Midtown Housing Phase I, II, and III

Phase I, II, and III comprise a multi-phase project to provide new healthy housing opportunities as part of an overall neighborhood revitalization. Funds for the project were made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Project Details

• Phase I: Added 22 new 1,300-square-foot, one- and two-story economical duplex housing units. These units are energy-efficient, incorporating both active and passive energy generation and conservation strategies. They are durable, livable, and require minimal maintenance. The design uses an open loft-like planning strategy to accommodate various family types. The duplexes are split and shifted relative to each other, creating private rear yards and shared front yards, each watched over by three units’ front porches.
• Phase II: Developed a new housing typology for Midtown—a courtyard design where all units open to a common secure court. This phase includes six two-bedroom walk-up units organized around a shared court that promotes social interaction and cooperation. Residents watch out for each other, and the court has become a small neighborhood.
• Phase III: Renovated a 5,500 square-foot commercial space, formerly a run-down liquor store, into a community meeting space, UMMC health clinic, and neighborhood barber shop.

Duvall Decker was assisted by Structural Engineering Associates, LLC, Atherton Consulting Engineers, Inc, and BLV Electrical Engineering.

Awards

• 2016 American Architecture Prize – Bronze Award
• 2013 AIA Mississippi Merit Award

Publications

• The New York Times, 2017
• AIA I Look Up Film Challenge, 2017
• PORTICO Jackson, 2012
• Jackson Free Press Eyes on the Street, 2011
• boom Jackson, 2010