New Designs for the 'Missing Middle'

John Hill

10. March 2023

Photo: Eduardo Cornejo (All images courtesy of Chicago Architecture Center)

Forty-two architects/teams have been shortlisted in the Missing Middle Infill Housing competition, part of the Chicago Architecture Center's (CAC) Come Home Initiative, which “aims to reverse decades of disinvestment and depopulation and transform the urban fabric of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.”

“Missing Middle” is an intentional double entendre, referring both to the middle class being squeezed out of some parts of the city and to vacant lots in the middle of residential blocks. While the former is more indicative of the Loop and Chicago's North Side neighborhoods, the latter is more widespread in the neighborhoods of Auburn Gresham, Bronzeville, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Humboldt Park, and Woodlawn on the city's South and West Sides; these are the neighborhoods that are the target for the Missing Middle Infill Housing competition.

Late last year, architects were asked to respond to an RFQ accompanied by design proposals in four housing types, some of which are unique to Chicago: Single-Family Homes, Two-Flats and Three-Flats, Rowhouses, and Six-Flats. From the 74 firms/teams responding to the RFQ, 42 were selected for the pop-up exhibition that is on display at the CAC from March 3 – 26, and to present their work to a jury* “who will assess the submissions based on, design excellence, buildability, and replicability,” per the CAC. Additionally, the pubic can provide their input on the designs via an online portal, with the jury hopefully taking those comments into account.

Rather than selecting one winner in each category as an infill project to be built, the third phase of the competition “will include the finalists selected by the expert jury,” per the CAC, “and will be published in a pattern book this summer to serve as a resource to city planners and emerging developers by providing a snapshot into innovative housing design.”

*The Missing Middle Infill Housing competition jury:

REED KROLOFF, Dean and The Rowe Family College of Architecture Endowed Chair, IIT College of Architecture
CATHERINE BAKER, Founder, Nowhere Collaborative
JACKIE KOO, Principal, KOO Architecture
BRIAN LEE, Consulting Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
LEON WALKER, Managing Partner, DL3 Realty

Images of each of the 42 architects/teams are presented below, grouped according to housing type and in alphabetical order by firm name. Be sure to visit the online portal to see the full presentation boards for each of the designs — and be sure to vote by March 26.