In multi-family housing every household keeps a private unit of its own, from 8-12 m² for one person to 20-30 m² for a family with children, and shares the costly or fuel-hungry facilities: the kitchen, bathing, laundry, storage and outdoor workspace. Sleeping space, toilets and personal storage stay private, because people need privacy for sleep, hygiene and their own belongings.
Part of Multi-Family Housing Design
Shared and private spaces describe which parts of a multi-family home belong to one household and which are used in common.
Share What Costs Fuel And Labour; Keep What Needs Privacy
The rule in the multi-family guide is that sharing reduces per-family construction cost, but only for facilities where sharing does not cost dignity or health.
| Share | Why | Keep private | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen (one large hearth for 4-8 families) | One fire, one chimney, one prep area | Sleeping space | Sleep needs acoustic and visual privacy |
| Bathhouse with heated water | Saves water, fuel and space | Toilet (one composting toilet per family unit) | Hygiene depends on personal responsibility |
| Laundry | Shared tubs, heat and drying lines | Personal storage | Secure place for tools and belongings |
| Root cellar, granary, tool storage | Bulk storage costs less shared | ||
| Courtyard or porch | Workspace for food, crafts and company |
The guide’s private unit minimums are 8-12 m² for one person, 12-16 m² for a couple and 20-30 m² for a family with children. These are minimums. A family unit of 25-35 m² with its own small hearth or stove is comfortable long-term (Private Family Units: Minimum Sizes).
What You Need
- A list of households with sizes and any special needs
- A fuel and water budget — sharing is justified by these
- Agreement on upkeep for each shared space
Method
Step 1: Fix the private units first. Size them for the household and give each an outside door.
Step 2: Choose what to share from the table, starting with the kitchen and bathhouse.
Step 3: Place shared spaces where they can be reached under cover and, for the kitchen and heated rooms, at fire separation from sleeping spaces.
Step 4: Assign care. Name who cleans, stocks fuel and repairs each shared space (Community Roles).
Common Mistakes
- Sharing sleeping space to save area.
- Sharing a toilet between families — the guide says one per family unit.
- Leaving shared spaces without an owner; they decay.
Safety
Shared heat and water need separation
A shared kitchen or bathhouse has an open fire. Keep it from sleeping rooms with a masonry wall and its own flue, and vent every fire to the outside; carbon monoxide kills sleepers before they wake.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Shared Kitchen and Dining — the largest saving
- Combine with: Privacy Gradients — layering from public to private