Thursday, January 14, 2010
06:59 AMAffordable housing makes a good impression thanks to thoughtful new buildings that are bringing good design to the masses.
An industry once solely controlled by the federal government, the business of building affordable housing has become increasingly privatized as funding for agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development has been slashed over the past quarter century (HUD’s projected 2010 budget is less than half of what it was in 1978). While the responsibility has shifted over the years, so have ideas about the importance of good design. Instead of inheriting the government’s focus on quantity over quality, today’s non-profits and private developers are insisting that well-executed architecture not only improves the lives of the inhabitants, but the communities in which it is built. California developers are teaming up with architecture firms known for their contemporary—even avant-garde—structures, in order to create new homes that are not only affordable but exceptionally designed.
Studio 15, San Diego
What was once a dark and deserted block in downtown San Diego, a place where the busses and trains make their very last stop before they turn around and head back into the more lively parts of town, has become a shining example of the potential of well-designed affordable housing. “This building has literally become a new beacon of light in that neighborhood,” says Carrier Johnson+Culture’s David Gonzalez, the project designer for Studio 15, a new single-room-occupancy complex that offers 275 of units furnished with a twin bed, built-in desk, chair, flat screen TV with DVD player, armoire, private bathroom and efficiency kitchen. Housing Development Partners in partnership with Affirmed Housing Group commissioned architecture firm Carrier Johnson+Culture to design the building, which features a conceptual and colorful design that was inspired by the De Stijl art movement, part of a 25-year-long effort to create more SRO-style housing as an option for low-income residents in San Diego, where zoning regulations were changed in 1986 to make it easier for such projects to be built.
At Studio 15, glowing blue lanterns and a four-story back-lit glass wall featuring Mondrian-esque shapes re-energize the once-dismal street, while equally impressive interior elements are a treat for the residents: Rooms are designed with views of the cityscape, a theater, lounge and full-size community kitchen with contemporary furnishings and fixtures, and naturally ventilated public spaces, such as elevated open-air walkways and a private courtyard, proudly displays the building’s theme colors of red, blue and yellow and offers residents a place to enjoy the outdoors. “Our intention was to fill this building with friendly spaces,” says Gonzalez, “And infuse the area with new life.”
Mission Walk, San Francisco
When Richard Stacy of Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects was asked by Bridge Housing to design 131 for-sale condominiums and townhomes in San Francisco’s newly redeveloped Mission Bay neighborhood, his challenge was immediately clear. The waterfront site was surrounded by shiny new market-rate condos, boasting everything from ultra-green design to expansive views of the city and the Bay, and Stacy’s building had to fit right in, while remaining affordable. “Given the location we knew we needed to come up with an exceptional design,” says Stacy of the Mission Walk development, which is priced to be affordable for people making 80 to 100 percent of the area median income (less than $94,300 for a family of four). Stacy divided the units between two buildings, five stories each, and opted for two-story town homes on the ground floor rather than oversize flats. “Nobody likes their bedroom to face a street, and more front doors means more interaction with the neighborhood,” explains Stacy.
Two lobbies feature large murals displaying artifacts, maps and photos embedded within 3-Form panels, while the main stairwells are screened by similar panels featuring Ginko leaves. “It links the streetscape and the courtyard to the interior,” says Stacy. As with all of this developer’s projects, a connection with the outdoors and long-tern livability were high priorities. Stacy not only made sure each unit had plenty of windows but gave nearly all of them a private patio. Rooms are spacious with adequate storage, and the building features a host of green design elements that have it on track to receive LEED-Silver certification. “As often happens with low-income units, the folks who get to move in end up staying for a very long time,” says Stacy, “We designed a building that would allow these families to grow and change.”
Ashby Lofts, Oakland
“It’s true that there’s a stigma that goes along with affordable housing,” says Kava Massih, of Kava Massih Architects, “We all agreed that it was important that this building didn’t perpetuate that.” To that end, Massih admits that he proposed some ideas to the developer, Affordable Housing Associates, that probably wouldn’t have made it past the planning stage, had he been working with a organization that didn’t share his philosophies about design. “The first thing I said was that each and every one of the 54 units had to have both north-and south-facing windows,” says Massih. “Because who doesn’t feel better on a sunny day?” In order to achieve his goal, Massih had to design four separate structures, which he connected with open-air walkways clad in wood. The same wood slats repeat in the naturally ventilated main foyer, creating a welcoming, cabin-like public space for residents and visitors.
Inside the one-, two-and three-bedroom units, which rent for $455 to $1,062 per month, double-height living spaces and bold colors further dispel notions about what affordable looks and feels like. Massih also employed extensive eco-friendly elements throughout the building, such as recycled-content flooring materials, no-VOC paint, a hydronic hot-water system and photovoltaic panels on the roof, which will substantially lower the residents’ gas and electricity bills. “It seems to me that many affordable housing developers have a more holistic approach to designing a home,” says Massih, who points to the enclosed green space and playground that is in clear view of the building’s laundry room and the brand new Berkeley Bowl just down the street. “We’ve really been able to turn this area, which was an abandoned industrial site, into a thriving new community.”
