Holly Missing Middle Housing

Holly Neighborhood, Austin, TX

Fall 2020, Martin Haettasch's Comprehensive Studio, University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture

Completed with Coleman Brink

This project explores bringing “Missing Middle” housing to an irregularly shaped, brownfield site in the Holly Neighborhood of East Austin. The proposed development seeks to respect the historic scale and character of East Austin’s bungalow fabric and create an affordable, diverse, and walkable community.

The Holly Neighborhood

The project site is a triangular, vacant brownfield lot bounded by the railway line, North Pleasant Valley Road, and East 5th Street in the historic Holly Neighborhood of East Austin. This project aims to address the high demand for housing by providing affordable housing for families and individuals in the community.

Under Austin’s 1928 Master Plan, Black communities were deliberately relocated to East Austin, where they remained socially and economically segregated for decades through both official and informal policies. Today, the city’s rapid growth and housing shortage have accelerated gentrification and displacement pressures, especially felt in Holly and the surrounding East Austin neighborhoods. Modest bungalows have been replaced by large apartment complexes and new single-family homes, transforming the area’s scale and character.

As housing costs rise, many longtime East Austin residents have been priced out of their communities, relocating to smaller apartments, the metro’s outskirts, or other cities altogether. Despite Austin’s population boom, the city has seen a decline in its Black population.

Finding the "Missing Middle"

This project attempts to create a “missing middle” between dense apartments and traditional single-family homes, providing an alternative option for these residents and alleviating some of the intense demand for housing in the area.

While more compact, the elements of the single-family home, such as a backyard, front yard, public green spaces, and a ground-level front door, are retained. Each unit has an individual side yard that provides green space, allows in light from the southeast, and natural ventilation from the prevailing northerly winds.

Elevated Pathway Rendering

Sun and Wind Analysis Diagram

Site Arrangement Diagram

Creating a Vibrant and Liveable Neighborhood

Retail, housing, and public space coexist to create a community where needs can be met within walking distance. Units differ in size to accommodate a variety of housing needs.

A raised artificial ground allows for a greater density of units. Parking and retail space lie below, creating both a car-free, walkable environment for the residents living above and creating space for small businesses and restaurants at the street level.

Section - West

Section - North

Two-Story Unit Section

Unit Details

Construction

Units are constructed largely out of prefabricated wood trusses and 2x6 wood framing to limit the upfront carbon of materials. Three-story units are accessed by an elevated street supported by prefabricated concrete and beams.

Structural Axon

Unit Construction

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