Chattanooga Middle Scale Housing Development

When a new opportunity for urban infill arose, two foundations and a nonprofit developer decided to revitalize and scale up a time-honored approach in Chattanooga: middle scale housing buildings one to twelve units in size. 

Through a collaboration between Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, the Lyndhurst Foundation, the Benwood Foundation, state and local financing partners, over 180 units of housing were constructed from 2018-2023 on common sized infill lots in the Ridgedale and Highland Park neighborhoods of Chattanooga.

Missing Middle Housing Prototypes

This collection of built projects was comprised of eight different housing prototypes that were designed to be flexibly reused in different configurations from single cottage to 12 units per building, and stand alone plexes to multi-building courtyards. 

Through this documentation of work, it is hoped that other cities can understand how the prototypes were calibrated for the specific needs of Chattanooga’s neighborhoods and what tools were used bring these ideas to fruition.

Cottage Prototype Cottage fits on 30’ lots, making a more walkable block with front doors and porches closer together. Smaller homes deliver a lower initial price, making them accessible to many first time home buyers, while allowing for future exp

Cottage Prototype
Cottage fits on 30’ lots, making a more walkable block with front doors and porches closer together. Smaller homes deliver a lower initial price, making them accessible to many first time home buyers, while allowing for future expansion.

Duplex Prototype Side by side duplex format is a compact two story structure that can work well as housing for sale or for rent. A variety of rooflines and front entries can create symmetrical and asymmetrical elevations that fit into any block.

Duplex Prototype
Side by side duplex format is a compact two story structure that can work well as housing for sale or for rent. A variety of rooflines and front entries can create symmetrical and asymmetrical elevations that fit into any block.

Quadplex A Prototype This quadplex is the perfect infill building, featuring a front porch and single front door on the street facing elevation and two sizes of one-bedroom units.

Quadplex A Prototype
This quadplex is the perfect infill building, featuring a front porch and single front door on the street facing elevation and two sizes of one-bedroom units.

Quadplex B Prototype This two story, stacked unit format is comprised around a front corner staircase, which lends the ability to be easily paired with a mirrored unit to create a mini courtyard site plan.

Quadplex B Prototype
This two story, stacked unit format is comprised around a front corner staircase, which lends the ability to be easily paired with a mirrored unit to create a mini courtyard site plan.

Cottage Court Prototype Small cottages with similar footprints and entries allow for mix & match combinations on unique lot shapes or double/triple standard size lots.

Cottage Court Prototype
Small cottages with similar footprints and entries allow for mix & match combinations on unique lot shapes or double/triple standard size lots.

Narrow Sixplex Prototype An asymmetrical building with a pair of one bedroom units and a single two bedroom unit flanking a center stair, the sixplex can be rotated to have both long and short sides facing the street or courtyard.

Narrow Sixplex Prototype
An asymmetrical building with a pair of one bedroom units and a single two bedroom unit flanking a center stair, the sixplex can be rotated to have both long and short sides facing the street or courtyard.

Wide Sixplex Prototype Asymmetrical, stacked flat layout with double story front porch and center building circulation. Excellent floorplan for use on a corner lot, with centralized parking in rear or in a courtyard centric configuration.

Wide Sixplex Prototype
Asymmetrical, stacked flat layout with double story front porch and center building circulation. Excellent floorplan for use on a corner lot, with centralized parking in rear or in a courtyard centric configuration.

10-Plex Prototype The 10-plex is two and a half stories, with the top units designed around roof dormers. Similar to the 12-plex, it has triple height front porches and is also designed around a double-loaded corridor.

10-Plex Prototype
The 10-plex is two and a half stories, with the top units designed around roof dormers. Similar to the 12-plex, it has triple height front porches and is also designed around a double-loaded corridor.

12-Plex Prototype The 12-plex is a full three stories with triple height front porches and designed around a double-loaded corridor. While the largest of these developments, it can assimilate itself seamlessly with lower scale neighboring buildings

12-Plex Prototype
The 12-plex is a full three stories with triple height front porches and designed around a double-loaded corridor. While the largest of these developments, it can assimilate itself seamlessly with lower scale neighboring buildings.

Finished Builds

2112-2132 Union Ave Cottages

1709 Union Avenue Quadplex

2109 Bailey Ave Sixplex

2512 Duncan Ave Duplex

2102 Union Ave Sixplex

2115-2125 Vance Ave Cottage Court

2221 Vance Ave Cottage

Future of Missing Middle Housing

The missing middle work in Chattanooga is the result of a shared vision for infill that is affordable yet enhances the neighborhood. As missing middle housing has moved from a new idea to a more common infill strategy, the Chattanooga experience shows what can happen with consistent effort over time.

The rise in development costs across the country is a shared challenge, however there are opportunities in Chattanooga for this successful partnership to continue to find creative solutions for new development to move forward.