TOGETHER : A PORTFOLIO OF
MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING
7 IDEAS ON HOUSING
1. SPECIFICITY
We are opportunists.
Each project begins with a careful investigation of the uniqueness of its setting: culture, climate, geography, built context, and landscape.
We seek the idiosyncratic and particular.
Our work rejects generic solutions, grounding itself instead in the specifics of place.
2. PLACEMAKING
The act of building is primarily concerned with the creation of places for people. Community results from collective spaces that invite shared participation.
Our buildings define the public realm, shape open spaces, mark thresholds, and create transitions.
3. RECLAIMING
The accommodation of the automobile at the expense of almost all else characterizes most contemporary planning.
Our site plans insist that cars be convenient but contained, balancing their impact with other considerations.
Where possible, parking areas are co-opted for other uses — becoming plazas, groves, marketplaces, play yards.
4. ALCHEMY
The chief aim of alchemy—a pseudo-science practiced in the Middle Ages—was to turn base metals into gold. As modern-day architects/ alchemists, we embrace the ordinary programs, left-over sites, and modest construction budgets of our practice, seeking to extract extraordinary and memorable results.
5. POSSIBILITY
We strive to create buildings and public spaces that transcend program to provide comfortable places for living.
Ideally, our buildings anticipate and accommodate change, reuse, and adaptation.
We offer them as “frameworks” to inhabit, as places of possibility.
6. ENERGY
We find that buildings that respond to climate create both environmental benefits and more uplifting places to inhabit. We employ simple, time-honored techniques that reduce energy consumption and connect people to the natural phenomena of their place.
7. CHOREOGRAPHY
Choreography involves planning arranged movement through space. We arrange paths of movement through sequential or serial space to enhance the experience of occupation.
We favor mystery over expediency, preferring discovery through visual contrast, tactility, sound, and temperature.
7th & Robinson
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
7th and Robinson Lofts is 16 studio loft units set on a small corner parcel in the vibrant San Diego neighborhood of Hillcrest. Units are characterized by simple, flexible, highvolume living spaces supported by a service bar containing the kitchen, bathroom, utilities, storage, and a loft suitable for sleeping. The project utilized city offered density bonuses for micro-units and provides one rent-restricted affordable housing unit. The ground floor has a single shopkeeper unit suitable for live/work or commercial use, services, and parking for 6 cars.
The design premise was to orient stacks of units north (to Hillcrest) and south (to Balboa Park) sharing an open corridor between them. An open and celebrated stair comes to the corner and invites participation with the rich pedestrian experiences of the neighborhood. Cars and services are tucked back from the active street edge.
COMPLETION: 2023
AREA: 10,505 square feet
COST: $2.75 million
AWARDS: Icon Award Finalist for Best Architectural Design of a Multifamily Community, Building Industry Association of San Diego
Amanecer Apartments
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
This 96 unit affordable housing development brings much needed modern housing units to the Linda Vista community’s dated housing stock. Located on a 1.47 acre site adjacent to the Community Park, Ulric Family Apartments makes the most of its parkside location, orienting the building and its public spaces towards the park. The C-shape configuration of the building creates a central courtyard that is a hub of family activity and includes multi-use open spaces for gathering and socializing, including a BBQ and dining area, a play structure for kids and a citrus orchard. The open space is ringed with resident amenity spaces, including a fitness room, laundry, computer room, community room and kitchen.
The 4 story building presents itself to Ulric Street with a textured façade of fibercement panels and a wrap-around canopy surrounding the entrance and main stair with a bright accent color. The open air lobby allows a peek through the building and connects to a feature stair which descends to the central courtyard beyond.
The building sits up slightly above street level, allowing the parking garage to slip underneath the building and discreetly hide cars from sight. The main residential wings of the building are simple, white plaster boxes that sit atop an overhanging concrete podium, allowing tuck under parking along the north and south edges. The podium overhang also creates an arcade providing shade along the south facing façade of the central courtyard. Upper residential levels include open ended corridors providing daylight and natural ventilation. At level 4 the corridor terminates in a large, sunny terrace overlooking the park.
COMPLETION: 2023
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA: 128,260 square feet
COST: $28.2 million
AWARDS:
Icon Award Finalist for Best Affordable Housing Community of the Year, Building Industry Association of San Diego
Archer Studios
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Archer Studios is a 42 unit single-room-occupancy (SRO) development located near the San Jose International Airport. Targeted to house hourly wage service workers, the design reaches beyond basic affordable shelter by providing a place that fosters dignity, security and community among its residents.
