The In-Between House

Ezequiel Alvarenga & Benjamin Mendoza
Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, University of Houston

“This proposal creatively combines and reinterprets local Charlotte vernacular components to create a flexible and comfortable living environment. The design successfully integrates natural ventilation, thermal control, and water collection through the assembly of the modular components, operable walls, and flexible conditioned and unconditioned areas. A delightful living experience.” 

—Rod Kruse, FAIA

This hybrid housing proposal for Charlotte, North Carolina, operates in between multiple architectural typologies, environments, and social arrangements. It presents a modular, climate-responsive system that integrates social flexibility with long-term economic performance. The design draws from local vernacular elements—particularly the front porch, ventilation stack, and breezeway—and reinterprets permeability as both a socio-spatial and environmental strategy. Organized as an ADU–PDU shared living scenario, the project is defined by three vertical stacks that frame a porous “in-between” space mediating environment, habitation, and collective life. Operable walls and semi-conditioned zones allow residents to open or enclose spaces as needed, extending domestic life outdoors while leveraging passive cooling. The framework establishes the project as an adaptable system capable of evolving with its occupants and environment.