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 are finalizing the design of our cohousing community and are gearing up for groundbreaking in early 2024. All of our community members are contributing to the design process, shaping everything from the layout of the homes to the plans for our shared outdoor spaces. Working together, we are creating a design that will bring us together sustainably and joyfully in our future neighborhood.
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We are expecting homes to go fast over the next few months with some home sizes selling out soon. Join an upcoming Meet & Greet to learn more!
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.
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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.
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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.
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.