The project is a model of efficiency and sustainability. Units were required to be under 300 sq. ft. — prompting the design team to study cruise ship cabins and European pieda-terre apartments as models. “Rethinking Small” resulted in light-filled, high ceilinged studios with well-appointed kitchens and private balconies. The building’s common areas are designed to coax residents out their units to engage with their neighbors. A meeting/recreation room, a TV Lounge, computer desk, laundry and 1,400 sq. ft. roof terrace round out the list of reasons to mingle.
COMPLETION: 2012
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA: 32,006 square feet
COST: $7 million
AWARDS:
Builder’s Choice Grand Award, Builder Magazine, 2013
Gold Award for Best New Affordable Housing, Multi-Housing News, 2012
Citation of Recognition, American Institute of Architects San Diego, 2012
Brisas de Paz
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
Brisas de Paz comprises 62 units of affordable family housing in the desert environment of Desert Hot Springs. In consideration of its surroundings—mostly newer single-family homes—the site’s design takes great care to hide parking, to reduce the perimeter building scale, and to present street-facing porches and front yards.
Employing broad eaves to shade windows, as well as cross ventilation with high ceilings to encourage air movement, the development’s units are well-equipped to withstand the severe heat and strong winds of the Coachella Valley. A central lawn provides a safe, visible space for play and gathering; the Commons provides a large meeting room, lounge, management office, and computer center. Site features also include a tot lot, barbecue pavilion, and swimming pool.
COMPLETION: 2012
AREA: 66,108 square feet
COST: $8.9 million
AWARDS: Award of Merit, Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2013
Celadon
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Centered in the heart of downtown San Diego, Celadon provides 250 units of affordable housing for service workers, senior citizens, people with special needs, and the recently homeless. This 17-story mixed-use project includes ground-level retail and extensive common use spaces throughout the building, along with two and a half levels of below-grade parking.
Celadon’s design imagines an urban residential type wholly influenced by San Diego’s unique climate and setting. Its five-story pedestal integrates harmoniously with the longstanding pattern of historic structures along Broadway. Angled bays on the west side are tilted to both protect from late-afternoon sun, while directing interior views to the San Diego Bay and ocean beyond. The project’s concrete structural grid is expressed with infill panels of glass, corrugated metal siding, and cement plaster. A south-facing veil of photovoltaic solar panels drapes the southern facade of the building to express the project’s sustainable ethos while generating power for the building. Qualifying for LEED Silver Certification, Celadon is a study in integrating open space and energyefficient measures in a high-rise structure.
Celadon was completed in collaboration with SVA Architects as Architect of Record.
COMPLETION: 2015
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: LEED Silver
AREA: 170,000 square feet
COST: $63 million
AWARDS:
Global Award of Excellence, Urban Land Institute, 2016
Urban Model for Healthy Living San Diego-Tijuana Urban Land Institute, 2016
Energy Efficiency & Integration Award
American Institute of Architects, San Diego, 2015
Grand Award, Builder’s Choice Builder Magazine, 2014
Coronado Villa
CORONADO, CALIFORNIA
Inspired by Southern California’s bungalow and courtyard housing of the early 20th century, Coronado Villa, serving very-low and low-income seniors, satisfies a previously unmet need for affordable senior housing in Coronado. This development offers its residents a private sanctuary in the heart of the island, while simultaneously establishing a community presence on an important city intersection. Its design is as desirable as any market-rate project in Coronado, and has been met with exceptional community pride.
Bay windows, balconies, porches, awnings, trellises, and roof-top terraces create significant indoor and outdoor spaces. Units front on to a generously landscaped garden court with a bubbling fountain, custom ceramic tile accents, and site-specific public art.
Designed with an emphasis on sustainability, Coronado Villa benefits from crossventilation, natural day lighting, and a photovoltaic system powering all common areas. Located across the street from the city’s senior center, central park, and library, the site’s location and layout encourages walking and transit use.
COMPLETION: 2008
AREA: 35,970 square feet
COST: $5.1 million
AWARDS: Award of Merit, Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2008
Encanto Village
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Encanto Village is a tax-credit funded mixed-use development located in the hilly Encanto neighborhood of south-eastern San Diego. Situated directly adjacent to a trolley station, it is a model for transit-oriented development. Sixty-six units of affordable apartments are divided between two buildings on separate lots on either side of an existing electrical utility substation.
