Het Zwaluwnestje is being built for people who believe in sharing space across different backgrounds and experiences.
We want to create a lively, nature-inclusive home in the Amstelkwartier that offers not just shelter, but genuine care, community, and neighbourliness.
Each circle has the authority to make decisions within its own domain, which keeps decision-making close to the people doing the work.
The circles stay connected through a Connecting Circle with representatives from each. Our board sits within the Vision & Organisation circle, handling statutory obligations within our participatory model.
We use consent-based decision-making, which keeps things moving while maintaining transparency.
For complex topics where a range of views exists, we draw on Deep Democracy, a method that ensures minority voices are genuinely heard.
All members come together at monthly General Assemblies to discuss and decide on matters that affect the whole cooperative, like approving the building design to making collective decisions.
We’re continuously learning from each other, and from other housing cooperatives in Amsterdam
