The suburban development pattern has displaced urbanism in the United States resulting in sprawl and a number of negative environmental, financial, health and social consequences; however, an emerging restructuring of the national demographic and economic profile suggest the need for a return to urbanism. In architectural discourse, urbanists have thoroughly documented the consequences of the suburban present and envisioned an urban future. This urban future is largely based on the analysis of precedent, i.e. historic urban neighborhoods; yet, less than adequate attention has been devoted to the design of appropriate dwellings for this urban future.
This thesis identifies the attributes and characteristics of certain archetypal urban dwellings useful to the design of new urban dwellings, such as the private gardens of ancient courtyard houses and the built-in furnishings of early American homes. These design principles are then applied to the design of an apartment building to be located on the site of the recently demolished Schiel School in Corryville, Cincinnati. The design seeks to fulfill an emerging market demand for compact and dense residential rental properties in vibrant urban districts. This demand originates with the young professionals and active retirees whose lifestyle is no longer compatible with the suburban paradigm.