CHE As Sete Bicas CRL, Matosinhos - ICA Housing
CHE As Sete Bicas CRL, Matosinhos - ICA Housing
CHE As Sete Bicas CRL, Matosinhos - ICA Housing
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Case 13 from Portugal: <strong>CHE</strong> <strong>As</strong> <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> <strong>CRL</strong>, <strong>Matosinhos</strong><br />
(Porto)<br />
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I. Issue to be highlighted in the case study<br />
Multifunctional housing co-operative, integrated approach to meeting members’<br />
needs, measures to encourage active member participation, good governance,<br />
certified work system NP EN ISO 9001:2000, quality housing charter, cooperation<br />
with co-operatives and other partner organisations, concern for community,<br />
innovative approaches to sustainable, environment-friendly and energy<br />
efficient housing.<br />
II. Portrait of the co-operative society<br />
Name of Co-operative: <strong>CHE</strong> <strong>As</strong> <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> <strong>CRL</strong>, <strong>Matosinhos</strong> (Porto),<br />
Portugal<br />
Type of Co-operative: Multifunctional housing co-operative society<br />
Year of Formation: 1975<br />
Address: Rua António Porto N° 42, Senhora da Hora, <strong>Matosinhos</strong><br />
(Porto), Portugal<br />
Tel.: +351 229 578 350<br />
E-mail: www.setebicas.com<br />
Person to contact: Liliana Marques, Liliana@setebicas.com<br />
Number of members: 2,504<br />
Number of dwellings: 2,370 dwellings built, 351 dwellings under construction,<br />
151 dwellings in project<br />
Decision-making bodies: General Meeting of Members<br />
Board of directors<br />
Audit Committee<br />
Extended self-administration: There are five specific management areas:<br />
Promotion and management of self- housing programs and social equipments<br />
and of Co-operative union housing programs, offering social equipments; sports,<br />
culture and leisure activities, children support and elderly services.<br />
Financial resources: The financial sustainability of these branches is assured<br />
by different financial resources, namely: Co-operative members’ savings, bank<br />
loans, central and local government subsidies and costs’ sharing, co-operative<br />
statutory reserves and family funds.
Affiliation to federations<br />
and other organisations:<br />
• FENA<strong>CHE</strong> – National Federation of Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong> in Portugal<br />
• CIVAS Childhood, Elderly and Social Action Centre of Senhora da Hora<br />
III. Description of the case<br />
83<br />
Co-operative members’ rights – Running for information in order to achieve<br />
active participation<br />
<strong>CHE</strong> <strong>As</strong> <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> <strong>CRL</strong> has been developing several tools to assure a permanent<br />
information activity. The purpose is to bring our members into our “cause”,<br />
making it their own “cause” and stimulating them to participate in an active way<br />
in several moments that demand for decision making.<br />
Here you can find our main features that stimulate the co-operative members of<br />
<strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> to make full use of their rights:<br />
• Customized reception desk, working from he needs, interests and abilities<br />
of the members and following up the evolution of the process since the<br />
moment they become a member;<br />
• Written information about the development of our Buildings in Construction<br />
and advice about new opportunities of Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong> Programs,<br />
answering all question and supporting conscious decisions;<br />
• Publication of the Quarterly Magazine, named “CHBI Notícias”, that we<br />
deliver for free to all our members, to several organisations with whom<br />
we interact and , in a general perspective, to everyone interested in the cooperative’s<br />
activity, fulfilling in this way the Co-operative Principle of<br />
Education, Training and Information;<br />
• Quarterly updating of our Co-operative Website (www.setebicas.com), in<br />
order to keep our online information up to date;<br />
• Periodical and updated information of the progress and developments of<br />
our buildings, with specific documents being published:<br />
• Active participation of our co-operative members in the most important<br />
moments of our Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong> Program, namely in the presentation<br />
of the model dwelling and the <strong>Housing</strong> Delivery System;<br />
• Collaboration through queries’ filling or other tools for measuring the satisfaction<br />
level of our members, in order to permanently improve the performance<br />
of our institution in the achievement of our members’ expectations<br />
and in the guarantee of the co-operative’s future success.
