As Nashville grapples with an explosive growth in population and a consequent strain on its housing market, the city is witnessing a shift from traditional single-family homes to more space-efficient multifamily units. This transition reflects a broader trend seen across various neighborhoods, with places like Germantown experiencing a significant 37.1% rise in home prices in April 2023. Such developments are not just reshaping the skyline but also redefining the community ethos, pushing for a more environmentally conscious and communal living environment.

How can such multifamily housing solutions address both the immediate need for housing and longer-term sustainability goals in booming markets like Nashville?

Paul Doherty, AIA, IFMA Fellow, DFC Senior Fellow, world-renowned architecture leader and Founder of The Digit Group shares his take on the role multifamily housing can play in addressing local and national housing challenges, drawing from his work in innovative multifamily housing solutions that balance density with community needs.

“Now all of a sudden things start to make sense that are measurable against a single family home, which is where you start to get the value of showing real effect on the environment and climate change because now all of a sudden you’re limiting by percentages all of the need of having to spread out rather than have a cluster together,” Doherty said.

Article written by Sonia Gossai