Privacy
One of the appeals of the cohousing model of intentional community is the balance of community and personal privacy. We designed the community layout and our homes with the concept of a privacy gradient: privacy increases as you go toward the back of the house. If you are sitting on your front porch, you are letting people know that you are available to socialize. Kitchen windows are in the front of every house and we enjoy strolling along the pedestrian path and greeting our neighbors through the window. If you are sitting on your back porch, it is assumed you may be seeking privacy, and not want to socialize so people walking are being respectful (rather than rude) when they do not shout out greetings to you. Living in such close quarters, we need to be aware of, and respect these boundaries. While the inside of homes remain private spaces, it's important to be aware that one's life at Sunward affords less privacy than living outside of community.
“The ideal social unit is a group small enough to allow intense face to face interaction, one in which members participate voluntarily, and in which each person can contribute to a common goal by doing what he or she does best.” -Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi
