Flex Flat is a neighborhood-scaled housing solution inspired by the Chicago Architecture Center’s Missing Middle competition (which occurred before Aggregate existed) and expanding on our initial research with Steven Vance and Chicago Cityscape. Designed for a typical 25’x125’ residential lot and leveraging an aspirational single-stair design (akin to the point-access block common in Europe) Flex Flat is allows for greater flexibility in unit sizes and configurations while increasing density within the city’s Connected Communities ordinance framework. Drawing inspiration from Chicago’s vernacular 2-, 3-, and 6- flats, the design includes options for a range of unit sizes from studios to four-bedroom duplexes, and reinvents the classic bay window to expand living spaces, create balconies, and add façade depth. Expanding the building footprint for the second floor and up creates a weather-sheltered side entry and increased living space on the upper floors. Chicago’s architectural ornament also inspires us. Depth, light, and shadow are what give vintage Chicago workers’ cottages, two- to three-flats, and bungalows their character. Textured cladding and recessed windows, blend contemporary materials with these familiar forms to create additional shadow lines. The varied unit mix creates tailored housing solutions for a wide range of Chicago residents at a range of price points, while the single-stair configuration maximizes natural light and ventilation on three sides of every unit and facilitates highly functional layouts. In this way, Flex Flat offers a dignified, context-sensitive model for increasing housing options across Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Project Information
Team: Josh Mings, Katia Astudillo
Size: Two-Story | 4 units | 3,317 SF, Three-Story | 4-6 units | 5,099 SF, Four-Story | 6-8 units | 6,881 SF
Links: Exploration: How a “Standard 8-3” could be designed and built today, Design Ideas for Standard 6-3 and 8-3 Multi-unit buildings
Flex Flat Building Plans
The overall floor plans include an example for each of the two-, three-, and four- story options. The plans can be adjusted as necessary to fit the desired unit mix while keeping the central core of the building consistent with stairs, mechanical, and bike storage.
Flex Flat Unit Plans
Typical unit plans are interchangeable within each Flex Flat option, except for the first-floor studio and one-bedroom unit layouts. Three- and four-bedroom duplex layouts will occupy the top two floors of the three- and four-story Flex Flats.
