Access areas as socio-spatial infrastructure in cohousing: evidence from four European case studies

Purpose To examine how cohousing access areas operate as socio-spatial infrastructures that support everyday encounters and community life beyond circulation. Design/methodology/approach Multiple-case qualitative study of four European cohousing projects using plan-based analysis, in situ observation and four semi-structured interviews, synthesised through thematic coding and cross-case comparison. Findings Everyday encounters were reported and observed as more frequent when access areas offered slack space (i.e. generous dimensions beyond minimal circulation), maintained mutual awareness without forcing interaction (clear sightlines and moderate transparency), connected directly to communal programmes and/or the street and provided legitimate reasons to linger (seating, planting, mailboxes and shared objects). In contrast, more constrained or weakly lit corridors were described as predominantly transitory, reducing opportunities for spontaneous conversation. Research limitations/implications With four cases and four interviews, findings are transferable design propositions rather than universal causal claims; future work should test them with larger samples and POE style measures. Social implications Designing access areas for staying as well as moving can support informal support networks and everyday care practices, strengthening cohesion while allowing privacy regulation. Originality/value The paper's primary contribution is an evidence-informed cross-case synthesis that links access-area configuration to everyday encounter patterns in cohousing, supported by triangulated data and evidence map (Table 2). It frames access areas as socio-spatial infrastructure rather than leftover circulation and translates these patterns into transferable, low-threshold design propositions.