The site design strategy is to string a “wiggle” of single loaded bars to make a series of courtyard spaces, some internal and private and others street facing and community engaging. Though the two buildings are not physically connected, they share utilities, parking, and common amenity spaces.
Both five-story buildings consist of three stories of apartments stacked on a two-story concrete podium containing residential common areas, commercial retail, and office spaces. Parking for residents and commercial tenants is accessed from the rear at a parking level above street level. Residential garden spaces and laundry facilities are also provided at this parking level, a residential common deck is provided at an upper level, and a tot-lot is provided at street level facing Imperial Avenue.
COMPLETION: 2020
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: LEED Gold
AREA: 82,000 square feet
COST: $18 million
AWARDS:
National Award of Excellence National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, 2020
Readers’ Choice Award for Family Housing Affordable Housing Finance Magazine, 2020
Eucalyptus View
ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA
This project, designed to serve the needs of local agricultural workers and their families, features twelve homes grouped into four structures, which wrap around a shared outdoor “room”.
A unique staggered building section provides unexpected volume and natural lighting. Tall windows on the façade hint at the 10-foot ceilings and split-level plans within. Timber trellises and canopies offer shade and create shadow patterns that enliven the crisp building massing.
A boulevard-scaled trellis announces the pedestrian entry to the 2.2 acre site, and semi-private porches and patios invite residents to occupy the “threshold” between their unit and the court, while parking remain pushed towards the rear of the site.
COMPLETION: 2002
AREA: 18,300 square feet
COST: $1.75 million
AWARDS:
Merit Award, American Institute of Architects, San Diego
Merit Award, American Institute of Architects, California Council
Orchid for Planning & Urban Design, San Diego Architectural Foundation
People in Preservation Award of Merit, Residential Architect Magazine Design Awards
Fahrenheit
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Fahrenheit is a striking mixed-use development in downtown San Diego. Its 77 units of loft housing and street-level retail lease spaces are housed in an exposed concrete frame structure that cleverly conceals a 90-foot-tall parking structure from the surrounding neighborhood. Situated on awkward 0.4-acre grounds, the project is composed of unit types that respond to the two very different “legs” of its L-shaped site: two-story townhouses occupy the shallow side, while single-story lofts take up the deep side.
The frontage of Fahrenheit’s townhouses weaves large openings and metal siding with overhanging bay windows and balconies; the siding’s deep orange color adds brightness to the building’s north face, which rarely receives direct light. In contrast, the west-facing lofts feature deep recesses with terraces and balconies on an almost entirely glazed facade, coaxing daylight deep into the living spaces.
COMPLETION: 2007
AREA: 95,200 square feet
COST: $14.5million
AWARDS: Orchid for Architecture, San Diego Architectural Foundation, 2008
Grand Award, Residential Architect Magazine Design Awards, 2008
G Lofts
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
G Lofts West, an 180,000-square-foot mixed-use development in San Diego’s East Village, lives large on a budget. A mix of 142 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units emphasize affordability and efficiency. High ceilings and generous industrial windows coax sunlight deep into the lofty units; 17 street- and courtyard-facing lofts feature mezzanines.
In a nod to the District’s historic warehouses, the development features simple massing and tough materials—concrete masonry and metal siding—which also define 8,700 square feet of high-bay retail lease spaces facing G Street. Besides its “hip” downtown address, the development’s amenities include a landscaped courtyard with barbecue area and fire pit, a fitness room, laundry hook-ups in each unit, and private underground parking.
COMPLETION: 2006
AREA: 122,216 square feet
COST: $22 million
Harris Family Senior Residence
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Harris Family Seniors is part of a redeveloped block in the City Heights neighborhood in San Diego. Sharing public spaces with an adjacent family affordable housing project, the building wraps around a courtyard and fronts onto a town square. 117 units reserved for very low-income seniors are complimented by ground level amenity spaces for gathering or retreat. Management offices and conference spaces are situated near the project entry where they overlook the neighborhood and the community courtyard. Parking is located below grade.
The design expression is one of contrast of materials and textures. Two plaster wings with deeply carved recesses capture two folding, metal-clad elements that connect to important exterior spaces: the town square to the south, and the entry on the east. The metal cladding is rendered akin to damask fabric and the textural differences catch and reflect daylight in everchanging ways throughout the day.
Studio E Architects was the Design Architect for Harris Family Seniors with Rob Wellington Quigley acting as Master Planner and Architect-of-Record. Quigley was also the architect for the adjacent family housing project.
