(In)Filling Chicago's Missing Middle

The Missing Middle Infill Housing Design Competition launched in late 2022 as part of CAC's 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.” The competition had two goals: fill the need for affordable, middle-density housing in Chicago, and infill the physical gaps in city blocks, which are most pronounced to the south and west of the Loop.

We first covered the competition in March 2023, when the competition jury* shortlisted a few dozen architects/teams in the four categories. Last week's announcement of the four winners coincided with the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development’s launch of the Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative, a $75 million program that will offer 44 vacant, city-owned lots in North Lawndale, west of the Loop, for redevelopment. With lots available for just $1 each, there is some optimism that the winners could be built. “We hope developers take advantage of these incredible new infill designs and work with the architects who participated in the competition,” said Eleanor Gorski, president and CEO of the CAC.

Below are images of the four winners with quotes from the architects, but be sure to visit the CAC website to download a booklet in PDF form that has more images and information on both the winning and shortlisted designs.

“This competition allowed us to use our firm’s expertise in designing for the resident experience. We wanted our entry to address limitations with natural light that tend to come with the six-flat typology. By introducing a courtyard, we reoriented the focus to the open center area and thus drastically increased the amount of usable facade — creating a better overall quality of life for each resident.”

“We designed the Chicago Switch-Flat to honor the traditional Chicago brick multi-family home, while meeting modern needs. Our goal was to design a flexible home that can evolve with a family's changing needs—whether expanding or downsizing—without requiring construction, while also providing the opportunity for rental income to help families build long-term wealth.”

“Our entry in the competition was driven by a deep optimism — one that believes Chicago can lead the way in high-quality housing that is accessible to everyone. Our rowhouse design reimagines an industrial structural building system as a way to quickly and affordably build new housing. As a plus, it also adds design features that improve day-to-day life, such as a double-height central space for natural light and family gatherings.”

“Regardless of scale or type, our architecture office is dedicated to innovative design solutions for every project, enriching the lives of those who inhabit the spaces we create. Participating in this competition within our home city allowed us to envision a design that addresses today’s needs while planning for the future. Our proposal not only supports the needs of a growing family and aging in place, but also presents a sustainable model for living and building in Chicago. We believe deeply in the r_home design and are thrilled to be one step closer to bringing it to life.”

• Reed Kroloff – Dean and The Rowe Family College of Architecture Endowed Chair, Illinois Institute of Technology 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