The mid-rise apartment building is an appropriate solution for urban housing, since it allows for a good use of urban land as they do not represent high construction and maintenance costs. The re-densification of consolidated urban areas through the insertion of new residential buildings makes possible to take advantage of existing infrastructure and services, and reduce distances. However, increased land use and densities conspire against the achievement of appropriate indoor environments. This article presents the main results of a research project carried out between 2000-2010 aimed at evaluating the design solutions of apartment buildings in Havana –particularly those located in compact urban areas– based on the integration of economic and quality requirements, which would act as a reference for new housing buildings to be projected and built in the consolidated urban fabric of the city.