High
High
High
(2020-25)
R. Gokulanaathan
40210012
Batch: 2020-2025
Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology
High-Rise Co-Housing: Reimagining Vertical Living in Dense
Urban Areas
What is Co-housing?
Cohousing is an innovative housing model that combines private homes with shared spaces to
foster a strong sense of community. This approach to living emphasises, collaboration,
sustainability, and social interaction
What is a cohousing community?
• A cohousing community is a group of private homes surrounded by shared spaces,
fostering social connections and collaborative living through shared facilities like
dining rooms, laundry, gardens, and recreational areas.
• Cohousing communities are designed to foster resident interaction through
strategically placed paths and common areas, promoting meetings and conversations.
How Cohousing works?
• The idea of Cohousing (Community Housing) is to live in a community where
you feel acquainted with your neighbours, not isolated. It’s about creating and
living in a place that supports your lifestyle while also helping you save money,
live sustainably and feel less stressed in your day-to-day life.
• A collective effort like cohousing creates better places to live because they are
designed and managed by the people who set the future foundation of the
community.
Why consider building Cohousing when there can be traditional housing or apartments can be
built??
When we consider the fundamental issues of modern urban living, it makes logical to build co-
housing rather than typical housing or apartments. Co-housing is more than just building
homes; it is about creating a better way to live together by addressing challenges such as
loneliness, sustainability, and affordability.
• Combating Social Isolation
• Shared Resources = Lower Costs
• Focus on Sustainability
• Encourages a Better Quality of Life
• Greater Sense of Safety and Support
• Customization for Community Needs
• Long-Term Resilience
• A Solution to Urban Challenges
So, while typical housing and apartments prioritize individual units and profit, co-housing
aims to create a lifestyle that is community-driven, sustainable, and cheap. It is not only
important where you live, but also how you live—together, with purpose and shared beliefs.
Co-housing provides an appealing alternative for those seeking something more important
than simple shelter.
Can Cohousing be built as high-rise apartment?
Yes, co-housing can be successfully implemented in a high-rise apartment complex; but
careful planning and design are required to combine the communal spirit of co-housing with
the verticality of high-rise life.
Basic way in which it can implement are the following:
• Vertical co-housing provides shared amenities on specific floors or throughout
multiple levels.
• Lounges, play zones, and rooftop gardens are examples of common places that
promote interaction and community.
Advantages in high rise co housing:
• Efficient Land Use
• Better community living
• Sustainability
• Affordability
Challenges in high rise Cohousing
• Lack of Social Interaction
• High Maintenance Costs
• Vertical Isolation
• Accessibility for All Ages
In summary, High-rise co-housing combines the advantages of community living with the
convenience of urban high-density housing. With correct design, it can provide a sustainable,
socially rich, and efficient alternative to modern cities. The answer is in striking a balance
between privacy and community, individual demands and shared resources, vertical
functioning and interaction with others.
Aim:
The goal of this thesis is to establish a high-rise co-housing complex in a dense urban fabric
area, resulting in a better community and self-sustaining structure.
Objective:
• To study how to in cooperate cohousing in high rise buildings.
• To study the design principles that facilitate successful co-housing communities,
focusing on space planning, privacy, and shared amenities.
• To study the social interactions within co-housing communities, their impact on
residents' quality of life.
• To explore sustainable building practices and materials used in co-housing to develop
an affordable high rise co housing.
Scope:
• It provides a modern housing option for a wide range of residents, including families,
singles, and elderly, and serves to a varied urban population.
• Addresses the challenges of limited urban land availability by making the most use of
vertical space.
• Communal kitchens, laundry facilities, coworking spaces, and recreational areas are
included to decrease redundancy and increase cost savings.
• Promotes inclusivity by bringing together residents of all ages, socioeconomic
backgrounds, and cultural communities.
Limitations:
• It takes careful planning to combine privacy with communal spaces while keeping
functionality and aesthetics.
• Residents may disagree on how they should manage their neighbourhood.
• Urban laws and construction norms may not always be compatible with the specific
design and operational requirements of high-rise co-housing.
• While suitable for densely populated cities, this model may not be practicable or
necessary in rural or low-density locations.
Targeted user groups:
Classified into three types
• Without children, single or couples in the age 20-40.
• Families with 1-3 children.
• user group of elderly.
In this way different generations meet, benefit from each other and contributes to a lively co-
living community. The following specifies the demands for the three different user groups:
Class 1: without children, single or couples in the age 20-40
Everything close to parks and grocery stores and public facilities in general, 1-2 room, kitchen
and bathroom. transport by bus or bicycle.