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<strong>CHE</strong> <strong>As</strong> <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> <strong>CRL</strong> – Much more than Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong><br />
An integrated approach to the needs of our members – the satisfaction of our<br />
commitments to the Society<br />
“<strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong>” Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong> is characterised by the following:<br />
Sustainable construction, environmental friendly and energy efficient<br />
<strong>Sete</strong> Bica’s concern for the continuous improvement of the quality of our Cooperative<br />
<strong>Housing</strong> has pushed us to experience new techniques and new building<br />
methods. The participation in the “SHE Project – Sustainable <strong>Housing</strong> in<br />
Europe” has supported these changes and the relationship with the academic<br />
world has encouraged the transformations. This project has launched the work<br />
and the recognition as the pioneering position of <strong>Housing</strong> Co-operatives towards<br />
sustainability.<br />
Moreover, it is this European experience that is on the basis of an intensive dissemination<br />
activity of best practices in construction, whether by participation in<br />
seminars and technical conferences or by participation in radio and TV programs,<br />
collaborating in writing newspapers and magazine articles.<br />
The year 2002 marked the break with the traditional construction methods and<br />
we started a new way oriented by “environment defence” and “energy saving”.<br />
With other co-operatives we have already accomplished two sustainable developments,<br />
which we try to stimulate. At the moment, we have 351 sustainable<br />
dwellings built and 151 are in project. We consider that this important change in<br />
the housing promotion activity is also an action of solidarity towards the environment,<br />
the society and our members.<br />
Innovative Architecture – Improvement of our Inhabitants’ Life Quality<br />
The project design of our housing programs pay particular attention to the functional<br />
and simple use of indoor spaces, adapted to modern families’ practices<br />
with the purpose of improving living conditions and quality of life of our cooperative<br />
members.<br />
Guaranteed Quality<br />
The construction process is developed under the close look of an external technical<br />
control. This work results in the edition of a ten year insurance policy that<br />
protects our buildings against project and construction errors during a ten years<br />
period. The construction insurance is, at the moment, and from a legal perspective,<br />
valid for a five year period. Our co-operative assures, in a voluntary way,<br />
the building’s insurance for another five year period, beyond the legal one.<br />
The co-operative’s work system is certifies according to the Norm NP EN ISO<br />
9001:2000.<br />
We are the first housing co-operative certified in Portugal and our services are<br />
held on a total commitment in the respect of the Quality Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong>
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Charter, adopted by FENA<strong>CHE</strong> – National Federation of Co-operative <strong>Housing</strong><br />
in Portugal, assuming, on the whole, the commitments there declared.<br />
Green and Neighbourhood spaces<br />
It is since the first development promoted by <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong>, concluded in 1982, that<br />
our housing promotions are marked by the presence of green and neighbourhood<br />
spaces, which create well-being and the sense of proximity among the inhabitants.<br />
Humanising outside spaces<br />
The concern for humanising spaces outside the co-operative dwellings is present<br />
in all our buildings. Pathways, children’s parks, sculptural pieces, swimming<br />
pools and sports fields – all these elements create a sense of membership and<br />
happiness for living in those spaces. Co-operative housing is exactly that: the<br />
quality of the indoor spaces and the building methods, but also the harmony of<br />
the outside spaces, making of each building not only a place o sleep, but, especially,<br />
and above all, a real place for human living.<br />
Culture, Sports and Leisure<br />
<strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> still keeps the leisure activity of a housing co-operative. In fact, the<br />
“Co-operative” concept goes far beyond the mere promotion of housing under<br />
controlled costs. “Co-operative” also means a structure able to solve, in very different<br />
ways, the multiple needs that co-operative members have during their<br />
lives. That is why our co-operative has created a Cultural, Sports and Leisure<br />
Centre that promotes such activities. In this field, we have two different structures.<br />
The first one assures, in particular, theatre, ball room dancing and karate<br />
activities, besides the participation of <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> in the annual National Cooperative<br />
Games, competing in poetry, swimming and running. This Centre also<br />
supports a contemporary dance group that performs special events, such as the<br />
Co-operative’s Birthday Dinner or the opening of theatre shows. The listening<br />
room of <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> is, therefore, a space for training, rehearsals, games and,<br />
sometimes, it is also used as a real listening room.<br />
The second Centre organises outdoor events, a kind of “Neighbours’ Days”.<br />
“Rio Mau Club” is also responsible for the already traditional “Paella” and the<br />
opening of the bathing season. <strong>As</strong> is easy to understand, friendship relationships<br />
arise among people who are always present in these events and, besides, they<br />
truly feel that they belong to a “Co-operative”. <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> has also a solution for<br />
our co-operative members’ holidays. Two apartments in Algarve can be rented<br />
for “Co-operative” prices during the whole year.<br />
Childhood and Elderly Support<br />
In 1985, <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> inaugurated our Early Childhood Centre (36 years old) and<br />
four years later the Day Nursery (30 years old). People who work in these Centres<br />
belong to the <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> “team” which means that our Co-operative Personnel<br />
also include Kindergarten workers, Child Nurses, Cooks, Cleaning Staff etc.
