From Dream to Design: How Gratitude Village Is Being Built

Every community begins with a dream. For Gratitude Village, that dream is a neighborhood where connection replaces isolation, homes are affordable and sustainable, and every path and porch invites neighbors to linger. But how do you turn a vision like that into a real, thriving cohousing community? The answer lies in planning, persistence, and people who care enough to build something different.

At Gratitude Village, we’re in the exciting stage of transforming an idea into design. This is more than blueprints—it’s a living, collaborative process that blends professional expertise with the input of future neighbors. Step by step, we are creating a community where affordability, sustainability, and belonging aren’t afterthoughts; they are the foundation.

“Cohousing is designed, not discovered. It’s not an accident that these neighborhoods feel so alive—every detail, from the common house to the walking paths, is intentional.”
— Charles Durrett, architect and cohousing pioneer

Step One: Securing the Core Founders Group

Before land is purchased or architectural plans are drawn, every successful cohousing community begins with people. At Gratitude Village, our first priority is gathering a core group of 15–20 committed individuals and families who share our values of connection, sustainability, and inclusion. These early members will form the heart of the community and actively participate in key decisions about design, governance, and culture.

Founders don’t just invest financially—they invest their ideas, energy, and vision. By collaborating from the very beginning, this group ensures that Gratitude Village reflects the needs and dreams of the people who will call it home. This step is what transforms cohousing from a development project into a movement powered by future neighbors.

Step Two: Securing the Land

The next step is finding the right location. For Gratitude Village, that means identifying land on Denver’s west side that balances walkability, access to transit, and room plenty of green spaces. It also means working with city and county planners, real estate professionals and local partners to align our vision with zoning requirements and infrastructure needs.

This process takes time, but it’s crucial. Our goal isn’t just to build houses—it’s to create a neighborhood that feels like home the moment you arrive. That means proximity to schools, parks and trails, and everyday amenities. By starting with the land, we ensure that Gratitude Village will be both practical and deeply connected to the larger community around it.

Step Three: Designing for Net Zero

Once the land is secured, the design process begins—and this is where Gratitude Village really comes to life. Working alongside Michael Tavel, a local sustainable architect, and Chuck Durrett, an internationally recognized architect and cohousing pioneer, our community is embracing NetZero design, which means our homes will produce as much energy as they consume resulting in zero energy bills for our residents.

From solar panels and passive solar design to efficiently utilize the sun's energy to high-efficiency insulation and appliances, every feature of Gratitude Village is planned with the planet in mind. But sustainability doesn’t stop at energy. We’re also designing with community in mind—placing parking on the perimeter so kids can safely play and neighbors can enjoy a cup of coffee on their porch without having the delivery trucks zooming by, orienting homes around shared green spaces and towards each other, and including amenities like gardens, co-working spaces, and a Common House that bring neighbors together.

“The best neighborhoods are not just sustainable in the environmental sense; they’re sustainable because people want to live there for decades.” — Michael Tavel, architect SunStudioDesign

Step Four: Shaping Community Together

One of the most powerful aspects of cohousing is that it’s not built for people—it’s built with them. Future residents of Gratitude Village are already playing a key role in shaping the community. Explorer Members participate in meetings, tours and gatherings, provide input on land selection, and learn about shared governance as they dig deeply into the vision and spirit of Gratitude Village en route to becoming Founding members themselves.

This collaborative approach ensures that Gratitude Village reflects the real needs of its community. Want a teen lounge? A makerspace? A natural swimming pool? These conversations are happening now, and they’re part of what makes cohousing unique. By the time the first shovel hits the ground, future neighbors will already know one another—and will already have shaped the neighborhood they’re about to call home.

A Sample Timeline for Building Gratitude

To help you see how this process unfolds, here’s a simplified look at our journey:

1️⃣ 2025 – Core Founders & Planning: Gather the initial 15–20 founders who will lead the way. Begin land search and feasibility studies and ideally purchase land before the year's end.
2️⃣ 2026 – Design & Membership: Collaborate with architects, refine site plans, and grow our community of Founding Members.
3️⃣ 2027 – Approvals & Financing: Complete city approvals, finalize construction plans, secure funding for construction and break ground on Colorado’s first mixed-income, Net Zero cohousing neighborhood.
4️⃣ 2028 – Move-In!: Open the doors to a vibrant, multigenerational community built for connection.

Each phase is exciting, but what makes Gratitude Village different is that we aren’t just building houses—we’re building relationships every step of the way.

Why Your Voice Matters Now

We are still in the early chapters of this story, and that’s exactly why this is the perfect time to get involved. As a Founding Member, you can help shape decisions about the design, the amenities, and even the culture of our community. You’ll get to know your future neighbors before the first home is built, and you’ll play a part in creating something truly pioneering for Colorado.

This is more than a development project—it’s a movement to bring back the village. And every voice matters.

Join Us in Building Gratitude

The journey from dream to design is underway, and we’d love for you to walk it with us. Together, we’re creating a place where kids grow up surrounded by support, where older adults can age in place with dignity, and where sustainability and affordability are woven into every decision.

👉 Become a Founding Member today and help shape the design of Colorado’s first mixed-income cohousing neighborhood.

Because the best neighborhoods aren’t built by developers—they’re built by the people who call them home.

💡 "Cohousing is designed, not discovered. Every path, porch, and shared space is built with belonging in mind."