All Residential Commercial Institutional Planning Public Space Adaptive Reuse

Five for One

In response to the AIA San Francisco Housing+ Competition, we proposed a new housing type for San Francisco’s Sunset District – one that inserts into a fabric dominated by single family, five junior rowhouses built by developer Henry Doelger. Taking the site of a typical Doelger rowhouse, we imagine that the space traditionally dedicated to a garage would instead be used for a common room. The common room could be a space for work from home or for friends to gather. Instead of paving the front yard setback area in front of the building for a driveway, we imagine a permeable patio with plantings that extends the common space and mediates between home and public way. By siting the entrance at grade and using retaining walls between patio and entry, we make both accessible, while also providing an interior ramp to connect the spaces internally.

Designed to be suitable to Type VA wood construction and code compliant with a single egress stair, our design prioritizes budget while also incorporating a high performance envelope, shading of glazing to mitigate solar gain, and all electric building systems. Adding to the sustainable features of the building, unit sizes are kept small, with the exception of one larger, family sized unit. We locate bike parking and a trash/recycling room on the first floor, with accessible ground floor access for residents. An accessible unit would also be located on the ground floor, lit from backyard glazing, as well as a light well. Overall, the unit mix is a reflection of the current needs of the city, with smaller households, increased accessibility and some family sized apartments. It’s a vision that switches the site from a Junior Five to a Five in One.