Plans and Location
Cohousing ABQ is based on Danish cohousing communities, where families have private homes but also share a lot of common space and resources.
We have finalized the design of our cohousing community and successfully started construction in Summer 2024. All of our community members have contributed to the design process, shaping everything from the layout of the homes to the plans for our shared outdoor spaces. Working together, we have created a design that will bring us together sustainably and joyfully in our future neighborhood.
HOMES AVAILABLE
As of late Winter 2025 we only have two homes available for reservation:
3BR/2BA townhome:
This 1,455sf two-level townhome has an open floor plan, front porch and private backyard on the bottom floor, and has three bedrooms with a large family bathroom, bonus flex space and a balcony on the top floor. $545,500.
✦ ✦ ✦
4BR/2.5BA townhome:
This 1,734slf two-level townhome has a main bedroom suite located on the ground floor, in addition to the open floor plan, front porch and private backyard. The upper floor features a roof deck, three additional bedrooms, a large family bathroom, bonus flex space and a balcony. A true cohousing gem, as larger 4BR homes are rare to find in cohousing. $619,500.
✦ ✦ ✦
We are expecting homes to go fast over the next few months.
Join an upcoming Meet & Greet to learn more!
LATEST CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Summer 2024: Site work underway
A surveyor marked the corners of our property and an arborist cleared unwanted foliage along the perimeter—all in preparation for fence construction, which is now underway. In mid-September, Guzman Construction Solutions will start clearing and transforming the land. Some of this work may impact if and when we can provide land tours to interested prospective members.
Fall 2024: Our land is cleared
No more scrub trees, sand burs, and goat heads! We can finally see the full breadth of our 3.7 acres. Earthwork is complete, including our building pads, which are areas of flat, compacted soil that create a solid base for each structure’s weight. Our permanent wood fence went in along three sides of the property.
Winter 2025: Utilities are in
Plumbing, electrical, water, and data are in after much trenching, and filling, including along the street outside our entrance. We were so excited to see our two fire hydrants appear on site. The fence along our Bosque side is going in, and current members have made final choices for home finishes from three available packages. Arriving at just three was not easy, but the art of compromise is a well-developed community skill.
Our Community Design
The homes
We’re building 25 privately owned homes, from one-bedroom homes with loft space to four-bedroom townhouses with roof deck. The home designs prioritize energy and water efficiency with a high quality of construction. The homes will be clustered around a shared open space.
Estimated prices for remaining homes range from $299,500 to $634,500 and include an investment into the shared common house, outdoor areas and energy-efficiency systems. Prices are comparable to newly built energy-efficient homes in Albuquerque.
Our color palette.
The location
Our site is in Albuquerque’s Vecinos del Bosque neighborhood, on a quiet road with lots of families and kids. We’ll be a short walk from the Rio Grande Bosque, several beaches along the river, and Valle Del Bosque public park. The Bosque offers hiking opportunities and provides a convenient bike path connection into town.
The land is rich in history. The previous owner, Valentin Sais, has deep roots in the neighborhood, and he and his extended family will be the community’s neighbors. Mr. Sais’ grandfather donated land on the east side of the river for the Albuquerque Zoo. Mr. Sais believes he is following the same community mission by selecting Cohousing ABQ as the next owner, helping bring in young families and a community to tend and farm the land.
The local public elementary school is within walking distance, and a selection of charter and private schools are within a short drive.
Marlies Metodi, co-founder, with the previous owner of our land, Mr. Sais.
Shared amenities
Our community is designed for safety, sustainability and collaboration. Plans include a fully equipped common house for community activities and shared meals, a pool and hot tub, nature and adventure play areas, a shared farming area with an orchard and year-round greenhouse, onsite renewable electricity generation and shared open spaces for picnicking and play.
The cohousing lifestyle also allows many opportunities for carpooling and resource sharing. Instead of 25 ladders and sets of garden tools, we’ll have just a few and share them with neighbors.
Our common house will be the hub of activity and connection in our community.
Sustainability
We have prioritized sustainability in our community designs. All homes will include many energy- and water-conserving features. Attached townhomes provide energy efficiency and a compact building footprint. The homes will be all-electric, with Energy Star appliances, energy-efficient windows, and low-flow water fixtures.
We are landscaping with native, drought-tolerant plants and collecting rainwater to percolate into the soil. We’ll also have a community food garden and orchard, and a community-wide composting and recycling program.
Community gardens will include a dome greenhouse, hoop house and tool shed.
A cohousing community near the river, with other children and adopted aunties and uncles who may also be children at heart, is the ideal place. As new parents, we are already enjoying the support of this community.”
- Jessie, Cohousing ABQ member
Professional Partners
Our site plan was created in partnership with a multidisciplinary team of experienced architects, landscape architects, engineers and cohousing experts. Meet the team behind our sustainable community design.
Jim Leach, Wonderland Hill Development Company
Cohousing Development Consultant
Jim is a professional engineer with more than 40 years of experience designing, building and developing sustainable housing, including cohousing, planned neighborhoods and urban infill development. Throughout his career, Jim has led the industry in creating green building strategies and community-based housing that combine high-quality design with maximum value. His award-winning neighborhoods have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Association of Home Builders, National Council of the Housing Industry, Urban Land Institute, and The Congress of New Urbanism.
