• Bringing back building types: conservation biology, or Jurassic Park?

    How does our world now compare to the conditions under which prehistoric creatures or historic building cultures thrived?
    You have to admit it: vanished species that used to fill the globe have a certain appeal. From the time I was a four-year-old playing with dinosaurs to my current work with Missing Middle Housing, I’ve been fascinated by life from the past and continually asking why certain things seem to have...Read more

  • Multiunit courtyard housing fits the historic context

    A small site project offers density and new housing options for Hyannis, Massachusetts, with design that improves an old streetscape.
    Sea Captains Row is a missing middle rental development on 1.6 acres in the historic district of Hyannis, Massachusetts. Pleasant Street was “once home to early sea captains and a vital link between the train station and Hyannis Harbor,” explains Union Studio, which won a missing middle Design...Read more

  • Arlington missing middle law struck down

    While missing middle housing is often touted as an answer to rising housing prices, a Virginia court struck down a statute in Arlington, Virginia in late September. A group of property owners sued Arlington County (effectively a satellite city to DC) over its law allowing up to six dwelling units...Read more

  • Sacramento adopts progressive Missing Middle code

    The citywide legislation tailors missing middle options to different neighborhoods, and a sliding scale floor-area ratio (FAR) supports more attainable building types.
    Sacramento’s new citywide Missing Middle Housing (MMH) ordinance is one of the most progressive and comprehensive in the US. Based on a study by Opticos Design, the interim ordinance applies to the city of 528,000 but adjusts the requirements and allowances according to what will work in individual...Read more