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This clearly shows the co-operative’s concern for meeting members’ needs. If,<br />
in the beginning, people become co-operative members to have access to a nice<br />
home, later they do so to have access to our Childhood Centres, benefiting from<br />
special conditions. At present the number of children in our Childhood facilities<br />
is 84.<br />
The moment of the inscription in the co-operative is the first signal of relationship<br />
with the co-operative. From then, a whole process of mutual approach and<br />
human ties arises. But if the support in the first years of life is so important, it is<br />
also very important several years later when our members get old. The cooperative<br />
is fully aware of the development of the age pyramid and tries to develop<br />
solutions for our ageing society. At this moment, we are promoting the<br />
construction of a building composed of dwellings and equipment for the elderly.<br />
It will be completed in the first semester of 2008. This equipment will be managed<br />
together with CIVAS Childhood, Elderly and Social Action Centre of Senhora<br />
da Hora.<br />
Concern for Community<br />
This organisation carries on a work of “pure solidarity” in the community. The<br />
experience of this organisation in support of the elderly will be optimised in the<br />
management of the new equipment. This will have individual, couple and double<br />
bedrooms, laundry, leisure area, sitting room, hairdresser – a complete range<br />
of services aimed to serve future users. Childhood and Elderly Support are, in<br />
fact, two important services assured by the co-operative and they contribute a lot<br />
for families’ development and well-being.<br />
We believe that this wide range of activities presents the necessary solutions for<br />
co-operative members of <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> who meet, in the co-operative, the way to<br />
achieve their purposes along heir life. At the same time, <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> is adopting<br />
such a proactive profile that Society perceives our Co-operative as a serious<br />
agent in the pursuit of the Communities’ well-being.<br />
IV. Best Practice regarding the application of co-operative<br />
principles<br />
Members’ rights<br />
Measures are taken to encourage active participation of members through providing<br />
full information by print and electronic media, reception desk, advice,<br />
quarterly magazine, quarterly up-dated web site, periodical publication of<br />
documents, presentation of model dwellings and housing delivery services. Surveys<br />
are conducted by a questionnaire to measure the degree of member satisfaction.
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An integrated approach is followed to meet members’ needs, to improve the inhabitants’<br />
quality of life and to fulfil the commitment to society. This is<br />
achieved by:<br />
• Culture, sports and leisure centres and outdoor events,<br />
• Innovative equipment and services for young persons and the elderly, like<br />
day nursery, early childhood centres, kindergarten, theatre, ball-room, listening<br />
rooms and social action centre. These facilities were built up in<br />
several phases: 1985: Early childhood centre (for 3-6 years old children);<br />
1989: Day nursing centre (for up to 3 years old children) with a <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong><br />
“team” including kindergarten-workers, child nurses, cooks, cleaning staff<br />
etc.; 2008: Construction of dwellings and introduction of equipment for<br />
the elderly managed together with CIVAS offering a complete range of<br />
services for the elderly.<br />
• Offers for members’ holidays (two apartments in Algarve which can be<br />
rented for co-operative prices).<br />
Good co-operative corporate governance<br />
The society works according to the quality co-operative housing charter of<br />
FENA<strong>CHE</strong>, quality management is certified.<br />
Co-operation among co-operatives and with other partners<br />
The co-operative society applies the quality co-operative housing charter of<br />
FENA<strong>CHE</strong>; it participates in the SHE Project “Sustainable <strong>Housing</strong> in Europe”<br />
holding a pioneering position of co-operative housing regarding sustainability,<br />
dissemination of best practice in construction through seminars, conferences,<br />
radio and television programs, newspaper and magazine articles. It works together<br />
with other co-operatives on sustainable development, building healthy<br />
dwellings with appropriate level of environmental comfort, low consumption of<br />
water, energy and gas at low cost.<br />
Concern for community<br />
The co-operative society adopts a proactive profile as a service agent in the pursuit<br />
of the communities’ well being. Since 1982 the co-operative society shows<br />
concern for green and neighbourhood spaces, e.g. humanisation of outside space<br />
by pathways, children’s parks, sculpture pieces, swimming pool and sports<br />
fields, enabling members to meet their multiple needs during their lives. From<br />
2002 it applies new ways of protecting the environment and saving energy by<br />
new construction methods.<br />
<strong>CHE</strong> <strong>As</strong> <strong>Sete</strong> <strong>Bicas</strong> <strong>CRL</strong> practices solidarity towards environment, society and<br />
members.