Muir Commons

Description:

Muir Commons is located in West Davis as a part of Aspen Development. It was the first newly constructed co-housing community in the United States and was modeled after communities in Denmark. After several years of planning, ground breaking took place on November 1990 with residents moving in during the summer of 1991. Most of the homes were constructed as affordable housing.
Muir Commons is made up of 26 homes on just under three acres. Most houses includes a private yard and are available in one of three models ranging from 808 square feet to 1381 square feet. The clustered homes face a central pedestrian pathway connected to the Davis greenbelt, while backyards face the outer edges of the site. Outdoor features at Muir Commons include a garden, an orchard, an egg-laying chicken flock, a children’s playground, bike sheds, lawns, as well as picnic tables and “nodes” to facilitate socializing. Landscaping includes many drought-tolerant and native species.
The 3,668 square foot common house includes a large kitchen and dining area for group meals. A sitting room with a fireplace, an exercise room, a recreation room, an office, a laundry room, and a guest room. Other shared facilities include a 900 square foot woodworking and automotive shop, parking areas, bicycle sheds, and a hot tub.
Decisions are made through a process of consensus, this allows the communities direction to be guided by the desires & values of it’s residents. Residents gather regularly for common meals, general meetings, social events, and community holidays such as Muir Woodstock and Anniversary Weekend. There is also a ListServe through which residents communicate. Muir Commons residents are known for their supernatural ability to produce any item for each other, no matter how strange, when it’s requested by email.