Vacant and underutilized spaces inspired me to return to school to get my master’s degrees in architecture and urban planning. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in architecture in the Spring of 2020. I was unsure what the pandemic meant for the future, so I got in my car and drove around the country to see what was out there. Before the pandemic, I had only been to six states, and now I have been to 35 states and three Canadian provinces. During my travels, I noticed how some areas of the city were full of people and vibrant, and other parts were empty with few people there. This sparked my curiosity to explore ways to bring these spaces back to life architecturally and through urban planning. Adaptive reuse, historic preservation, infill development, or a new building are ways to bring life to these vacant and underutilized areas. I have always been interested in architecture and urban planning because it shapes the world we live in. Above is a project I did on my own where I photographed a vacant house in Detroit and did a rendering showing how I would fix it. I kept the original form of the house, and added features that will pay homage to what the structure looked like in the 1920s, but I also modernized it. I did a white wash on the brown bricks and made the window above larger to allow more light to come into the structure. I do projects like this to inspire and excite me to explore ways to bring these spaces back to life.
West Arizona Street after
TABLE OF CONTENTS
“At some point a city must stop consuming land and start renewing communities” - Ty McBride
Project 1: Olde Town Architectural Character Study
Pages 3 - 6
Pages 15 - 18
Project 2: Accessory Dwelling Units in Historic Districts
Pages 7 - 14
Project 4: Audubon Nature Center
Pages 19 - 22
Project 3: Missing Middle Housing
OLDE TOWN ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER STUDY
Location: Issaquah, Washington
Project type: housing types and styles, year built
Concept: An architectural character study for the Olde Town neighborhood in Issaquah, Washington. Olde Town is one of the twelve neighborhoods in Issaquah and is the oldest in the city. I completed the character study during my internship with Metta Urban Design. The character study helps the City of Issaquah understand the housing types, the architectural styles, and when the structures were built. The character study was part of a larger project illustrating where the city can build more housing as a way to correct its housing shortage.
Housing Types
Small MultiFamily 3 to 9 Units
Apartment Buildings 10 or More Units
Most of Olde Town consists of single-family housing, and there is not enough land to build on. The city can scrape and rebuild for higher-density housing units and change the zoning to allow accessory dwelling units to be built on single-family lots.
26%
It is common for structures to have full-width porches, gable or hipped roof forms, wood siding with a brick chimney, wide overhanging eaves, and double-hung casement windows. These structures have been modified over the years.
47%
It is common for these structures to have smaller porches, flat roof forms, wood siding or stucco, wide overhanging eaves, and horizontal sliding windows.
27%
It is common for these structures to have smaller porches, gabled and hipped roof forms, wood siding and stone are common, wide overhanging eaves, and single and double-hung windows.
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS
Location: Denver, Colorado
Project type: Community engagement, infill, accessory dwelling units, density
Concept: The Landmarks and Preservation Department at the City and County of Denver are in the process of updating their Design Guidelines for Denver Landmarks and Historic Districts document. The City and County of Denver updated their zoning code in June of 2023, easing the process of building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the city. The Landmarks and Preservation staff are preparing to see an influx of applications to build ADUs in historic districts. The current design guidelines document has no rules on designing ADUs. An ADU chapter will solve the issue of designing ADUs to be compatible and subordinate. I produced illustrations for the Landmarks and Preservation staff showing examples of ADUs that are subordinate and compatible with Denver’s historic districts. A subordinate ADU should be smaller in scale and feel secondary to the primary structure in height, width, and depth. A compatible ADU should have a different architectural style while maintaining the character of the historic district.
Historic Districts where ADUs are allowed, per Denver Zoning Code Update
District Key
Packard’s Hill
Wolff’s Place
Allen M. Ghost
Tilden School
La Raza Park
Witter - Cofield
Curtis Park
Five Points
Lower Downtown
Clements
Downtown Denver
Ninth Street Park
La Alma/Lincoln Park
Lafayette Street
East Park Place
Humboldt Street - Park
Pennsylvania Street
Sherman-Grant
Quality Hill
Humboldt Street
Morgan’s Subdivision
East Seventh Avenue
Driving Park
Country Club
Alamo Placita
Country Club Gardens
Grant Street
200 Block of South Lincoln
Baker
Clayton College
Frank S. Snell
Survey and Public Engagement
Two community meetings took place during the Capstone project to see how people felt about the proposed design guidelines for ADUs. There was also an online survey for people to fill out as well. This survey included 21 questions asking people about roof form, design, materials, height, and visibility. I have attached a few questions below to show how people felt about the proposed design guidelines. Almost 60% of respondents have considered building an ADU in Denver’s historic districts. Overall, people want flexibility in the design guidelines for ADUs.
Should the Design of an ADU Relate to the Overall Historic District or the Primary Structure?
Overall Historic District Primary Structure
Does not need to Relate to Either
Not Sure
Should ADU Roof Form be Limited to Only a few Types?
Should match primary structure
Only simple forms
Evaluated on design quality
Should not be restricted
Not Sure
Is the Visibility of an ADU Important?
