Inside an artist’s commune that takes neighbourliness to the next level

A one-of-a-kind house steeped in New Age history is for sale in California. 

Two decades ago, dancer and movement artist Nuria Bowart bought the heritage house in Berkeley with a dream of creating a unique community. 

Bowart is the daughter of alternative journalist Walter Bowart, whose newspaper was described in a New York Times obituary as “so countercultural that it made ‘The Village Voice’ look like a church circular.” 

The performer owned the Berkeley property for eighteen years.

During her custodianship, she transformed it from a tired Victorian house into a vibrant community centred around a shared neighbourhood garden. 

“I knew I would be a better parent if I lived in and with other adults and children that I am close to,” she told SF Gate. 

She lived on the top floor, and rented out two self-contained units on the lower floor to friends, sometimes for just $1 a month. 

The sprawling permaculture garden is shared with a neighbour and features an apiary, an outdoor hot tub, fruit trees and a whimsical treehouse in an avocado tree.

The property’s chapter as an eco-community did not end when she moved out. 

In late 2020, Bowart sold the property. Three families came together to buy the house, creating a legal co-housing structure. 

Today, the avocado-green house is a vibrant community where three households can live together. 

The largest unit is on the top floor, with two bathrooms and three bedrooms tucked under the eaves. 

The two units on the ground floor are perfect for couples, with just one or two bedrooms apiece.

Outside, an all-timber dance studio could also double up as a yoga studio for the wellness-inclined. 

A colourful perspex treehouse in an avocado tree is a perfect playspace for kids. 

The property is on the market for $US1,495,000 ($2.3 million) with Jodi Nishimura from Kai Real Estate. 

It’s about $630,000 less than the $US1,908,108 ($2.9 million) the property fetched in 2020. 

The listing pitches it as a flexible house that could be used for intergenerational living, co-purchasing, guest accommodation, or as extra office space. 

Eco-friendly houses for sale in Australia

$1,125,000

25 Riverview St, Murwillumbah NSW 2484

3

1

2

View property

$2,500,000

973 Wattamolla Road, Wattamolla NSW 2535

3

1

2

View property

$2,200,000 UNDER CONTRACT

2 Simons Road, Towen Mountain QLD 4560

3

2

4

View property