Capitol Co-housing

This project explores the potential of single-stair reform in Denver, designed homes that prioritize a high quality of life. Homes range from live-work studios to four-bedroom homes on a compact infill lot with a FAR of 2.8. The homes are organized around a celebrated central stair, which opens at the ground floor to two distinct means of egress.
Denver, CO
Open Competition,
Honorable Mention
20 Homes
2025
A Windy November Day at 1330 Emerson


 Mid-rise, high-quality, and naturally affordable homes are desperately needed in cities to address the housing crisis. Existing developments, constrained by North American building codes, are built as bulking double-loaded structures. These modern buildings are ill-suited to historic parcel lines and come with a cost to quality of life, offering severely limited access to light, air, views, and open space. Reforming building codes unlocks the majority of mid- and small-scale parcels in American cities for infill housing and offers an opportunity to reimagine what urban living can be.

In contrast, single-stair typologies like this project allow a more compact and livable arrangement of homes. The compact typology allows for both a high number of homes and ample communal spaces—something that is typically infeasible on an urban infill site with modern building codes. Socially, the emphasis on communal services–laundry, open space, storage–increases unit efficiency and unlocks opportunities for larger and more frequent gathering. The ground floor includes a communal kitchen and living room, bike room, workshop, garage, and backyard. These areas are designed to replicate the joys of suburban living—spaces for small remodeling projects, woodworking, bike maintenance, and active play for children and pets—while fostering connection in an urban context. 


Building massing organized to capture southern light

Ground floor site plan




Back Alley Collective Courtyard

 The backyard, oriented to let in as much southern daylight as possible, is intentionally set back from the alley, creating a pedestrian- and bike-friendly route that offers an alternative pace to Emerson St. On the rooftop, residents can enjoy city views from a communal laundry room and adjacent drying areas, complemented by an outdoor deck with space for gardening. Together, these shared amenities enhance daily life and strengthen the sense of community among residents.



On typical levels, this stair is enclosed with rated interior glass to maximize natural light throughout the short hall. The stair serves no more than four homes per floor, and the highly efficient floorplate achieves severely reduced maximum travel distances (60’ maximum). Every home is carefully planned to optimize access to light, air, and views, with dual- or triple-aspect layouts in all homes. Over half of the homes feature balconies, with family-sized homes having larger private open spaces. All homes have openings that provide a secondary means of escape. 

To ensure circular affordability for future generations, home re-sales are capped at a fixed rate by deed restrictions. This strategy is common among co-housing where the uniqueness of the ‘product’ mandates an alternative market comparison, creating a condition where the value of a home is tied to its definition as a dwelling rather than market speculation. 





Building section
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4-6
Roof Level




Dual Aspect 2 Bedroom Unit



All 6 stories of the building are constructed as a hybrid of cold-formed steel stud-bearing walls with 5-ply cross-laminated timber floor plates. The absence of a concrete or steel podium and basement saves cost, and the tight floor-to-floor height of CLT (10’) saves on exterior facade costs with no compromise to the interior experience. High-performance exterior walls are wrapped with continuous mineral wool insulation, and thermally broken attachment channels host a lightweight fiber-cement rainscreen of vibrant hues. Exterior balconies are detached from the thermal envelope to mitigate thermal bridging, and the building's porosity of openings and its external shading system encourage passive cooling in the summer. The building is all-electric, with centralized mechanical ventilation and hot water. Heating and cooling are provided via individual in-wall heat pumps, reducing the need for roof mechanical equipment. These systems work to reduce both embodied and operational carbon.

Like many neighborhoods, Capitol Hill was initially parceled in the late 19th century, and while the skinny, long lots worked for single-family homes and post-war low-rise housing, they are ill-suited to contemporary multifamily construction, which relies on lot accumulation to build at scale (and thus at cost). Legalizing mid-rise PABs would immediately unlock these Denver lots. Capitol Co-housing illustrates how a high quality of life is compatible with density, and has the potential for replicability. By demonstrating a balance of private comfort, shared amenities, and long-term affordability, this project offers a scalable solution for Denver neighborhoods striving to create equitable and carbon-neutral housing.
Common room
Afternoon View of Emerson St. Facade

Life Safety Analysis



  • Fire rated glass enclosure to stairwell.
  • Natural light to stairwell and corridor.
  • Maximum four homes per floor.
  • All homes have openings that serve as secondary means of escape.
  • Automatic opening vents in stairwell. 
Urban Housing Typologies Over Time



  • Our proposal balances efficiency with access to daylight, parking, common spaces, open space, and the need for increased density.




Urban Block Evolution



  • The proposal could be sited on any of the thousands of typical lots in Denver. Filling or densifying parcels with high quality homes, and forming a network of new private open spaces connected to walkable and bike friendly service alleys.




Skylit Central Stair With Rooftop Laundry











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