Kenny Myers, Rembe Urban Design + Development
Architect
Kenny is a registered architect, currently practicing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Prior to his employment at Rembe Urban Design + Development, he headed +KMA, a multi-disciplinary practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and worked closely with ASK Design/ Build in Cambridge Massachusetts. Prior to this he was lead designer at Environmental Dynamics, Inc. and a construction manager and fabricator with Big Belt Construction Management, in Troy, New York. Kenny has, over the years, worked across the United States and the Caribbean. While his resume includes multiple building types, including education, retail and commercial, he specializes in multifamily and luxury residential housing. Kenny holds a Masters of Architecture from the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning, and has kept close ties with the school, acting as a part-time faculty member since 2016, teaching design studios in both the architecture and landscape departments.
Jay Rembe, Rembe Urban Design + Development
Development Partner
With roots in New Mexico’s architectural heritage, Jay Rembe merges past and present with innovative developments that improve neighborhood value, enhance the urban experience and demonstrate Jay’s commitment to urban design ideals. In 2001, Jay created Infill Solutions Urban Design and Development which in 2012 merged into rembe urban design & development.
Marlies Metodi, Hello Neighbor!
Project Manager
Marlies has 10 years of professional experience in landscape architecture and urban design. She served as project manager for the Courthouse Square Revitalization in Redwood City, CA, which won the Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award. She is familiar with the interpretation of zoning codes, and has experience working with and understanding the language of architects, engineers, contractors, city planners and other players involved in development projects. Marlies holds a Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of California at Davis.
Marlies Metodi, Hello Neighbor!
Project Manager
Marlies has 10 years of professional experience in landscape architecture and urban design. She served as project manager for the Courthouse Square Revitalization in Redwood City, CA, which won the Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award. She is familiar with the interpretation of zoning codes, and has experience working with and understanding the language of architects, engineers, contractors, city planners and other players involved in development projects. Marlies holds a Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of California at Davis.
Marlies Metodi, Hello Neighbor!
Project Manager
Marlies has 10 years of professional experience in landscape architecture and urban design. She served as project manager for the Courthouse Square Revitalization in Redwood City, CA, which won the Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award. She is familiar with the interpretation of zoning codes, and has experience working with and understanding the language of architects, engineers, contractors, city planners and other players involved in development projects. Marlies holds a Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of California at Davis.
Additional partners
Faith Okuma, Surroundings Studio
Landscape Architect
Scott M. McGee
Civil Engineer
The Response Group
Electrical Engineer
Arsed Engineering
Mechanical & Plumbing Engineer
Jeremy Randall
Structural Engineer
Spangler, Pacheco & Werbelow
Attorneys
Shelly Parks, CoVision Consulting
Community Consultant
Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union
Construction Financing
Guzman Construction
Site Work: Grading
Compass Engineering & Construction Services
Site Work: Utilities and Public Improvements
Barrows Services LLC
Fencing
About Albuquerque
Some of us have lived in Albuquerque our whole lives, while others moved here because of Cohousing ABQ. No matter how long we’ve been here, we have many reasons for calling Albuquerque home. These are just a few of them.
Her Strength, a mural for the New Mexico United soccer team by Jody Herrera, a New Mexican artist with Latina, Apache and Comanche ancestry.
Albuquerque landscape and culture
Albuquerque, New Mexico, sits at the base of the rugged Sandia Mountains in a region known for big skies and stunning landscapes. In the fall, the cottonwood and elm forest along the Rio Grande (the Bosque) transforms into a lush canopy of yellow.
Albuquerque is a culturally rich and naturally beautiful place, home to world-class museums and galleries, nationally recognized wineries and breweries, many historic cultural sites and an innovative culinary scene that features local red and green chile peppers.
The great outdoors
With 310 sunny days per year, Albuquerque offers plenty of opportunities to get outside. The Rio Grande that flows through the city center is a playground for kayakers and paddle boarders. With miles of walking and cycling trails on its wooded banks, the river is a haven for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Outside the city, campgrounds, ski areas and hiking trails are just a short drive away.
Patti leading the way on the 4th of July trail in the Manzanos.
Family fun in Albuquerque
The Albuquerque BioPark's zoo, botanical gardens and aquarium are popular with families, as are the citywide network of public parks, playgrounds, pools and libraries. Farmers markets, festivals and art and craft fairs abound, drawing locals and visitors to eat, mingle and shop.
Each season brings special traditions for people young and old. Autumn—the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and beautiful fall colors along the river and in the mountains. At Christmas time, luminarias light up neighborhood streets and sidewalks across the city, a tradition dating back 300 years.
Ariel experimenting with light at Explora Science Center.
Economic opportunities
Top industries in Albuquerque include aerospace and defense, energy technology including solar energy, and semiconductor and computer chip manufacturing, health care, and TV and movie production. The flagship campus of the University of New Mexico is in Albuquerque, as is Central New Mexico Community College, providing hundreds of jobs to educators. Remote work is increasingly popular as well.
Top employers in Albuquerque include Sandia National Laboratories, University of New Mexico and Intel. Netflix Studios in Albuquerque will be undergoing an expansion to become their main production facility in North America and pledges $1 billion in local production spending .
I love the Sandia Mountains turning pink and purple in the sunset, the big sky and the clarity of the air, the river that runs through, the roadrunners and the wintering ducks and cranes, the chile and the luminarias at Christmas Eve, the diversity of the people and the music… Albuquerque is just ‘far out!’”
- Alice, Cohousing ABQ neighbor
Our Albuquerque Favorites
Our Albuquerque Favorites
A dragon’s castle. Great margaritas. Route 66. Irrigation ditches (really). These are some of our favorite things in and around Albuquerque.
A dragon’s castle. Great margaritas. Route 66. Irrigation ditches (really). These are some of our favorite things in and around Albuquerque.