Cooperative Houses
Cooperative houses, or co-ops, are student-managed residences in which house members cooperate in the operation and governance of the house. While each co-op has a unique identity and ranges in size from 30 to 65 residents, the common conviction is that by sharing in the full spectrum of house activities, the members of the house develop a greater sense of community and commitment to each other.
Living in a co-op is very different from living in a residence hall or other University-operated residence. Co-op members, who live in various-sized bedrooms from singles to quints, jointly plan the purchasing of food and supplies, budgeting of finances, and coordination of jobs. Residents usually spend from 2 to 6 hours per week doing house jobs, including cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning bathrooms and other common areas. By sharing in house activities, residents often feel that a co-op is more like a home than other traditional student residences.
Co-op Housing Assignments
Students are assigned to co-ops through the pre-assignment process, although vacancies after the pre-assignment process may be filled during House and Room Selection, and then by Housing Assignments. All students who live in a co-op must agree to the terms and conditions of living in the house when they apply for pre-assignment. Co-ops are self-governing houses and many determine their own independent room assignment process. Most of the co-op houses operate by consensus and determine their room assignments accordingly. Because these room assignments are made under the governance of the house, these houses often have some mixed gender living arrangements. For more information on co-ops or on consensus room assignments, contact the House.
General Information
| Residence Name | 576 Alvarado, Columbae, Hammarskjöld, Synergy & Terra | |
| Area of Campus | Central | |
| Street Address | Various - see House Facts | |
| Housing Service Center | Lasuen Housing Service Center | |
| Custodial Service | University managed, but regular cleaning is done by the house residents. | |
| Dining Service | Students living in the co-ops have a co-op meal plan. The plan includes five dinners per week (Monday through Friday) prepared by the students, five meal swipes per week to use in any dining hall, and an open kitchen seven days a week for the other meals. It also includes five guest meals per quarter to use in the dining halls. | |
| Co-ed Type | Mixed gender on each floor | |
| Common Areas | Each house has a kitchen, dining room, lounge, computer cluster, and study area | |
| Furnishings | Each house is unique, but general furnishings in a typical student room include a bed, desk, chair, dresser or drawers, bookcase or shelves, closet or wardrobe, wastebasket and recycle bin. Bathrooms are communal; single-gender or mixed gender. | |
Pictures and Floor Plans
Cooperative Houses (Co-ops)
Houses | Address | Year Built | House Interest |
| 576 Alvarado | 576 Alvarado Row | 1896 | Co-op living with a deep culture of community and tradition. Learn more. |
| Columbae | 549 Lasuen Mall | 1900 | House programs center on the theme of social change through nonviolence. Learn more. |
| Hammarskjöld | 553 Mayfield Avenue | 1896 | House has traditionally had an international theme. Learn more. |
| Synergy & Terra | 550 San Juan | 1901 | Synergy and Terra have combined, starting in 2026-27 |
Important Assignment Information
Residential Education offers a pre-assignment system for University Theme Houses for academic year assignments. This process allows for pre-assignment, before the annual housing assignment process, of all spaces in the house to students who complete a pre-assignment application and meet specific requirements. Any vacancies may be filled during House and Room Selection, and after that by Housing Assignments.