The lack of zoning in Houston weakens typological identity in the architecture of the city and precipitate new morphologies in urban form. A formal analysis of commercial development in the residential area of Montrose shows the mixed fabric of the city, both in scale and type. This analysis is the basis of an alternate strategy of suture in the development of the block in the fabric of the city and is applied to housing design. In conclusion, such a strategy is by necessity ad hoc if it is to be responsive to unforeseen growth patterns in a city without zoning.