Making Mid-Rise Work: Efficiency in Buildings Under 7 Stories

In New York City, buildings under 7 stories offer developers important advantages - lower construction costs, simpler structures, and no Site Safety Plan requirements. But that doesn’t mean the design process is simple.

With zoning envelopes still tight and new affordability requirements in play, every decision needs to serve multiple purposes. Efficiency isn’t just a benefit, it’s a necessity

98% efficiency rate

The City of Yes reforms offer new tools to work with, especially for smaller buildings. Adjustments to the zoning text now make it easier to deduct spaces like hallways, trash rooms, and amenities from floor area calculations - a technical detail that can significantly shift project viability.

In one recent mid-rise project with a 9,400 square foot floorplate, we used these new rules to deduct more than 1,000 square feet. The official zoning floor area came down to 8,150 square feet, but we still delivered 8,000 square feet of usable apartment space. That’s a 98% efficiency rate, made possible by planning with the code, not around it.

Unit design is another major factor. The UAP bonus incentivizes affordable units at 60% AMI, but requires bedroom parity between affordable and market-rate apartments. As a result, we're seeing more compact 2- and 3-bedroom units across the board, and that means tighter layouts throughout the building.

These units still need to meet HPD, zoning, and livability standards, which demands careful attention to dimensions, daylighting, and circulation. More bedrooms may drive value but not if they come at the cost of functionality.

UAP bonuses creating more compact bedrooms

Lot shape and open space requirements add yet another layer. Fortunately, updated rear yard and lot coverage rules allow more flexibility than before. On constrained sites, particularly shallow or irregular lots, we’ve used these adjustments to preserve buildable area and make unit plans pencil out.

Efficiency at this scale isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about understanding how each constraint - zoning, affordability, space - can be used to sharpen the design.

At Meltzer/Mandl, we’ve always believed that constraint leads to clarity. Buildings under 7 stories give us a focused design problem and with the right strategy, they can deliver exceptional performance