SUNSET HOUSING

NEW HOUSING VISION FOR THE SUNSET AREA OF SAN FRANCISCO - Housing+ San Francisco 2050 Design Competition 


THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE DENSITY WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND TO PROVIDE AN UPLIFTING DESIGN FOR THE LIVING SPACES. THE "TUNNEL ENTRY" TYPOLOGY IS RE-INVENTED AT A NEW URBAN SCALE WITH A CENTRAL COURTYARD TO INFUSE THIIS IN-FILL CONTEMPORARY MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING WITH AIR AND LIGHT. 
 • THE CENTRAL COURTYARD DISTRIBUTES ALL THE UNITS, PROVIDING THEM WITH MAXIMUM EXPOSURE TO THE FRONT AND BACK WITH CROSS-VENTILATION.
 • THE COURTYARD CONNECTS DIRECTLY THE COMMON OPEN SPACE OF THE ROOF TOP TERRACE TO THE PUBLIC REALM OF THE STREET. 
 • AT THE GROUND FLOOR, THE BUILDING MASSING IS LIFTED UP TO CREATE A POROUS BUILDING THAT PROVIDES A DIRECT VIEW FROM THE STREET TO THE BACKYARD. THIS STRATEGY CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A GRAND PORTAL ENTRY THAT CAN BE DESIGNED AS A FRAGMENT, IN POSSIBLY DIFFERENT STYLES, IN JUXTAPOSITION TO THE BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE. THE NEW ARCHITECTURE BREAKS THE MONOTONY OF THE URBAN FABRIC AND ANIMATES THE PEDESTRIAN’S WALKING EXPERIENCE. 
 • THE COURTYARD (DESIGNED TO PRESERVE THE PRIVACY OF THE UNITS) PROMOTES INTERACTION AND FLOW INTO THE COMMON OPEN SPACE AND ENRICHES THE SOCIAL LIFE WITHIN THE BUILDING. 
 • THIS COURTYARD SCHEME MAXIMIZES AIR AND LIGHT WHICH ARE THE BEST RESOURCES FOR ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY. FOR SUCH A NARROW IN-FILL LOT, THE BUILDING NEEDS TO BE DESIGNED WITH ONLY ONE EXIT TO ACHIEVE AN EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION AND CREATE GENEROUS LIVING UNITS. AS PER CBC, WE CAN HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 3 STORIES AND ROOF TOP WITH ONE EXIT (CBC 1006.2.1, CBC 503.1.4, CBC 505.2). CREATING 1/ 3 AREA MEZZANINE - WHICH DOES NOT COUNT AS A STORY - WE CAN BUILD AN EXTRA LEVEL AND ACHIEVE AIRY LIGHT-FILLED SPACES AND UTILIZE THE BUILDING VOLUME AND HEIGHT. ALL UNITS HAVE 1 ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM AS PER CBC CHAPTER 11A. THE ARCHITECTURE EMPHASIZES THE BAY WINDOW IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY, SHAPING AND MODULATING AT FULL WIDTH THE ENTIRE FACADES. THE VOLUME IS SIMPLE, FINISHED IN VERTICAL SIDING (CEDARWOOD SHOWN); THE ALUMINIUM WINDOWS ARE DOUBLE-HUNG TYPE, IN LIGHT BRONZE ANODIZED COLOR. THE TOWER IS A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF THE OCTAGONAL SHAPE, DERIVED FROM THE BAY WINDOW. THE FACETED OCTAGONAL CONE ROOF IS AN EFFICIENT GEOMETRY FOR THE 360° ORIENTATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR TILES. THE GRAND PORTAL IS PROPOSED IN EXPOSED BOARDFORM CONCRETE.