The landscape architects developed an overall site strategy to contain and maximize the infiltration of rainwater into the sandy site soils, critical for a city with a combined sewer and stormwater system. The wood was dried and fabricated locally and finished with a low VOC sealant. Locally sourced black basalt gravel lines drainage areas under the benches, at the perimeter of the building, and between the joints of the courtyard unit pavers, which are also fabricated in California. Wheelchair access is thoughtfully incorporated in the courtyard through cantilevered tables and spaces adjacent to and across from benches.The Monterey cypress logs used to fabricate the benches and block seats are reclaimed from urban forests throughout San Francisco. With roughly one-third of the building’s residents in wheelchairs, the landscape architects also took care to provide full accessibility in their design. The custom courtyard furnishings, which include the tables, a built-in barbeque with counter, benches and woodblock seats, are designed to be elegant, comfortable, and extremely durable. IMAGE CREDIT: Bruce Damonte IMAGE CREDIT: Bruce Damonte These design features help to connect the residents to one another in a healing environment. An exterior stairwell, semi-enclosed by native grapevine trellises, exits into the courtyard and fosters chance encounters between residents. Large windows at the counseling rooms are treated with a translucent scrim which creates a visual link with the courtyard while maintaining privacy for the residents. A large community room, where meals are sometimes served and classes and gatherings may occur, opens directly onto the large patio space with two large sliding NanaWalls, doubling the program area. Four floors of studios look down onto the courtyard below. The entrance lobby connects to the courtyard through a large window that one encounters upon entering the building. The experience of these outdoor gardens permeates the daily life of the residents and staff through various layers of transparency. Five stories above the courtyard, a roof deck offers another healing space for residents with seating areas, succulent gardens, raised beds for vegetable gardening, and a green roof with sedums. Giant chain ferns, Japanese painted ferns, western sword fern, and wood sorrel help to create the atmosphere of a verdant oasis they are durable, low-maintenance, and adaptable to the extreme solar conditions of full sun and deep shade. The fan palms interspersed throughout the courtyard complement the narrow, vertical nature of the space and playfully engage with the residences on the floors above and the existing mural that forms the south face of the courtyard. A large patio with custom tables, benches and barbeque allows for flexible, communal gatherings, while more private areas provide seating for smaller groups or individual contemplation. The courtyard accommodates multiple types of uses within a single space. Julian and Raye Richardson, who founded the first African American-owned bookstore in the United States, where they strove to empower African Americans through critical discussion, education, and politics.Ī lush, central courtyard forms the heart of the building, providing a respite from the tough streets on which residents once lived. IMAGE CREDIT: Andrea Cochran Landscape Architectureįinanced by multiple public agencies, two non-profit housing organizations partnered to develop and maintain this five-story building on a former parking lot, a site that had initially been cleared by the collapse of the Central Freeway in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.The apartments are named for Drs. In addition to their individual studios, each with a full bathroom and kitchenette, residents enjoy common amenities such as a large courtyard garden, a roof deck, laundry facilities, a lounge, and a large community room – all fully accessible to people with disabilities. The 120-unit, GreenPoint-Rated building offers supportive services such as a counselling center, an on-site medical suite, a job training program, and employment opportunities through the building’s bakery and cafés. Julian and Raye Richardson Apartments provide a dignified new home for formerly homeless adults. On a half-acre site in an up-and-coming San Francisco neighborhood, the Drs.
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