My vision for a sharehouse

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that there are two big goals that I have. To create a third space, and to create a village-like coliving arrangement. I've dubbed these "A great place", and "Hamlet", respectively. Lately my thoughts have been enraptured by making meaningful steps towards both of these, and the proposition of a sharehouse seems like a great step in the right direction.

At first I wasn't too enthused by a sharehouse, but once I found a house where I could envision my plans come to life, I was hooked.1

Here's a glimpse of my vision for a sharehouse.

It'll be like a communal lounge. People will come from all over to hang out at this house. It'll feel like an extension of their own home. It'll be like a second living room. People will come to the house after they're done with work instead of going to their own homes. They will come to converse together, eat together, pray together, play together, dream together. There'll be all sorts of activities that are both regular and incidental. Book clubs, writing clubs, painting, playing music, building websites, and strange contraptions. There will be an unlimited supply of food available for guests so they don't need to worry about what they'll eat. Huge pots of rice, with the complements du jour; japanese curry, beef stroganoff, mongolian beef, tomato and egg. When the day of work is over, they'll look forward with glee to coming to the house. On the drive or train ride there, all they can think about is what adventures await them. It is a space where people can drop in and out with ease. No need to plan specific times to meet. And when they do show up, they know there'll always be a friend there for them to see. Even at 11 am on a weekday, they won't be alone because there are others there who aren't at work, or are working remotely. Over time they'll no longer consider the house as an external entity, but something they are a part of, a community they are committed to. They start contributing to chores, and even finances, to maintain and improve the space. There's a huge group chat for everyone who visits the house, even infrequently. Sometimes there are special events, like a ball, where the band that practices in the garage gets a chance to perform. There'll be different social circles mixing with each other, adults who rarely make new friends will once again make new friends in this social mixing pot. Romances will form, and marriages will be made. The house will have sufficient space for multiple groups to be engaged at the same time, separate, but adjacent, so that it's easy for people to move between different conversations and activities.

In order to fulfill this vision, these are the things I've been looking for in a place:

• multiple large communal spaces, ideally adjacent to each other. e.g. living room, dining room. These spaces are also ideally at the entrance of the house, so it doesn't feel like you're walking through someone's house to get to the lounge. Bonus points for different types of spaces, e.g. patio, backyard, living room, home theater. This is the most important, and the more space the better.

• location not too far from the centre of gravity of my social circles

• close to public transport

• close to parks, shops, gyms, for opportunities to mix in other activities amongst visiting the house

• plenty of street parking

• garage

• separate communal space for residents to relax in outside of the public communal spaces. This is so that residents of the sharehouse are able to get away from socialising without needing to fully retreat into their room.

The International Student Lounge at Sydney University has been a big inspiration for this, and if you've been there, I'm sure a lot of that sounded familiar.

My hope is that as it grows, there's enough financial commitment from the community to secure a space that's more fit for purpose. For both a great place, and hamlet.