COMPLETION: 2022
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA: 82,661 square feet
COST: $23.3 million
Hotel Churchill
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The Hotel Churchill is a restoration and renovation of a long-neglected historic hotel, originally built in 1914 for the Panama-California Exposition. In 2004, the building was listed as San Diego Historic Site number 634. The building has been repurposed to provide 73 units of affordable housing and supportive services to veterans and at-risk youth.
The micro-units feature ample sunlight, board-formed concrete walls, and lofty ceilings for a material richness and volume that belies their 231 sf average size. Seismic improvements include the replacement of an unreinforced masonry top floor addition with a steel-framed penthouse, and installation of viscous dampers – fluid-filled shock absorbers coupled with steel moment frames - to mitigate a “soft-story” condition at the ground level.
Restoration efforts focused on preserving original elements - such as the cast-concrete façade and sheet metal cornice, and replacing missing elements – such as Juliet balconies, a marquee awning, and a neon blade sign - based on historic photos. Contemporary elements were detailed to be sympathetic but distinct from adjacent historic fabric. The new exterior stair tower is cloaked in a veil of corrugated glass panels that align with the Hotel’s cornicework. The new penthouse is clad in zincrecalling French mansard penthouses in contemporary form - while angling back from the façade below to emphasize the historic roofline of the restored cornice.
Project completed in collaboration with Heritage Architecture & Planning as Historic and Preservation Architect.
COMPLETION: 2016
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: Full building reuse & rehabilitation
AREA:
39,000 square feet
COST: $20.6 million
AWARDS:
Merit Award, American Institute of Architects, San Diego, 2017
Orchid for Historic Preservation, San Diego Architectural Foundation, 2017
People in Preservation Award, Save Our Heritage Organization, 2017
Ruby Award, San Diego Housing Federation, 2017
Certificate of Merit in Retrofit/ Alterations, SEAOSD Excellence in Structural Engineering
Kelvin
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The newest addition to Lemon Grove’s evolving downtown, Kelvin provides 66 units of market rate housing and three storefront retail spaces on a 0.75 acre site, all within walking distance of major regional public transportation. Kelvin is an answer to the question, “How do we create livable density that supports both residents and the greater community?”
At an urban scale, the new five-story mixed use building anchors the northeast corner of the Lemon Grove Downtown Village Area, playfully greeting the community with pedestrian-oriented storefront retail spaces, a landscaped parkway and a bold yet friendly color palette. A large west-facing mural adds to the downtown’s impressive collection of public artwork.
At its upper levels, Kelvin is home, providing light filled living spaces with balconies and in-unit laundry in studio, one- and two-bedroom configurations. Open-air corridors connect residents to onsite amenities including fitness facilities, a street-level lounge and a generously sized roof deck at level five. This feature amenity space provides all residents with expansive views of the region, extending from the City to the wilderness of the San Miguel, Jamul and San Ysidro Mountains beyond. Residents additionally have access to onsite parking, secure bicycle storage and oversize storage space outside of their units.
As a home or a place to shop, dine or socialize, Kelvin is as much a destination as it is a landmark, and in all cases, a place to be.
COMPLETION: 2024
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA: 68,538 square feet
COST: $14.5 million
One Mississippi
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The 6-story mixed-use, 100% affordable housing development brings 61 units to a small 0.25 acre site at the heart of the North Park neighborhood in San Diego. The development takes its name from the adjacent Mississippi St and faces El Cajon Boulevard, an important civic thoroughfare and prominent intersection.
The design of One Mississippi captures the vibrancy of the neighborhood. A corner cut-out of the building creates a public plaza at ground level and provides common spaces with excellent views along the Boulevard. The subtly textured “corduroy” façade is enhanced by light and shadows, adding dimension to the building along with pops of color.
Many amenity spaces support the residents and make this place feel like home. A ground floor flexible “living room” features a mural of a magnolia blossom – Mississippi’s state flower. Outdoor resident spaces include a protected urban courtyard, a double-height “tree house” outdoor lounge and a BBQ terrace. A glass clad conference room at Level 2 takes in views of the Boulevard and provides residents with a work from home space. Approximately 2,000 sf of the ground floor is dedicated to a retail space with sidewalk café seating that will further enliven this stretch of the Boulevard.
