SHINGLE HOUSE | Co-living | Chicago, IL | 2023

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When architects think about housing—its forms, organizing principles, and social structures—what we are really thinking about is density. How we approach the question of density has profound effects not only on a building’s appearance but also on the wider urban context that surrounds it.

Over the past few decades, Chicago has witnessed its existing stock of two- and three-flat buildings being purchased, torn down, and replaced with lower-density single-family homes. This pattern has been accelerated by zoning incentives that prioritize single-family density over the existing multi-family building stock, much of which is in disrepair. When two- and three-flat buildings become too costly to renovate, they are often demolished and replaced with single-family homes as the only viable alternative. This creates inflationary pressure on housing and rent prices, making neighborhoods less affordable for longtime residents.

Density is the primary tool that architects, developers, and planners use to influence these outcomes. If we were given the freedom to rethink our approach, what would it look like?

Shingle House is one response to the question that enSTUDIO has been exploring. If you were to develop and build a shared housing prototype on a mid-block urban infill lot—one that maintains the bulk characteristics of the block while providing flashes of color and texture to the street—could that allow for a more sustainable approach to the question of density? We’d like to think that it’s at least the first step in a much larger project that has yet to fully play out here in Chicago.