Cúre & Penabad develops mixed-use housing unit in Overtown
PROJECT PEACH is a mixed-use infill development by Cúre & Penabad located along NW 14th Street in Overtown, Miami. Conceived in response to the city’s intersecting challenges of housing affordability, climate resilience, and urban density, the project proposes a compact building type that integrates community-serving programs with affordable housing on a small urban parcel.
The project occupies a 3,500-sqft site, approximately half the size of a typical residential lot in Miami, and introduces a model largely absent from the city’s contemporary development patterns: a mixed-use residential building on a narrow infill site. Developed as the new headquarters for CATALYST Miami, a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening grassroots networks, the building combines micro-retail at ground level, office and communal spaces on the second floor, and three affordable housing units above.
Overtown, historically one of Miami’s most significant Black neighborhoods, experienced prolonged decline following mid-20th-century infrastructure and land-use policies that disrupted its urban fabric. PROJECT PEACH positions small-scale development as a means of reinvestment, using architectural form and programmatic density to support community presence rather than displacement. Affordable housing is treated as a core design component rather than a secondary addition, directly integrated with spaces dedicated to local services and employment.
all images courtesy of Cúre & Penabad
PROJECT PEACH organizes living, working, and civic functions
The building is organized around a compact courtyard, a typology that supports natural ventilation, daylight access, and informal social interaction. This spatial strategy reduces reliance on mechanical systems while creating shared interior-exterior conditions suited to Miami’s climate. The vertical stacking of uses enables incremental density within a limited footprint, offering an alternative to development models that prioritize large parcels and high-end residential programs.
By placing affordable housing above community-oriented uses, the project reinforces proximity between living, working, and civic activity. This arrangement supports residents seeking to remain in Overtown while maintaining access to services, transit, and employment opportunities. The project’s scale and configuration establish a framework that can be adapted to other underutilized sites throughout the city.
PROJECT PEACH by creative studio Cúre & Penabad presents affordable housing as an element of civic infrastructure, embedded within a climate-responsive and socially engaged architectural approach. Through its compact form, mixed-use program, and courtyard-based organization, the project proposes a replicable infill strategy aligned with long-term urban, environmental, and community objectives in Miami.
PROJECT PEACH is a mixed-use infill building located along NW 14th Street in Overtown, Miami
architectural density is achieved through vertical stacking rather than large parcels
the project responds to housing affordability, climate resilience, and urban density within a compact footprint
the building is organized around a compact interior courtyard
the courtyard supports daylight access and cross-ventilation in a dense urban setting
shared interior-exterior spaces respond to Miami’s climate conditions
affordable housing is integrated as a central architectural element of the project
community-oriented uses are positioned directly beneath residential spaces
PROJECT PEACH presents a courtyard-based infill strategy for mixed-use affordable housing
project info:
name: PROJECT PEACH – Affordable housing for Miami
architects: Cúre & Penabad | @cureandpenabad
design team: Adib Cúre, Carie Penabad, Ivonne Davila, Gray Burke, Juan Chinchilla, Teagan Polizzi, Eddie Guzman
location: Miami, Florida, US
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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