The Coup is currently pursuing two projects that reflect complementary approaches to cohousing:
Near & Tall 1
Near and Tall 1 is a high-density apartment development close to the CBD and has been fully sold to Urban Coup members. This project will commence building early 2020 and we expect to move in late 2021.
See here for a short film about the Near and Tall project:
Far & Wide
A lower density garden-set development in the middle to outer suburbs. The project is in an earlier stage and is seeking participants to further develop the plan.
Near & Tall 2
This is a future project - to be driven by interested Urban Coup members.
Design
- A high-density development of up to 30 households with a mixture of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments
- Common spaces (both indoor and outdoor) where the community can share meals, meet, socialise and also have other activities and special events. This includes a dining and kitchen area, common laundry, rooftop garden, multi-purpose spaces (e.g. music room, workshop, art and craft room) and guest rooms
- Sustainable building design, higher density living and the efficient use of resources
- Maximisation of energy efficiency, including passive solar design, double-glazing, onsite water collection and reuse
- Reduced car park spaces, share cars and bike parking areas.
- Bike and car parking options that are suitable for the site and our budget
- Fossil fuel free and incorporating renewable energy generation
- Thermally efficient (aiming for an average of >7.5 stars on NatHERS) and incorporating sustainable and recycled materials
Parameters of location search
- 4 - 8 kilometres from the CBD on a site of 500 - 800 m2
- 6 - 8 storeys tall
Expected size & cost
- NB these cannot be fully known until we have a site and a detailed feasibility study:
- 1 bed – size between 50 and 60 m2, price $500,000 to $575,000
- 2 bed – size between 65 and 75 m2, price $600,000 to $775,000
- 3 bed – size between 80 and 90 m2, price $750,000 to $850,000
- Car parks – will depend on the site.
Current activities
- Seeking new members to drive new development of Near and Tall 2
Far & Wide
Design
- Up to 20 households mixing 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes, in freestanding or townhouse style (or a mixture), integrated into an open, human-scale and permeable site, with a mix of private and shared open space (including productive gardens and a chook house)
- One or more common buildings where the community can share meals, meet, socialise and use for other activities and special events, including a dining and kitchen area, shared spaces (music room, workshop, art and craft room, etc.), shared laundry and guest accommodation
- Sustainable building design and materials, small house design, common infrastructure and the efficient use of resources, including consideration of whole-of-life building costs
- Maximisation of energy efficiency, including passive solar design, double-glazing, onsite power generation, water collection and reuse
- Landscape that enhances the community through integrating social and productive spaces. Use of sustainable gardening techniques that maximise re-use of water and waste
- Reduced car park spaces (on the edge of the site), share car facilities and bike parking
Parameters of location search
- Land site >3,000 m2
- 2 - 3 storeys
Preferred location
- Within the Melbourne metro area
- Within a 15-minute walk of a train station
- Within a 10-minute walk to local amenities
Estimated size & cost
- Homes up to 120 m2, with an anticipated price range of between $400k and $700k
Current activities
- Firming up options for how the project is to be financed
- Modelling in more detail the costs base for the project (including more definitive dwelling costs)
- Launching a site search to narrow options based on preferences for location, land size, proximity to transport etc
- Firming up members for seed funding
- Recruiting new members and potential residents
- Group walks around possible locations and their amenities, with time for a chat and coffee afterwards