From the cover
Designed for connection
The overview
Uniti Montrose features Fully furnished Utilities included
Private space Bedrooms, bathrooms, closets Shared space Kitchen Living/ dining area Washer/ dryer area Balcony
The first two coliving concepts broke ground in Houston in 2022 two months apart. Ground broke in September 2022 on the 374-bed, nine-story Uniti Montrose, and pre-leasing began in June. Residents can rent a private room, which includes a bed, nightstand, desk and private bathroom, in a three- or four- bedroom apartment, project officials said. Roommates share the fully-furnished living room and kitchen. The property also offers traditional studio, one- and two- bedroom units along with a variety of amenities. Meanwhile, ground broke in October 2022 on a Museum District project by the Chicago-based developer X Company. The 646-bed, 33-story building was anticipated to open in late 2024, but progress halted in October, according to Hoar Construction, the general contractor. Officials did not provide a reason for the delay. Houston will also see its first cohousing community this year. Cohousing, according to the Cohousing Association of the United States, provides self- contained private units and individual home ownership. CoHousing Houston, located at 114 Delmar St., will offer a mix of one- to four-bedroom homes that will face inward toward a 4,000-square-foot common house with guest rooms and a community dining space, as well as two flex rooms, a pool, playground and garden.
Necessities stocked Library, meeting rooms, etc.
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RICHMOND AVE.
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NOTE: SITE PLAN NOT TO SCALE
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CoHousing Houston features Common house with guest rooms Community dining space On-site compositing Shared internet service
Private space Individual one- to four-bedroom homes
Shared space Garages and parking lots Green spaces Common house
NOTE: SITE PLAN NOT TO SCALE
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SOURCES: UNITI MONTROSE, COHOUSING HOUSTON//COMMUNITY IMPACT
Who’s it for
roommates that you may or may not previously know, and the operations of the building itself also has a big emphasis on community. You are encouraged to go out and work and live in other parts of the building. That generates even more community.” The National Institutes of Health found in a 2020 study that cohousing decreases isolation in seniors, positively impacts residents’ quality of life and has both physical and mental health benefits. Soika, who lived in a cohousing unit in Col- orado before moving to Houston, said another benefit of cohousing is sustainability. “Our homes are intentionally smaller, and because we spend more time together, we use our resources more wisely,” she said. Homes in CoHousing Houston are equipped with solar panels and geothermal heat exchange. There is also an on-site composting facility and garden, and residents will share internet access.
Lynn Morstead and Kelli Soika, creators of the CoHousing Houston model, said bringing the con- cept of cohousing to the city was about building relationships and creating a shared community. “It’s designed for connection,” Morstead said. “It is designed to increase your chances of run- ning into other community members. Here, we want you to get to know your neighbors. We are kind of counterculture in the real estate market that way.” According to the World Economic Forum, a nonprofit international advocacy group, the No. 1 benefit to communal living is the ability to socialize. Jorge Adler, director of investments for Civitas Capital Group, a developer of Uniti Montrose, said coliving, like cohousing, is also designed to create community connections. “People really enjoy living in coliving commu- nities because they are able to meet other peo- ple,” he said. “By default you are getting to meet
Pros and cons of communal living
Pros: • More affordable • Comes with a built-in community • Creates more socialization • More sustainable • Proven to improve mental health • Full-service amenities
Cons: • Less privacy
• Potential conflict with roommates • The togetherness can be too much • More restrictive property rights
SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/COMMON/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
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