Proposal to address housing crisis calls for converting offices to micro-apartments

A recent proposal from the Pew Charitable Trusts and architecture firm Gensler would convert vacant office buildings into residences of micro-apartments to help alleviate the housing crisis.

The units would be no larger than 150 sf. Living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry facilities would be shared with others on the same floor.

Roughly 20% of office buildings in the U.S. are still vacant four years after the COVID pandemic sparked a rush to work-from-home practices. That percentage is much higher in some cities, providing opportunities to boost the housing supply.

The proposal addresses challenges to convert office space to housing. By concentrating plumbing and kitchens in the center of each floor—where they are located in many offices—rather than in each unit, saves about 25-35% of construction costs compared to other office-to-residential conversions, the proposal asserts. Individual units would be narrow and deep with a large window. 

The apartments appeal to specific cohorts such as elderly residents who may no longer be able to live at home, people who recently relocated to a new city, and governments looking for an affordable shelter for homeless residents. Residents would pass through security and only have access to their own floors.