Firm Profile

Originally, The Cohousing Company, then once we decided that a full architectural service was required to implement state-of-the-art cohousing, we became McCamant & Durrett Architects, then Durrett Architects. Now The Cohousing Company is back to designing communities as the specialist with a local architect. Now we are very clear about how to set the local team up optimally for success.

What makes The Cohousing Company’s communities so successful is their approach of figuring out very specifically who this group is and even more importantly, who do they want to become. When Chuck went back to study cohousing for six months in 1984, he decided to stay another seven months, for a total of 13 months learning from the best of the best. He decided that after only 6 months, it would be unethical to take money until he really knew what he was doing. It took 13 months of intense, day in and day out studying to get there.

The Cohousing Company is a consulting firm. Principal Charles Durrett has become well known nationally and internationally for the design of cohousing communities, childcare facilities, pedestrian-friendly town planning, sustainable design and development consulting. Since 1987 the firm has provided complete architectural services for a wide range of clients, but today focuses on the schematics of cohousing.

In 1988, Durrett introduced cohousing to the English speaking world with his co-author, Katie McCamant, when their seminal book “Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves” was released. His most recent book “Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities” was released in 2011.

The Cohousing Company has adapted its cohousing design experience to affordable housing developments and senior neighborhoods. Other projects have included custom strawbale homes, mixed-use developments, town planning, commercial projects, and childcare centers.  The firm seeks opportunities to create community, and sustainability with every project.

Durrett’s primary concern is people, their environment and the quality of their lives. The firm works closely with their clients through a unique participatory design process that allows them to build the community, not brick by brick, but decision by decision. A leader in sustainable design, The Cohousing Company helps clients integrate the energy efficiencies and building systems that make their project sustainable and affordable.