The Michigan “MISSING MIDDLE” Housing Design Competition

As the demand for living in urban environments continues to strengthen across the State of Michigan, the need to accommodate the growing contemporary housing market has become much more apparent.

Description
As the demand for living in urban environments continues to strengthen across the State of Michigan, the need to accommodate the growing contemporary housing market has become much more apparent. While certain types of housing have been developed to meet the demand, such as adaptive re-use conversions and higher density single- family residential projects, there are still a number of housing typologies that have not been commonly built. This “Missing Middle” Housing type is one that consists of very affordable medium density residential units, typically inserted into tight sites in previously developed areas and within pedestrian-oriented environments.
There is considerable variation in the urban environments of Michigan. However, there are physical elements, materials, uses and site orientations that can be identified as indicative of Michigan specifically and the Great Lakes Region generally. Consequently, design solutions proposed for this “Missing Middle” Michigan Housing Design Competition should strongly consider these context and regional issues as an important part of the development of any responsive and creative design concept submitted.

Jury
Douglass Farr, FAIA, Architect, Urban Planner, Author, Farr Associates - Chicago, IL
Daniel Parolek, AIA, Architect, Opticos Design - Berkeley, CA
Mark Nickita, AIA, Architect, Urbanist, Archive Design Studio - Detroit, MI and Toronto, ON (also representing AIA Michigan and MiCNU)
Luke Forrest, Program Manager, Planner, Michigan Municipal League, Ann Arbor, MI
Amanda Harrell-Seyburn, Associate AIA, CNU-A, Project Designer, Urban Designer, Sedgewick & Ferweda Architects, Flint, MI (also representing AIA Michigan and MiCNU)
James Tischler, AICP, Director of Community Development, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Lansing, MI
Mark Wyckoff, FAICP, Professor, Sr. Associate Director, MSU Land Policy Institute, Editor, Planning & Zoning News, East Lansing, MI

Prize
First Prize: $10,000
Additional cash prizes will be awarded by the jury not to exceed $5,000.00 each.
The total prize money pool available for all prizes to be awarded in the competition is $20,000.

Entry Fee
Timely Registration Deadline: March 16, 2015
- Students and AIA Associates: $50.00
- Members and/or Members of any of the Sponsoring Organizations: $75.00
- All Others: $125.00
Late Registration (+50%)

Entries
No more than three (3) sheets on 24”x36”

Timetable
Winners Advised: June 5, 2015
Awards Symposium (Tentative): June 25, 2015, Location to be Announced

Organizer
AIA Michigan

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