We are urban designers and architects who believe in the transformative power of beautiful, sustainable, walkable communities for all.

Designing Neighborhoods With Purpose.

Working With Purpose-Driven Cities & Developers for 25+ Years.

Culdesac Tempe: A Car-Free Community

NAHB Best in American Living Award, The Game Changer

West Village: Creating a Community on a Greyfield Site

The Best in American Living™ Awards Gold Award for the Best On-The-Boards Community

The Missing Middle Housing Collection™

Redefining What "Home" Means

Featured Projects

All Public Sector Private Sector

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Culdesac Tempe: A Car-Free Neighborhood

Tempe, AZ

The Shoals Master Plan & Architecture

Athens, GA

Missing Middle Housing Neighborhood Toolkit for the Chicago Region

Chicago, IL

Bungalows on the Lake at Prairie Queen: A Missing Middle Neighborhood

Papillion, NE

Vallco Town Center Specific Plan

Cupertino, CA

Downtown Davis Specific Plan + Form-Based Code

Davis, CA

Mews Homes™

South Jordan, Utah

Missing Middle Housing Neighborhood Toolkit for the Chicago Region

Chicago, IL

Vallco Town Center Specific Plan

Cupertino, CA

Downtown Davis Specific Plan + Form-Based Code

Davis, CA

The Shoals Master Plan & Architecture

Athens, GA

Culdesac Tempe: A Car-Free Neighborhood

Tempe, AZ

Bungalows on the Lake at Prairie Queen: A Missing Middle Neighborhood

Papillion, NE

Mews Homes™

South Jordan, Utah

Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today's Housing Crisis

Purchase your copy here

Missing Middle Housing

Walkable, attainable communities people love to call home

Opticos principal Daniel Parolek inspired a new movement for housing choice in 2010 when he introduced the concept of the “missing middle” in American housing. Today, Opticos creates innovative architectural designs to help build walkable communities with unique, diverse housing choices that are attainable for all.

Learn more about Missing Middle Housing

We wrote the seminal book on Form-Based Coding

Read Free Chapter

Zoning codes for
people-centered places

Opticos is a world leader in zoning reform for walkable, sustainable communities. We didn’t create form-based coding, but we’ve been trailblazers in the field for more than 20 years. We are experts in understanding how the form of buildings will shape community spaces, and we can simplify the process of introducing form-based codes with a predictable build-out.

Learn more about Form-Based Codes