Our Ethos
Many hands make better work.
Developments create buildings. Frolics create stories, memories, and homes. “frolics” are about shared vision - what is possible when people combine their resources to realize a common dream. A “development” is top-down, it is stale, it is individual, hetero and static. A “Frolic” is alive, it is emergent, collective, and a celebration of the sparks that live in the space between people’s dreams and the shared manifestation of these dreams.
Trust
It is hard to develop trust, but once it exists, the impossible becomes possible. Frolics are bound together via a cooperative legal system. The co-op provides the vehicle for all members of each frolic to contribute their resources while being protected by the whole. The structure aligns interests, reduces individual risk, and maximizes the opportunities for mutual gains.
Economic Inclusivity
The wealth gap in the U.S. is not a coincidence - it is the natural result of centuries of systemic oppression and structural inequality. Frolics are a tool to begin to deconstruct this history via inclusion. As co-ops, they can create entry points for those of us without wealth to join a new, inclusive middle class. Frolic homes provide the safety net of stability and the means to build wealth and access possibility.
Quality, kind, simple materials
When possible, we build with wood. Wood is editable and alive, it can adapt to the changing needs of a community. It captures carbon and when harvested responsibly, supports bio-diversity, ecological health, and rural economies. Other materials are responsibly sourced, simple to replace, edit, and update over time.
Porches, stoops, and balconies
We believe in the small, everyday, unplanned social moments that enrich our lives - like many people experienced during college but lost in their adult life. Frolics should nourish these moments, creating space for passing by neighbors on our way out, sharing coffee on our front porch, letting kids run to their friend’s house through a car-free space. Proximate community makes for a higher quality of life.
Small is beautiful
Large, single family homes waste interior space. Smaller, well-designed spaces that consider each square foot with care make for richer every-day lives, less cleaning, and a better use of time and money. When these spaces are paired with larger common spaces for gatherings, sharing bigger meals, and guest rooms, we can live smaller without giving up the things we love about larger homes.