Making “Plexible” Projects Possible

Courtney W. Banker’s report Making “Plexible” Projects Possible includes research and examples from Seattle architect Matt Hutchins

Missing Middle Housing — Why Stacked Flats?

Stacked Flats push the bounds of the single-family envelope but maintain an urbanism-friendly street frontage. 6-/12-plexes offer a superior urban experience, more housing units, more housing variety, and at least some fully accessible housing units. In Matt Hutchins’s design approach, 6-/12-plexes also preserve more tree canopy, increase open space, and optimize daylight compared to townhomes.

Stacked flats can feature one or even four fully accessible units on the ground floor—without the need for an elevator (a significant cost too burdensome for most small-scale projects). They are a powerful incremental development strategy that can be replicated to result in substantial change, helping neighborhoods grow with more sustainable land uses, urban-supportive density, and accessible housing units.

This report builds on prior efforts to promote missing middle housing in Austin, Texas, leverages interviews with 23 local and national experts, and employs financial modeling of for-rent projects to identify the key barriers facing stacked flats.

The report is at the University of Texas Scholar Works: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/115590

@Courtney Banker
@Matt Hutchins AIA CPHD