COMPLETION: 2022
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: Greenpoint Rated
AREA: 51,000 square feet
COST: $13.3 million
AWARDS:
Award of Merit, Best Affordable Housing Community (60 du/acre or more), Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference
Icon Award Finalist for Best Affordable Housing Community of the Year, Building Industry Association of San Diego
The Nash
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The Nash brings smart and stylish density to Park Boulevard, an important corridor within San Diego, connecting the urban neighborhoods of Hillcrest, University Heights, and North Park. The seven-story building houses 190 units, most of which are microunits under 500 square feet, that live large with in-unit laundry, walk-in closets, a modern kitchen, and a full or juliette balcony with oversized sliding glass doors. The U-shaped building encloses a west-facing courtyard featuring a pool, spa, cabanas, game room, multi-level gym, and provides many of the units with views over Park Blvd and the neighborhood beyond. The western façade is screened with a bold grid of balconies and fins that provide depth to the façade while shading the unit windows. The grid of balconies is crowned with a large, shared sky deck with panoramic views.
The ground floor is inspired by high-end hotel lobbies with multiple seating areas, a co-working lounge, conference room and coffee shop. The main entrance is set back to create an entry plaza with raised planters and built-in seating areas. The Nash offers an enhanced urban lifestyle in a prime location, providing residents with easy access to public transit, grocery stores, and local bars and restaurants, in addition to the exceptional residential environment and amenities it provides.
COMPLETION: 2024
AREA: 70,660 square feet
COST: $49 million
Orchard at Hilltop
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The Orchard at Hilltop was the result of a unique and fruitful collaboration between engaged local stakeholders, an enlightened affordable housing developer, and opened minded City staff and a willing and able design team. The elegant design capitalizes on the natural assets of its site – the brow of a hill situated between a busy neighborhood boulevard and a classic San Diego arroyo. 4-story mixed-use buildings comfortably address the street by concentrating active storefronts and community serving uses at the sidewalk. On the opposite side, the buildings reach out to the fully restored seasonal waterway by siting recreational amenities along its edge.
All 113 affordable apartments enjoy generous balconies – many with views to the Bay and beyond. Units range from studios to 4-bedrooms, creating a development focused on intergenerational living. The Orchard’s site plan encourages both movement and gathering by including a network of pathways, meeting areas, play spaces, overlooks and a community pool. Original public art, both indoors and out, appears in a variety of places and media. Murals and custom site furnishings throughout the complex give the development an authentic local identity.
COMPLETION: 2023
AREA: 164,359 square feet
COST: $40 million
AWARDS:
Icon Award for Best Affordable Housing Community of the Year, Building Industry Association of San Diego
Grand Award, Best Affordable Housing Community (30 - 60 du/acre), Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference
Ruby Award, Project of the Year, San Diego Housing Federation
Parkside Studios
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA
Built on the site of a defunct National Guard Armory, Parkside Studios is a micro-flat workforce housing development, offering 59 units of affordable housing for low-wage service workers and recently homeless individuals.
The project’s units were built off-site, loaded onto flatbed trucks, driven to the site, and craned into place as fully built-out modules, complete with fixtures and appliances installed. This method allowed the builder to collapse the schedule by almost five months, and netted a savings of half a million dollars in construction costs.
Studio E Architects’ endeavor to “re-think small” resulted in light-filled, high-ceilinged studios with well-appointed kitchens and private balconies. The modest size of individual units is offset by generous indoor and outdoor common spaces—including lounges, a meeting/recreation room, laundry facilities, and an 1800-square-foot roof terrace.
COMPLETION: 2011
AREA: 59 Units / 60,292 square feet
COST: $12.8 million
AWARDS:
Finalist, Readers’ Choice Awards, Affordable Housing Finance, 2016
Honorable Mention, Urban Category, Charles Edison Tax Credit Excellence Awards, 2016
Puesta del Sol
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Located adjacent to the Amanecer Apartments and by the same developer, this 60 unit affordable housing project was designed specifically to serve the needs of seniors. The 3-stories of residential units on the 1.39 acre site, form an L-shaped building that frames a courtyard with views to the community park. The landscaped open space includes a central specimen tree, community garden raised planters, outdoor fitness equipment and a porch swing. A wellness trail connects around the perimeter of the site and encourages seniors to take their daily walk.
The south side of the courtyard is lined with a 1-story wing housing resident amenity spaces, including a laundry, computer room and meeting room. A commons building with an iconic butterfly sloped roof, anchors the south east corner and opens up to a BBQ and dining patio.
Upper residential levels contain 1-bedroom units designed for full accessibility. At multiple levels the open ended corridors terminate in decks overlooking the courtyard and park, while also providing natural light and air to the corridors. A resident reading room and an adjacent upper level terrace provide quieter spaces for the seniors to socialize.
