glance it might seem that the elongated building structure and the pitched roofs are essentially similar to the neighbouring bungalows, a closer look reveals fundamental differences. On the one hand the new buildings have an additional storey and consequently greater building density. On the other this development is a pilot project consisting of eight dwelling units that makes affordable communal housing possible . An important aim of this experimental approach was to combine economic viability with high residential quality. The architects therefore opted for economical building materials and used familiar standard solutions. They also avoided designing their own details.
