Development: The Good... The Bad... and The Ugliest

Ann Zabaldo, moderator, Katie McCamant, Don Tucker, Chris ScottHansen

Each member of this panel will share their fondest and most nightmarish experiences building cohousing, from “absolutely do” to “run for your life.” These experts offer their version of the top five things that every person embarking on developing cohousing needs to know. This session will include a generous question and answer time for participants.

Kathryn (Katie) McCamant is a licensed architect and co-author of the book Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves, She founded McCamant & Durrett Architects and The CoHousing Company with her husband, Charles Durrett in 1987. The firm, with offices in Berkeley and Nevada City, California, specializes in sustainable design, cohousing, affordable housing, urban planning, and childcare facilities. In 2006, she founded CoHousing Partners with Jim Leach, a cohousing development company, of which she is now president. Kathryn lives with her husband and teenage daughter in the Nevada City Cohousing Community.

Chris Scott-Hanson specializes in non-profit self development—saving you money while you stay in control. A development consultant since 1981 he has specialized in cohousing since 1988. From land search through construction he has assisted dozens of groups across the country through the challenges of the cohousing development process. In addition to self development, he has assisted numerous groups in working with local developers. He is the author of The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community (New Society Publishers, 2004)

Ann Zabaldo specializes in marketing, outreach, lighting and fueling the fires of burning souls. Ann is one of only 23 people certified by McCamant & Durrett to lead Senior Cohousing Study Group I workshops. Ann is both a pioneer volunteer and a paid professional in the cohousing movement since 1991. Ann is past-president of The Cohousing Association of the United States (CohoUS) and is currently working on a project to increase the number of master plan developers to include cohousing in their projects.

Don Tucker, President of Eco Housing Corporation has been responsible for the design and development of projects ranging from small group homes to large residential complexes. He received his Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of New Mexico in 1968 and was awarded a Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a Masters Degree in Architecture in 1970. Mr. Tucker has taught Architecture at Temple University, lectured and written articles on affordable housing and elderly housing design. He is also a principal of AHD, Inc., a developer of affordable housing and EDG Architects.