Armstrong Senior Affordable Housing, Apartments, BRIDGE Housing, Green, HUD, LEED, San Francisco, Senior Housing, Shop
San Francisco, California

Located in San Francisco’s Bayview District, this affordable senior housing complex is served by a nearby stop of the Third Street Rail, the new Muni line. These four levels of senior housing above neighborhood-serving retail are part of a larger trend of transit-oriented development along this corridor, and will catalyze future such projects, bringing density, variety and services to the area. Armstrong Senior Housing is a HUD 202 project.

To reflect the historically African-American population of the neighborhood, the color palette is drawn from traditional African textiles—the deep indigos and bright accents of Ghanian dutch wax resist fabrics—which along with the window placement, appears to wrap the public face of the building in an interlocking “quilt” of color and pattern. The private side is cloaked in the more subdued tones drawn from the earthy hues of Malian mudcloth.

The residences—predominantly studios and one-bedroom units—enclose a courtyard and sit atop commercial space set to house shops, senior services, a library, and a community center. The unique landscaping—vegetated bioswales along the street and mews, and a courtyard rain garden—does double-duty, adding green areas and creating miniature wetlands that manages runoff, easing the burden on the city's combined stormwater and sewage system.

This project is being designed and built to a LEED Gold standard, with healthy interiors for senior residents. Photovoltaic arrays will provide solar electric power and domestic hot water.

Parking is reduced to realistically reflect the auto-ownership of the population and capture additional square footage for retail services. There is a car-share pod with two available vehicles as well as secure bicycle parking. The retail space features a dedicated shower and changing area, to facilitate bicycle commuting.

The senior housing shares a block with Armstrong Place, an affordable family townhouse development also designed by David Baker + Partners. The two projects are separated by a landscaped public pedestrian way.

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awards

Builder's Choice Merit Award—Best Affordable/Workforce Housing
Builder Magazine
Design for Aging Review Merit Award
AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community
2011 Best Projects
Engineering News-Record
AIA Housing Award
American Institute of Architects

publications

Iconoclast of Design

project details

Client

BRIDGE Housing

Affiliated Government Agency

San Francisco Redevelopment Agency

Affiliated Government Agency

HUD

Architect

David Baker + Partners

Associate Architect

Full-Circle Design Group

Structural Engineer

Structural Design Engineers

Electrical Engineer

Bhatia Associates

Lighting Designer

Horton Lees Brogden

Geotech Engineer

Treadwell + Rollo

Mechanical/Plumbing Engineer

Tommy Siu + Associates

Acoustical Engineer

Wilson Ihrig + Associates

Solar Contractor

Sun Light & Power

Contractor

Nibbi Brothers General Contractors

Civil Engineer

Luk + Associates

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