Ross Chapin Architects

07/29/2026

Work continued this past weekend on plastering Neal Collins and Alissa Collins' slip-straw sauna house. We worked with a recipe of 8 parts fine silica sand, 6-parts lime, ¼ part construction glue (like Elmer’s), two big handfuls of finely sifted straw pieces, and enough water to make it like think mud.
A fun day working side-by-side with old and new friends!

06/29/2026

Some days remind you that building is about much more than buildings.

Yesterday, old friends and new gathered at Neal Collins and Alissa Collins' home to help pack slip straw into the walls of their new sauna, under the guidance of Eli Adadow of Ancient Earth Building. Muddy hands, shared knowledge, laughter, good food on the grill, and a birthday celebration for Neal made for one of those memorable Whidbey Island days.

There's something deeply satisfying about creating a place together—one handful of straw, one conversation, one shared meal at a time.

06/05/2026

As housing costs continue to rise, more people are exploring ways to live more affordably—and more connectedly.

This KUOW story looks at two Seattle-area cohousing efforts and the growing interest in creating neighborhoods that support both community and housing affordability.

With housing costs out of reach for many people in Seattle, more city residents are thinking about going in with friends to buy homes together.

04/13/2026

Many people are familiar with A PATTERN LANGUAGE by Christopher Alexander — published nearly 50 years ago and the most widely-read architecture book of all time.

It’s an inspiring book that is often left on the shelf. But the real power is not just the book itself — it’s the process.

In the next Small Bites session with the Incremental Development Alliance, Ross Chapin will explore how patterns can act as the DNA of living places, bringing deeper internal structure to your projects — guiding practical design decisions from planning streets and parking to shared space, building placement, and the subtle details that shape everyday life.

📅 TUESDAY April 14 | 12–1 PM Central
See link in comments

02/21/2026

In a thoughtful article in the Social Life Project website, Fred Kent looks closely at what’s unfolding in Delray Beach, Florida — a community he knows well — where garage-forward townhomes have replaced front doors and porches. He makes a clear case for walkable streets, human-scaled neighborhoods, and the social infrastructure that helps community work.

I especially appreciate Fred’s generous mention of my pocket neighborhood work in the article.

Fred is the founder of Project for Public Spaces and The Social Life Project, and has long been a leading voice for placemaking in towns and cities around the world.

Link in comments.

02/12/2026

Good design matters—but it’s not the whole story.

This Week 3 session of the IncDev Book Club looks beyond buildings to the social infrastructure that makes community work: the tools and practices that support trust, belonging, and long-term neighborhood health.

📅 Thursday, February 12
🕚 11:00 a.m. CT
Link below

02/10/2026

How do young people actually get started as homeowners today?

I just listened to an episode of Messy City Podcast, hosted by Kevin Klinkenberg, and it raises questions many of us are sensing but not always naming.

The average age of a first-time homebuyer is now over 40. The average age of all buyers is around 60. That tells us something fundamental has shifted—and not in a good way.

Kevin talks candidly about starter homes: what they used to be, why they’ve disappeared, and what new paths might look like—whether through shared housing, house-hacking, courtyard living, or regulatory changes that make it easier for everyday people to participate again.

These are conversations we need to be having—locally, honestly, and with a willingness to rethink assumptions.

Have a listen.

—Ross

Listen now | Thinking about starter homes, house hacking, and how to get more people into ownership

02/05/2026

The conversation continues: join us for IncDev Book Club Week 2 where we discuss ‘Contemporary Pocket Neighborhoods: What Actually Works in Practice?”
Thursday February 5 — 11a-12p Central Time
https://www.incrementaldevelopment.org/events/bookclub-pn2

02/03/2026

We all want a sense of community — but it doesn’t happen by accident.

Ross recently joined Kevin Klinkenberg on his podcast The Messy City for a conversation about community-scaled housing and what helps shared places actually work.

They talk about pocket neighborhoods and cottage courts, but also about the small, everyday design choices that shape how people live together — feeling both connected and private, safe and at ease.

The conversation reflects a core idea in Ross’s work: that strong communities grow from human-scaled design, and that small details often make the biggest difference.

🎧 A Conversation with Ross Chapin
https://kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-ross-chapin