The 63,000-square foot (5,850 metre) project – called Tahanan, the Tagalog word for “coming home” – was completed in November 2021 through a financing prototype that aimed to accelerate the timeline and reduce the cost of permanent supportive housing.
Modules make up the social housing in San Francisco
“This is a particularly meaningful project for our team, because it provides homes to formerly unhoused people, along with the services they need to thrive,” said David Baker Architects (DBA) principal Daniel Simons.
The six-storey project stacks 87 two-unit boxes – fabricated by Factory OS in nearby Vallejo – atop a concrete podium that contains a flexible community room, in-house social services, and tenant retail space.
The six-storey project stacks 87 two-unit boxes
David Baker Architects designed the modules with an angled end that creates a sawtooth facade along the project’s western edge, orienting the 290-square foot (27-square metre) apartments toward downtown San Francisco, rather than the adjacent judicial complex.
The compact units contain only the necessities — a bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom – and rely on the support services and amenities of the building and surrounding neighbourhood to fill out the rest of the residents’ living spaces.
Only the necessities are included in the compact units
“The site is in the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural District, established to preserve the cultural diversity of the area by highlighting the culture and contributions of the Filipino American community,” the studio said.
Simons noted the team’s interaction with the local community group SOMA Pilipinas group “had a direct and strong influence on the patterns, textures and colors of the project, especially the exterior and the public spaces.”
The raked facade is clad in weathering steel
The raked facade was clad in copper-coloured weathering steel and silver aluminium panels perforated to resemble a rice terrace. Additionally, the ground floor concrete was cast using traditional banig mats to create a handwoven texture.
Balancing security with transparency through layered glazed spaces, the ground floor opens to a rainbow mural-lined courtyard designed by Fletcher Studio.
David Baker Architects added a rainbow mural-lined courtyard to the ground floor
“This interplay facilitates social connection and offers visual links across the varied spaces, including a peek into the life of the building from the street,” the studio said.
The design utilises best practices that both the studio and the developer, Mercy Housing, have found through years of supportive housing design to help residents feel safe and welcome.
The design works to help residents feel safe
“Tahanan integrates those best practices into a beautiful space where residents feel comfortable,” said Mercy Housing’s real estate director Barbara Gualco.
“The fully-equipped apartment homes, calm and private case management offices, and spacious communal areas provide an excellent foundation for residents to build towards their personal goals.”
Tahanan intends to tackle San Francisco’s homelessness crisis
The project’s goal – to provide people with secure housing as quickly as possible to combat California’s homelessness crisis – was expedited through the use of philanthropic funding from Tipping Point Community and the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund.
The use of modular construction reduced the project’s timeline from the average five to seven years to three. The prefabricated modules were installed onsite in just 10 days.
“Another gratifying aspect of the project was being able to meet aggressive goals of reduced cost per unit along with an accelerated schedule to occupancy,” said DBA modular lead Jonas Weber.
“These goals often work against one another, and the development, design and construction teams were collectively committed to defying conventional wisdom.”
The use of modular construction reduced the project’s timeline
The studio recently released a monograph that outlines its methodology for creating social housing.
The studio, with offices in San Francisco, Oakland, and Birmingham maintains that affordable housing should be indistinguishable from market-rate housing and has constructed a number of social projects like a convex, tile-clad micro-unit development in nearby Hayes Valley.
Developers: Mercy Housing California, Tipping Point Financial partner: San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund Architect: David Baker Architects Custom furnishings: DBA_Workshop, Pacassa Studio Custom rainscreen: BOK Modern General contractor: Cahill Contractors Modular fabricator: Factory_OS Landscape architect: Fletcher Studio Structural engineer: DCI Engineers MEP engineer: FARD Engineers Civil engineer: Luk + Associates
As GCR readers in many countries prepare for Christmas and New Year holidays, we offer a list of our most-read stories of 2022 as a way of reflecting on another… The post What you cared about most: See the most-read GCR stories of 2022 appeared first on Global Construction Review.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Post comments (0)