A somewhat regular building could be an intentional community

Where I live. Washington Square.

I know I'm writing prolifically. One can scroll down my wall and see. Still, I must add how cozy living in this building can be during colder weather. My thermostat is set at 2 in a 1 to 5 scale. A thermometer, in my little apartment is reading a constant 74 F.

Maybe I should feel guilty, but I only have one small wall exposed to the outside. I'm surrounded by the warmth of the building.

I keep thinking about large buildings as communities. This building has parklike grounds around it and some residents have community garden space.

Downstairs is a laundry room, a dinning room and a library. Both the dinning room and library are closed, due to the virus, but they can be community spaces in more normal times.

I've often thought that large buildings could be both public and private (residents only) space.

For instance, the laundry "room" could be a "laundromat" that serves both the outside public and the residents. The dinning room could be a restaurant; maybe a restaurant with a banquet room for resident meetings and other rentals.

Some condo and apartment buildings have gyms which could be open to the public. This place doesn't have a gym, but gyms are common in residential buildings, these days. It could be a larger gym if also open to the public. Old style YMCAs used to be that. Hotel and even low income residence rooms upstairs with pools and gym space in the building also.

In a big building, the first floor hallway is often a shopping concourse. First floors open to both the public and building residents. Some buildings, like John Hancock Center in Chicago, are mixed use. Apartments, offices and even hotel rooms. At Hancock Center, there's a swimming pool on an upper floor. I have read that the Hancock Pool can be like a wave pool as the tall building sways in the wind.

As for the idea of having a library in the building, I am remembering when Bellingham Alternative Library was in the living room of a place called Sushi House. Sushi House is still in existence. I think it is still what they call an "intentional community," but Alternative Library has moved, over the years, to various other locations.

I'm remembering when Sushi House had a big "Open" sign in the front window for the library. That house was a bit crowded. I would guess it would not have been an easy place for sleeping. Some spaces where folks were sleeping in bunk beds.

For interesting community events, I was happy to live near Sushi House, but glad I wasn't living in Sushi House.

As for this building, where I live, (Washington Square) each apartment is self contained. There's plenty of privacy for me and it seems to be quiet. It's a bigger building than the house that Sushi House is in.

I also think about the concept of Arcologies. The city in one building concepts, like Arcosanti in Arizona. Seems like that never got off the ground though it still exists.

Arcosanti is in a rural setting. My idea of multi purpose buildings would be in urban settings so ground floor public spaces, such as the restaurant and laundromat, would be more accessible to people in the surrounding area.