Services

We Help You Enable and Deliver Missing Middle Housing

At Opticos, we’re driving a radical paradigm shift, urging architects, urban planners, and builders to fundamentally rethink the way they design, locate, regulate and develop homes. We work with developers to deliver new housing products to address the unmet demand for housing choice and walkable living, and we work with communities to analyze local codes, identify barriers, develop solutions, and enable Missing Middle Housing in their communities.

Private Sector Services

Site Planning and Architecture

Meeting the Demand for Walkable Living

At Opticos, we design custom urban housing solutions that are different from anything else on the market. We’ve studied a broad range of market segments and we design the kind of homes that people want today. Our designs are creating walkable, urban neighborhoods that people want to call home. In doing this, we deliver remarkable efficiencies for our clients while developing high-quality living environments for home buyers and renters. Everybody wins.

Signature Housing Products

Unique, Market-Ready Housing Solutions

Through our work designing Missing Middle Housing for clients across the country, we’ve developed a collection of signature housing products ready to meet your needs. With features such as 100% efficient layouts, high quality private and shared outdoor spaces, and an ability to reinforce a strong sense of community, these housing types are attractive to both builders and buyers.

Missing Middle Neighborhoods

Redefining Multifamily Living

We can help you develop a new kind of neighborhood that will attract the growing number of people who prefer to rent, but who don’t want to live in a conventional apartment complex. Some of these folks are just choosing to rent longer, while others are re-entering the rental markets in an effort to downsize. Either way, we can help you build a neighborhood composed entirely of Missing Middle Housing rentals, or a combination of rental and for sale units. Not your ordinary multifamily project or new neighborhood!

Public Sector Services
Information Sheet
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Public Sector Services

Starter Packages

MMH Presentation +
Strategic Advising

Plant the seeds for discussion about housing choice and MMH in your community through a 1.5-day visit to engage decision makers, the development community, and community members. Opticos Design will deliver a formal presentation and lead a tour or participate in targeted small group meetings.

 

MMH Scan™: Analysis +
Definition of Barriers

Opticos Design will broaden understanding of the need for change to foster MMH by analyzing where MMH could apply and reviewing your Comprehensive Plan and existing zoning standards to identify barriers. Opticos Design will present this information in a Memo that is graphically-rich and visual in nature for a variety of audiences.

 

MMH Deep Dive™:
Testing + Solutions

Ready for more? Once the MMH Scan™ is complete, dive deeper with an analysis of what physical form your zoning is allowing on selected sites. The team will propose solutions and identify next steps. Opticos Design will deliver a graphically-rich, user-friendly document to give you a roadmap to success.

 

Citywide Housing Plan: All Housing Types

This includes analysis of policy, plans, zoning, as well as testing for physical and financial feasibility for all types of housing based on defined context. This is great to complete prior to a comprehensive plan, housing element update, or zoning reform efforts to ensure effective delivery of much-needed housing choices citywide.

More Options

Zoning Fixes

Expertise for quick zoning fixes or new custom content

Local Pilot Projects

Site selection, design, entitlement and advising for cities to be proactive and develop a local pilot project

Small Area Planning

Planning services for neighborhoods, corridors, or opportunity sites, such as abandoned malls or brownfield sites

Planning, Zoning, and Policy Analysis

Strategic analysis and advising to inform General / Comprehensive Plan, code update, or policies to deliver housing choice and effective integration

The MMH framework has been absolutely central to our work as we seek to expand housing options and create more age-friendly and livable communities.”

— Danielle Arigoni, Director, Livable Communities, AARP

Opticos worked closely with us to design a beautiful, diverse neighborhood… It’s been a true pleasure working with them to fulfill my vision.”

— Jerry Reimer, Co-founder, Urban Village Development
Want more info? Request a call