Construction of the first home in Rancho La Salud Village, lakeside’s first cohousing community, kicked off with a brief groundbreaking ceremony and reception on Friday, October 3.
Located on the eastern outskirts of San Juan Cosala, the innovative housing complex is the brainchild of Jaime Navarro, a Mexican citizen who earned an engineering degree and served on the faculty at UCLA. The Rancho La Salud project has been in the incubation stage for about two years.
In the process Navarro has relied heavily on the advice of architectural consultant Rick Cowlishaw, founding member of cohousing community in Colorado, who has now put down permanent roots at lakeside.
Cohousing is defined as a type of “intenti
onal community” living that revolves around cooperative and harmonious interaction between people who occupy private homes and share common facilities in a close-knit residential complex.
The concept focuses on social, economic, environmental and practical benefits enjoyed among neighbors.
The Rancho La Salud master plan calls for 20 homes, ten resident suites, a common house, separate conference center and several small shops. The community’s design emphasizes all aspects of sustainable green living and a lifestyle that reflects the amiable atmosphere of a small town neighborhood. Detailed information is available at www.rancholasaludvillage.com.{/access}