How do you keep a small charismatic group from totally dominating the common spaces. In other words, how do you keep them "common," so that even the introverts can feel comfortable using them?
That's great to hear. It's hard for me to over emphasize how extremely interested I am in the social and physical architecture of human thriving. I'll be watching Common with wrapped interest.
I hate to be exclusionary but wouldn't you think that if you were so introverted that you had a hard time sharing a space with other people then maybe you shouldn't live in a shared situation like this?
Even if everyone in the house is an extrovert compared to the wider world, someone is still going to be the most introverted person in the house. And the most charismatic and extroverted person in the house is going to relatively dominate the common space.
It's a recipe for conflict, and if they don't have a formal way to precess that conflict, there's going to be either bloody noses or hurt feeling.
Lots of things - mostly that we have the entire buildings rather than single units, which is particularly important in NYC where we're operating right now.
We also partner with real estate funds and investors to purchase vacant buildings rather than leasing units off the market.
What is the demographic makeup of your residents? Crown Heights is a diverse neighborhood, but I'm betting Common is skewed white, young, and wealthy? I can easily imagine this being a place for start up people who do nothing but work, and only want to live with people like themselves.