Residents’ transportation needs are met via limited on-site surface parking and shuttle service from a protected area adjacent to the main entry. An arcade with an exposed heavy timber structure emphasizes the pedestrian connection from both the sidewalk and parking area to the front door and provides a shaded place to wait for the shuttle.
COMPLETION: 2023
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA:
57,161 square feet
COST: $22.2 million
Renascent Place
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
Renascent Place provides 160 homes to at-risk individuals in one of California’s highest cost housing markets. These affordable studios are supported by an array of on-site social services including professional health and welfare counseling, benefits assistance, life-skills training, substance abuse recovery and food security. A suite of offices and meeting rooms are located near the lobby to facilitate these services. The design encourages and makes space for gathering and activities among residents fostering a sense of community and mutual mission. A 1/2 acre central garden hosts outdoor exercise equipment, a walking path, a contemplation fountain, a seating patio and barbecue. A dog run is provided at the rear of the site for residents with pets. Other gathering areas include two rooftop terraces, a lobby lounge and mini-lounges off the corridors. At just over 300 square feet – the furnished units are compact while still feeling open and airy – thanks to efficient kitchen and storage arrangements and generous windows. The form, massing and character of the development responds to the busy commercial boulevard setting.
COMPLETION: 2020
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint rated, Gold Level
AREA: 87,268 square feet
COST: $34.3 million
AWARDS:
Award of Merit, Best Affordable Housing Community, Gold Nugget Awards,Pacific Coast Builders Conference
ShoreLINE
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Located along a sweeping bend in the Alvarado Creek in San Diego’s Mission Valley, ShoreLINE is a 126 unit Tax-Credit financed workforce housing development. While the site sounds romantic, it is also directly adjacent to an impressive overhead viaduct of the San Diego Trolley. To that end – the project design seeks to acknowledge this dichotomous urban/bucolic setting. Two wings of the building orient to the historic city grid pattern while two others twist and inflect in response to the flow of the waterway – giving the building a dual-character. Five levels of wood framing stack above a two level concrete podium which is partially buried into the sloping site. The wings of the building curl around an interior terrace courtyard where a play area and barbecue are located. A large commons room hosting a kitchen and fireplace offer residents a spot for gathering at the ground level. This room is expanded further by the addition of a raised porch that overlooks a generously landscaped pedestrian paseo that leads to a creek overlook. City plans for a public park along the “shoreline” of the creek will offer a significant amenity in the near future.
COMPLETION: 2023
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA: 153,214 square feet
COST: $49 million
Stella and Bluewater
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
This affordable housing development serves two distinct populations in adjacent buildings. Stella is a 6 story, 80 unit project for veterans and Bluewater is a 5 story, 80 unit project for families.
Both projects sit on top of a concrete podium with parking tucked away below and common uses along the street edge. A grand stair and terrace at the street corner with a glazed community room above, makes a statement and integrates the development with the urban context.
Bluewater surrounds a large courtyard with play areas, community garden planters and seating areas. Units around the courtyard have generous balconies and terraces overlooking the common open space. Each building hosts a Commons Room – a place for resident celebrations and gathering. Rooftops host large solar panel arrays and energy saving and water efficient appliances and fixtures are used throughout.
COMPLETION: 2019
AREA: 148,645 square feet
COST: $55 million
AWARDS: Award of Merit
Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2021
Pillars of the Industry Award
National Association of Home Builders, 2020
Ruby Award, Project of the Year San Diego Housing Federation, 2020
Talmadge Gateway
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Talmadge Gateway is a 60 unit studio apartment building designed specifically to serve the needs of at-risk seniors. The project is a joint effort between non-profit corporations Wakeland Housing and St. Paul’s Senior Services. Inspired by local Streamline Moderne structures on El Cajon Boulevard, the building hosts lounges, meeting spaces and counseling offices at the street level. A small retail space and outdoor area anchors the south end of the project to provide street activation and enhanced walkability. A large second level resident terrace offers space for exercise, socializing and taking the breezes. Bright, airy, sustainable and forward-thinking, this affordable housing infill development is a proud addition to the historic Talmadge community.
COMPLETION: 2017
AREA: 37,763 square feet
COST: $10 million
AWARDS: Ruby Award, CSH Supportive Housing Award San Diego Housing Federation
Tesoro Grove
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
On a leftover parcel near the United States-Mexico border, the Tesoro Grove development is constrained by a freeway, a pump station and the backs of adjacent properties. In response to this setting, Studio E Architects located buildings to de-fine plazas, common areas and a large community lawn linked by an internal street that creates a continuous and legible open space network. Porches, terraces and stoops give individual residences a safe-yet-engaged community relationship.