Should be behind the primary structure ADUs can be seen anywhere
Visibility should not be an issue
Not sure
Should ADUs be Allowed to have Exterior Stairs?
Depends on the design
Depends on the type of stairs
Not Sure
The Zoning code requires that ADUs be in the rear 35% of the lot, 3 to 5-foot setbacks at the back and each side, 15 feet of space between the primary structure and the ADU, and height limited to 24 feet tall or two stories. If the lot is 7,000 square feet or less then the maximum ADU gross floor area is 864 square feet. If the lot is larger than 7,000 square feet, then the maximum ADU gross floor area is 1,000 square feet.
Recommendations and Drawings
Most applications will design the ADU to be 24 feet tall with a garage and living space above it. Most primary structures are under 24 feet tall, meaning the ADUs will be visible behind them. While this may not be subordinate to the primary structure, it can be compatible. If the ADU is taller than the primary structure, add some design guidelines that will make the ADU more compatible. Roof forms on top of the ADU are one way to make the structures compatible with each other and the surrounding structures. Most lot sizes in these districts are 30 feet by 125 feet, or 3,750 square feet, meaning an 864 square foot ADU is allowed. Primary structures in the drawings include a Classic Cottage, a Craftsman-Style Bungalow, a Four Square, and a Spanish Revival Bungalow.
Primary Structure
Classic Cottage with Two-Story Gable Roof ADU
A two-story gable roof ADU is compatible with the primary structure as the Classic Cottage has a gable roof. Gable roofs are common in most of Denver’s historic districts. This scenario does work because the ADU is compatible with the primary structure and the district.
Craftsman-Style Bungalow with a Two-Story Jerkinhead Roof ADU
A two-story Jerkinhead roof ADU would be compatible with the primary structure because the Craftsman Style Bungalow has a jerkinhead roof above the porch and the roof pitch. Jerkinhead roofs are common in some of Denver’s historic districts. This scenario does work because the ADU is compatible with the primary structure and most districts.
Four Square with a Two-Story Hipped Roof ADU
A two-story hipped roof ADU is compatible with the Four-Square as the structure has a hipped roof with a dormer. A typical four-square is over 24 feet tall, so the ADU is also subordinate. A hipped roof will be compatible with the surrounding primary structures in most of Denver’s historic districts. This scenario works because it is compatible with the primary structure and the district.
Spanish Revival Bungalow with a Two-Story Flat Roof with Parapet ADU
A two-story flat roof with a parapet ADU is compatible with the Spanish Revival Bungalow as the primary structure also has a flat roof with a parapet. Depending on the district, the ADU can be compatible with the surrounding primary structures. While this ADU feels massive compared to the primary structure, the zoning code allows it to be this tall. This is where flexibility on ADU design guidelines should happen because this scenario does work since it is compatible.
Location: Denver, Colorado
Project type: Infill housing, density, historic district design guidelines
Softwares used: Adobe suite, Revit, Rhino
Concept: The Curtis Park historic district is zoned for single-family housing on its undeveloped lots. This infill building is designed to look like a single-family home that is compatible with the surrounding houses on the block and the district, but the building contains four units. Changing the zoning code in historic districts to a form-based code creates an opportunity to add more housing options and density to existing historic districts. The infill building is on a block where two four squares mirror each other. The infill building is a mirrored and modern interpretation of the Eastlake next door to keep the mirrored rhythm of the block intact.
Champa Streetscape Study
- 4 square
- 4 square
- Eastlake
2642 - Infill
The infill building is at 2642 Champa Street in the Curtis Park historic district in Denver, Colorado. The streetscape study shows how it is compatible with the surrounding structures on the block.
Zoned as E-SU-DX
E = Urban Edge
SU=Single Unit
D= A maximum of 6,000 square feet
X= Special Provisions Tailored to that Zone DistrictDuplexes are Allowed
Changing the zoning code from E-SU-DX to a formbased zoning code will allow for more units in infill development. This will add more housing units in historic districts while still being compatible with the surrounding structures. With a form-based zoning code, 2642 Champa Street became a quadplex instead of a singlefamily home.
AUDUBON
Location: Chatfield State Park in Littleton, Colorado
Project type: Adaptive Reuse
Softwares used: Adobe Suite, Revit, Rhino
Concept: The Audubon Nature Center is an adaptive reuse project that uses two stone and gable roof structures from the 1940s. These buildings were part of a farm before the land became a state park. The Audubon Society was using the buildings as storage, but after talking to the client, it was clear that he wanted to reuse the buildings in some capacity. My approach to the design was to reuse the existing buildings as offices and classrooms that connect to a new modern structure that holds exhibit spaces, a cafe, and a bird blind. By reusing the existing buildings, the history of the site can be commemorated while creating a modern nature center that meets the client’s wishes.
Exhibit Space
Bird Blind
Amphitheater
Courtyard
The glass box connects the original buildings and creates an entry space. The character of the original buildings was preserved by keeping the stone facade and the gable roof forms and exposing the rafters. To make the old and the new feel cohesive as one nature center complex, the back half of the old buildings open up to the glass box by removing part of the stone wall.
