Our
Story
Our mission
Together, we’re creating a diverse, sustainable cohousing community in Norwich, to enrich lives and improve wellbeing through cooperation, respect and kindness to people and the planet.
Our journey so far
Outside City Hall after planning approval
Our group came together in 2015 when we bought the site on Sussex Street, followed by our purchase of the adjoining land on Oak Street, making the L-shaped plot that we have today. One of our first steps was to write our Client Brief setting out our hopes and ambitions for the project.
After a couple of years we teamed up with TOWN, developers of the award-winning Marmalade Lane cohousing community in Cambridge, and subsequently Archio came on board as our project architects. As a team we have worked closely together to produce plans that we feel are both viable and that meet our brief. It's been a journey! Along the way our membership has grown and we've got to know each other at workshops and social events.
Now that the first informal reservations are taking place we are starting to feel that we are a real community. Current members range in age from 0 to late 70s, a mix of singles, couples and families, some local and some from around the UK and beyond.
Our plan for Angel Yard
Now that our planning application has been approved, we can move ahead towards the construction phase with confidence.
We want to build to a high standard of sustainability both for environmental reasons and to keep running costs low. We plan to create highly energy efficient homes with a low environmental footprint.
As well as private homes for families, couples and individuals, there are shared facilities that are integral to a cohousing community - encouraging interactions and a genuine sense of neighbourliness.
By having shared space and shared facilities, we will all benefit from those resources and reduce the need for owning all these things individually.
Our plans include:
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A kitchen and large hall where we can cook and share meals, and where group activities and celebrations can take place. During the day this space is where children can play or homeworkers can hot desk
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A laundry, to save every household owning a washing machine
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A workshop, complete with tools which everyone can use
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Guest rooms, which residents can reserve if they have overnight visitors
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A cycle store, to keep our bikes safe, and pool cars for residents to use
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A communal garden, where neighbours can meet and children can play safely
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An allotment near to Angel Yard, which can be used as a space to relax, socialise and grow food together.
Workshop at Harford Community Centre, 2022
Join our group
Angel Yard’s current members are a growing, intergenerational mix of young, working and retired people, from Norwich, Cambridge, London and further afield.
Think our cohousing project might suit you? We’d love to meet you.