Class 2: Families with 1-3 children
Car and economy of the dwelling is important, bedroom and living room, rooms for children,
kitchen and bathroom in every apartment.
Class 3: user group of elderly (60+)
Car or bus, elevators and balcony/gardens are important, bedroom, living room, kitchen and
guestroom.
The demands are some of the things, which creates a base of knowledge for design of the
dwellings.
Literature Case Study:
1.Scarwafa Co-Housing / Krft
Architects: DCOOP
Area: 3900 m²
Year: 2016
Location: Mumbai
The housing project is located about 60 km to the north east of Mumbai which houses 54
families of staff working in the industrial facility of a color coating plant for a large corporate
group. Family, relatives, and community play a critical role in Indian society. The housing
has been designed keeping these socio-cultural realities in mind.
Site selection:
Site 1: Perungudi
The site is located in the hub of the city. The site is surrounded by various public infrastructures.
There is also a high supply and demand for housing in Perungudi, Chennai.
Furthermore, Perungudi's proximity to important transit links and job centres make it a
desirable location for both homebuyers and investors. In terms of property preferences,
compact two-bedroom units have been the most popular among buyers, showing a growing
demand for affordable living options.
The below graphs show the increase in sales rate of pg. accommodations and apartments over
past 5 years.
PG Accommodations: A
steady but moderate
increase in sales.
Apartments: A significant
rise, reflecting growing
demand for independent
living spaces.
The site has multiple access from north and east side. Which the people can find it easy to
access the housing.
Site 2: ADYAR
The site has multiple access from north and south side. Which the people can find it easy to
access the housing.
Considering the factors which are supply and demand for housing in Adyar, public
infrastructure proximity and access, this site is best for building the high-rise Cohousing in
urban fabric
Site 3: ECR (NEAR VGP)
• Located in Southern part of Chennai, the area is developing rapidly and often a
residential and commercial spaces.
Abstract:
Since 1900, the global average sea level has risen by approximately 15-20 cm, a rate much
faster than historical averages. This rapid increase is largely attributed to human-induced
climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels and the resulting increase in greenhouse
gas emissions.
Bangladesh, China, India and the Netherlands were singled out by the UN in 2023 as being at
high risk from rising sea levels, with nearly 900 million people living in low-lying coastal areas
in acute danger.
The country I call home could disappear completely by the end of this century
— swallowed by the rising seas.
A stretch of severely eroded beach in Dhiffushi island. Local authorities estimate that over
200ft of beach have been lost in the past few years alone and that 10-20 coconut palms die on
the beach yearly due to sea level rise. Dhiffushi, Maldives, October 2021
Like Maldives there are many islands which are sinking to increase in water level such as
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu Islands, Ghoramara Islands, Caribbean islands, fiji Islands, Marshall
Islands etc.………
Objective:
• To investigate the architectural design principles that facilitate the creation of float
habitats, focusing on stability, safety, and adaptability to various water conditions.
• To assess the environmental benefits of float habitats compared to traditional land
reclamation, including the preservation of marine ecosystems.
• To develop design strategies and frameworks that can be integrated into urban
planning, promoting the adoption of float habitats as a viable and sustainable solution
for urban expansion.
• To identify and propose solutions to potential regulatory and policy challenges related
to the implementation of float habitats.
Limitation:
• It may be limited to specific geographical regions due to the availability of case study
data and contextual differences in float habitat projects.
• It may be constrained by the differences in regulatory and policy frameworks across
different regions, which could affect the applicability of the proposed solutions.
• The study may not fully account for future technological advancements that could
impact the feasibility and design of float habitats.
Site 2: Kochi
Area: 50 acres.
It can now become the implementing technology for the future generation. As humans are more
capable of adapting and changing/evolving, it can become a base for the future.
Major focus of the project is to include sustainable elements, self-sustainable, human centric,
disaster resilient, modular housing, liveable houses.
70% of the planet is water, and sea levels are rising at an alarming rate.
Relocating is not the best option because their culture is going to disappear and they will be
forced to live as refugees.
Additionally, rising water will affect practically every corner of the Earth at some point.
Coming back to the question “Can human life live with life below water?”
• yes, it is possible as there are many implementations started over the world. Also, it
will be more advanced in future generations
• Living on water can be both a practical solution to environmental challenges and an
opportunity to experience a unique lifestyle.
• It's a fascinating intersection of architecture, engineering, and sustainable living for
areas at risk from climate change, water-based living offers a unique and potentially
life-saving alternative.
Live case study