COMPLETION: 2003
SIZE: 106 units
COST: $9 million
AWARDS: Grand Award, Residential Architect Magazine Design Awards, 2004
Merit Award, Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2004
Merit Award, Pillars of the Industry, National Association of Home Builders, 2004
Citation of Recognition, American Institute of Architects, San Diego, 2003
The Metropolitan
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
The Metropolitan is a 133 unit tax-credit financed affordable housing project in the city of San Jose. The City’s interest was in presenting a varied and active frontage along this commercial thoroughfare opposite a new “big-box” super center. The response was to break up the massing in height and setback and to concentrate common uses like lounges, laundries, workout room and management offices near the project entry. These common areas are extended out towards the sidewalk via patios –further blurring the “residential only” program of the development. Inside, the project wraps around a generous courtyard and clubhouse. Passive and active play and relaxation areas are developed to lure residents out of their units and into the landscape. Parking is efficiently handled in a two-level structure at the rear of the parcel. The concrete garage also serves as a sound buffer to the railroad tracks that run just beyond the rear property line.
COMPLETION: 2018
AWARDS: Award of Merit
Best Affordable Housing Community
Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2020
Trinity Place
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
This 74-unit affordable housing project designed for at-risk/chronically homeless seniors sits comfortably on a sloped site along a busy commercial street in Mission Valley. All units are studio apartments with full kitchens and accessible bathrooms. The modest size of the studios are offset by the ample provision of shared gathering and recreation space. Foremost is a central court designed to accommodate a variety of recreational activities. Adjoining the court is a community room with kitchen as well as a lobby/computer lounge. Other spaces offered include a workout/yoga room, a “skylounge” (upper level outdoor terrace) and a private dog exercise parklette.
The project was designed in conjunction with a local non-profit to include a PACE program element – meaning a suite of on-site counseling and basic medical offices. The sloping site proved ideal for creating a partially below grade parking structure at the base of the building – making cars convenient but hidden and secure. The street frontages were enlivened with large storefronts, a corner plaza and some commercial scaled signage – all serving to make this residential project feel at-home on this urban corridor.
COMPLETION: 2021
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint Rated
AREA: 60,725 square feet
COST: $20 million
“This shows San Diegans we don’t have to accept the status quo. We can successfully transition people off the street and into permanent housing. This is what it looks like.”
-San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria
Veranda
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA
Veranda is an affordable senior housing project in the heart of Silicon Valley - less than a half mile from the new Apple campus. Eighteen micro-unit apartments are arrayed in a three-story building on a narrow site. A two-bedroom manager’s unit, office, lounge and laundry area round out the building’s program. Usable outdoor spaces are created on every available square foot surrounding the building - a reading terrace, a BBQ patio, raised gardening beds and a small citrus grove, offer reasons and places to enjoy in the out of doors. A required storm water retention basin was designed to serve as a bocce ball court or impromptu yoga lawn. Units were specifically designed with seniors in mind – with generous, fully accessible day lit bathrooms and ample, easy to access linen and clothes storage. Each unit enjoys a private west-facing balcony and a full galley style kitchen. A trellis covered front porch welcomes residents and visitors at the street front.
COMPLETION: 2019
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: GreenPoint rated
AREA: 14,000 square feet
COST: $5.1 million
Washington Street Apartments
LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA
Washington Street Apartments is a total re-imagining and expansion of an existing low-income senior housing project into a sustainable, vibrant community. The project consists of 72 reconfigured and modernized units, 68 new units, two community buildings with pools and outdoor gathering areas throughout the site. The existing modest mid-century style is enhanced to meet current sustainability needs.
Sustainable measures include natural cross-ventilation through thermal chimneys, day lighting, photovoltaic systems and deep shading techniques. The project offers residents a private sanctuary in the heart of the desert while establishing strong sense of community. The site reinforces social connections and chance meetings which are essential to healthy senior life.
COMPLETION: 2019
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: Green Point Rated
AREA: 125,000 square feet
COST: $15.1 million
AWARDS:
American Architecture Award, American Architecture
Merit Award
American Institute of Architects, San Diego
Award of Merit, Best Affordable Senior Housing Community
Gold Nugget Awards, Pacific Coast Builders Conference
The Bel
SAN DIEGO ,CALIFORNIA
8th Avenue Family Apartments is a symbol of hope and inclusivity, offering 80 affordable homes across 8-stories on a compact 12,000 sf urban site. With a mix of unit sizes from 420 sf studios to 1,250 sf three bedrooms, this building provides low income families of varying sizes with high-quality living spaces.
