In November 2021, my family will move into Urban Coup, a co-housing apartment in a building socially co-designed with 28 other households. Our block will be one of six towers in the Nightingale eco village in Hope Street, Brunswick, a short walk from Tabet’s Bakery, where Julian likes to go once a week with his Arabic-speaking support-worker for a Lebanese pizza.
We will enjoy the privacy of a three bedroom apartment while sharing responsibility for our building as members of the Urban Coup Owners Corporation. All residents will be involved as much as possible in working bees and community workshops. We will meet up in communal indoor and outdoor areas – the community kitchen and laundry and in spaces designated for tools, music, art and craft, visitor accommodation and celebrations. This is where Julian will live out his days as a valued and productive member of a sustainable community.