We are urban designers and architects who believe in the transformative power of beautiful, sustainable, walkable communities for all.
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.
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.
We Can Help By
Featured Projects
Daybreak Mews Homes™
South Jordan, Utah
Vallco Town Center Specific Plan
Cupertino, CA
Town Square and Beachfront Master Plan
Seaside, Florida
Citywide Place Types Strategy and Form-Based Code
Cincinnati, Ohio
Prairie Queen Missing Middle Neighborhood
Omaha, Nebraska
Think Big, Think Small
Richmond, California
Sustainable Growth Strategy and Code
Akanda, Gabon, Africa
Multijurisdictional Place Types & Coding Strategy
Beaufort County, South Carolina
Vallco Town Center Specific Plan
Cupertino, CA
Citywide Place Types Strategy and Form-Based Code
Cincinnati, Ohio
Think Big, Think Small
Richmond, California
Sustainable Growth Strategy and Code
Akanda, Gabon, Africa
Daybreak Mews Homes™
South Jordan, Utah
Town Square and Beachfront Master Plan
Seaside, Florida
Prairie Queen Missing Middle Neighborhood
Omaha, Nebraska
Sustainable Growth Strategy and Code
Akanda, Gabon, Africa
Recent Awards
Kaua’i General Plan Outstanding Planning Award
Kaua'i General Plan
Kaua’i, HI
FBCI Driehaus Form-Based Code Award
Nashville Downtown Code
Nashville, TN
Latest From Opticos
On the boards:What we're working on
Form-Based Code Analysis
Iowa City, Iowa
RiverHouse Cottage Court
Healdsburg, California
Downtown Visioning & Form-Based Code
Rohnert Park, California
Prairie Queen Missing Middle Neighborhood
Omaha, Nebraska
Enable Missing Middle Housing in Your Town
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. Missing Middle Housing is a transformative concept that highlights the need for diverse, affordable housing choices in sustainable, walkable places. Since then, Opticos has worked with communities across the country to navigate the process of analyzing local codes, clearly identifying barriers, and developing solutions to enable Missing Middle Housing. Based on that work, we are excited to announce three new service packages. Download an overview of these new packages designed to Enable Missing Middle Housing in Your Town.
Rebuilding for Those in Need: Opticos Designs for Wildfire Cottage Initiative
In October of 2017, wildfires in Northern California burned at least 245,000 acres and over 5,000 acres in Sonoma County alone. Since then, Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County has explored ways to expand its programs across the board to serve households displaced by October’s devastating wildfires, including its latest initiative: the Sonoma Wildfire Cottages. Opticos is proud to be part of the team, led by Marianne Cusato, renowned designer of the Katrina Cottage, and the Cypress Community Development Corporation selected by Sonoma Habitat, to design and build a series of model cottages on the Fountaingrove campus of Medtronic in Santa Rosa, California.
Akanda SmartCode: Coding for Sustainability in Developing Countries
Sustainable development sits at the heart of President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s vision for the future of the Central African country of Gabon. In 2012, President Ondimba commissioned The Prince’s Foundation, along with Opticos and an international team of experts, to draft an Akanda Masterplan and SmartCode with the intent to establish a sustainable framework for the growth of Akanda, a 3,000-acre site at the northern edge of Gabon’s capital, Libreville, and adjacent to Akanda National Park, a lush, natural habitat of coastal mangroves, mudflats, wetlands, and patches of verdant forest.