Charles Durrett
Principal Architect, AIA
Charles Durrett, with Kathryn McCamant, introduced the concept of cohousing to the United States with the seminal book Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves. The latest edition now titled Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities. He has now written 16 books on cohousing, including his most recent One Life, Live It! With over 30 years of experience, Durrett is dedicated to supporting the growth of new and diverse community-orientated housing projects. As an architect, he realized long ago that developing healthy environments requires starting with the culture and seeking a much wider array of issues than just the sticks and bricks.
Durrett and his team at The Cohousing Company have designed over 55 cohousing communities around the world, including Muir Commons in Davis, California, the first cohousing community in North America. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, Architecture, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and many other publications.
Charles Durrett has received numerous awards, some of which include the World Habitat Award presented by the United Nations, the Silver Achievement Award for Active Adult Community by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 50+ Housing Council, the Silver Energy Value Housing Award by NAHB, the Mixed Use/Mixed Income Development Award presented jointly by the American Institute of Architects and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and a recipient of the Global Over 50’s Housing/Healthcare award. He was also recently declared as a “visionary of the Sierras” by the Sierra Business Council, and the International Property Awards.
In 2023 Charles had the honor of personally meeting with the President of Iceland, Guꝺni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, to present his book One Life, Live It! He continues to devote his efforts to public presentations including two to the United States Congress and the American Institute of Architects. Along with scores of presentations to universities such as Princeton; Stanford; UC Berkeley; University of Oregon; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; University of Minnesota; Oklahoma State University; and his alma mater, California Polytechnic University. The Royal Danish University, School of Architecture, The University of Lund in Sweden; The Art and Architecture Institute of Iceland in Reykjavik; Simon Fraiser in Canada and a dozen universities in Germany and many more.
Continuing his commitment to education, Charles Durrett shares his expertise in architecture and affordable housing developments through teaching and presenting as a key note speaker. His academic focus on community architecture and participatory design encompassing the development of affordable housing, mixed-use projects, public buildings, institutional and educational infrastructures, cohousing communities for neurotypical individuals, neurodiverse individuals, seniors, families, and facilities designed for children. All while addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges.
