Formerly a parking lot on the southeast corner of Fulton and Gough streets, the Drs. Julian + Raye Richardson Apartments has risen on one of the sites freed for development by the demolition of the collapsed Central Freeway. In the heart of San Francisco, this five-story mixed-use building provides permanent, supportive studio apartments for very-low-income formerly unhoused residents, many with mental and physical disabilities.

The project is part of the Market + Octavia Neighborhood Plan, which aims to create a dense transit-oriented neighborhood with housing over retail and streets that are friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.

 

 

365 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (map it)

18,906 sq ft

120 units

65,419 sq ft

$26.8 million

David Baker Architects

Cahill Contractors

The residents’ entrance on Fulton Street features a spacious lobby with a reception station. Beyond the lobby, the south-facing courtyard frames an expansive existing mural—a paint-and-glass mosaic of dancers on the side of the Performing Arts garage. Four levels of fully equipped studio apartments sit atop common spaces surround the private landscaped courtyard. The first big move was programmatic: Eliminate parking on-site parking. Based on the transit-oriented location and anticipated low car ownership of residents, the choice was made to forgo parking. This freed both space and funds to maximize the number of homes and include an on-site medical and counseling suite to directly support residents.

An iconic swooping corner clad in zinc and hardwood draws the eye toward the main retail and residential entries and stands as a symbol for the entire building, the balance of which is clad with durable, practical materials such as stucco and cement plaster.

This prominent corner is home to a busy social-venture bakery that serves the neighborhood and provides training and jobs available to building tenants and disabled neighborhood residents. A row of retail spaces connects the building to the nearby neighborhood retail corridor. These spaces enjoy a 15-foot ceiling, shade and signage space for their entries, and broad glazing to bring in daylight and display wares and services. Along both public edges, well-lit sidewalks, permeable paving, plantings, and bike racks contribute to a safe, people-friendly streetscape.

Balancing independence and security, the ground level includes a monitored dual-door lobby, offices, the medical and counseling clinic, courtyard, lounge, program rooms, kitchen, and laundry. These rooms are grouped together for convenience of use, and the community rooms open widely to the central courtyard to form a flexible indoor-outdoor gathering space. In the courtyard, an open-air stair reduces reliance on the elevator and encourages walking and interaction between residents.

This lobby has views through to the central courtyard and other shared spaces, offering a glimpse of the inner life of the building. The south-facing courtyard frames an expansive existing mosaic of dancers on the side of the neighboring garage. Rather than building to obscure this mural, the building was configured to allow the art-covered wall to serve as the back wall of the property, incorporating the colorful large-scale piece into the building’s central courtyard.

The high-density development had a big open-space requirement, which was realized by complementing the courtyard with a roof deck that includes a living roof, urban agriculture, and gathering spaces. A range of outdoor social spaces throughout the building allow residents to gather outside of their apartments without loitering on the street.

September 2011

Public Private Partnership

HomeRise
Mercy Housing California