For “missing middle” housing to live up to its potential, architects need to be involved.

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/tortigallas.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/conferenceonarchitecture.com\/","target","_blank"]],["b"],["strong"],["i"]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"In a cost-prohibitive housing market, this housing typology may hold the key \u2014 if it\u0027s done right. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"From the curb, \u201cmissing middle\u201d housing might not look much\ndifferent from its single-family counterparts \u2013 and that\u2019s the point. However,\nits ability to contain multitudes is what makes it such an innovative option in\ntoday\u2019s cost-prohibitive and space-strapped housing market. This typology enlivens neighborhoods and communities without sacrificing single-family scale\nor the convenience of neighborhood walkability, and it\u2019s what Brian O\u2019Looney,\nAIA, of D.C.-based "],[0,[0],1,"Torti Gallas + Partners"],[0,[],0,", specializes in designing. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cAIA has an opportunity to take a stand for better design in\nmissing middle housing,\u201d O\u2019Looney said during \u201cEnriching Neighborhoods:\nBuilding Types for Community Beyond the \u2018Missing Middle\u2019\u201d, a seminar at AIA\u2019s 2023\n"],[0,[1],1,"Conference on Architecture"],[0,[],0," in San Francisco. According to O\u2019Looney, innovation\nin this housing typology is necessary \u2013 but for it to live up to its full\npotential, architects need to be involved in the design process. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"O\u2019Looney explained that there were once 19 types of\nstructures that were built (and financed) in a typical suburban development,\nall of them served by surface parking lots. None of them allowed for any type\nof mixed-density or mixed-use development \u2013 for example, building types that\nmix residential and retail (what O\u2019Looney calls \u201clive-work\u201d), or structures\nthat are served by stacked parking garages or public transit. In the last 10-15 years, innovations\nin this type of housing have gained traction in and around major metropolitan\nareas. Citing examples from locations as disparate as the Netherlands and Texas,\nO\u2019Looney showed attendees that missing middle housing can be done well and contribute\npositively to neighborhood placemaking. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cIt isn\u2019t just type, it\u2019s design that matters,\u201d he said.\n\u201cIt\u2019s an important conversation about how we still need design\u2014 type isn\u2019t\ngoing to solve everything.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Why \u201cmissing middle\u201d? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Why is this type of housing necessary? According to O\u2019Looney\nand other housing experts, our current housing stock (and its accompanying\neconomic system) is improperly oriented to single-family housing. Younger\ngenerations are struggling to afford and access this type of housing, making\nthe innovation of alternate housing types essential. Compounding the issue is\nthe fact that within the last decade, increasing numbers of single-family homes\nhave been built and\/or purchased by institutional investors \u2013 making wealth\naccumulation out of reach for millions of Americans. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The availability of multifamily housing is increasing in several metropolitan areas, and\nO\u2019Looney thinks this progress is encouraging. However, there\u2019s been a\nproliferation of what he calls \u201ccrappy missing middle\u201d housing due to a lack of\nguiding regulation and legal control. A few examples shared in the presentation\ninclude the top-heavy Bayonne box (named after the area in New Jersey where it\noriginated); the \u201csnout house\u201d featuring an unwelcoming front wall; and a \u201cpop-up\u201d\nrowhouse in Washington, D.C. that towers several stories above its neighbors on\neither side. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"On the other hand, there are plenty of examples of \u2013 and opportunities\nfor \u2013 good design within this typology. These include the \u201cstickplex,\u201d or multifamily\nbuildings that utilize relatively inexpensive building materials, and Charlestons,\nwhich offer balcony access. A variety of mixed-type masterplans allow for flex\nspace between retail and residential spaces, exemplified by several projects that O\u2019Looney\nworked on for the grocery store chain Safeway in D.C., featuring a grocery store in the\nbottom and housing on the floors above. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[3],1,"\u0022Stagnation zones\u0022"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Post-pandemic, several large jurisdictions across the U.S.,\nincluding Washington, D.C., are examining ways to convert vacant office\nbuildings into housing. O\u2019Looney called areas that aren\u2019t living up to their\npotential for housing or offices \u201cstagnation zones\u201d \u2013 the result of unnecessary\nzoning distinction and regulation between office and residential uses. He says\nthat design issues like \u201cburied bedrooms\u201d \u2013 bedrooms on interior walls that\ndon\u2019t have windows \u2013 are easily solved by utilizing elements like frosted glass\npocket doors to allow more light in. The greatest challenges for these types of\nconversions are regulatory, not design-centric, he said. O\u2019Looney is in favor of\neliminating regulatory red tape to make these types of conversions easier for\nbuilding owners to complete. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"O\u2019Looney pointed out that the feasibility and profitability of\n\u201cmissing middle\u201d development increases when they are served by public transit\nand don\u2019t require a designated parking space for every unit. Today\u2019s\nwell-designed missing middle housing "],[0,[4],1,"can "],[0,[],0,"accommodate cars, O\u2019Looney\nsays, but it prioritizes walkable communities and access to public transit. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a lot of passion for this type of\ngrowth,\u201d O\u2019Looney said, citing the proliferation of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) in California and in cities\nlike Portland, Oregon. Getting involved in master planning pre-approved ADUs and\nother missing middle housing types can give architects an opportunity to carve out\na niche for themselves in a space where they\u2019ve previously been excluded. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u0022If there are new financing streams that come into play for those buildings, you\u0027ll start to see them happen,\u0022 he said. \u0022There are organized YIMBY [Yes, In My Backyard] communities that are going to push for this -- which I\u0027m very hoepful and excited about.\u0022 "]]]]}