The u-shaped building fronts a public street and alleys on three sides and shelters a courtyard to the quieter northern side. The main façade along 8th Avenue is enlivened with a series of staggered, projecting bays with ribbed metal cladding. In contrast to the bays, the main mass of the building is a simple white box punctuated with square windows. The facades within the courtyard have a playful, pixelated green palette that serve as a visual extension of the planted areas within.
The indoor-outdoor lobby aligns with the courtyard to bring natural light and views from the street into the heart of the community, while also providing a secure sense of home and arrival. Common amenities such as a community room, kitchen and laundry room encircle the courtyard, providing a safe place for kids to play and for parents to watch over them. The building is crowned on the 8th floor with a community co-working lounge and balcony with special views to Balboa Park. With the project’s prominent location just north of University Ave, this rooftop element with expansive glass and a sloping roof will be a beacon on the Hillcrest skyline. This project is a shining example of how we can create complete communities that contribute to an already vibrant and rich community. This development is designed using the City of San Diego’s Complete Communities Housing Solutions regulations.
COMPLETION: 2026
AREA: 82,880 square feet
COST: $26 million
4th & Palm
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
A new mixed used development utilizing the complete communities program consisting of 90 residential units in the Bankers Hill neighborhood of San Diego. The project will have one commercial lease space at ground level. Common use areas for use by the residents and their guests include are the main lobby, co-working space, gym and spa-pool deck. The project will include affordable units to qualify for development standard relief incentives for the Cities Complete Communities Program.
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 2026
AREA: 71,149 square feet
10th & Robinson
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
This 8-Story residential development, located in the desirable neighborhood of Hillcrest, will provide 69 much needed new apartments to the community. Nestled into a cul-de-sac with views in every direction, this 45,000 square foot building is carefully placed on a 7,385sf lot. Amenities include a ground level co-work lounge, a penthouselevel outdoor terrace, and ground level parking. The building is designed to maximize its potential while also fitting into the growing neighborhood. This development is designed as part of the Complete Communities Housing Solutions regulations and includes affordable housing.
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 2025 AREA: 45,000 square feet
8th & University
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Located in the heart of Hillcrest near the corner of 8th and University, this 8-story mixed-use development will provide 90 new homes in a vibrant community. This infill project is thoughtfully placed on a 10,083 square foot site, with views and open space connecting to the park, the neighborhood, and the mountains beyond. Amenities include below grade parking, an inviting lobby, fitness room and spa-pool deck at the penthouse level. The penthouse level invites residents with a large mural and projection area. This development is designed as part of the Complete Communities Housing Solutions regulations and includes affordable housing.
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 2025 AREA: 74,276 square feet
Rose Creek Village
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Located just two miles from the Pacific Ocean, one mile from Mission Bay, half a mile from a Trolley Station, and immediately on the Rose Creek Class I Bike Path, Rose Creek Village is connected! This 60-unit, 100% affordable housing project in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego will be home for seniors and formerly homeless veterans alike. Onsite supportive services and shared community spaces are located at the ground level, with the studio units above. With a tight site located at the edge of both a wooded creek and a bustling urban street, the building’s design uses color, shape, scale, and pattern to respond to each unique condition while prioritizing both the building residents and the greater community. The design seeks not only to provide comfortable, safe, and uplifting homes to residents, but it also is sensitive to the rising costs of home utilities. Aiming ambitiously for a net zero energy project on the small site, the team had to get creative. Solar panels not only fill the all-electric building’s roof but also fold across the building façade, creating a playful and powerful (literally) building design.
ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 2026
SUSTAINABILITY RATING: Pursuing LEED Platinum
AREA: 36,322 square feet
ABOUT US
Founded in 1987, Studio E Architects is a San Diego based design collaborative, practicing throughout the Southwestern United States. The firm’s varied portfolio—private residences, housing, mixed-use, civic, institutional, and urban planning projects—has been recognized with numerous design awards and has been featured in scores of publications. The firm is led by five principals: Eric Naslund, FAIA, John Sheehan, FAIA, Maxine Ward, AIA, Mathilda Bialk, AIA, and Charity Dunphy, AIA.
Studio E Architects’ work recognizes that the meaning and utility of architecture is grounded in a building’s physical and cultural context and thus responds to the natural environment, connects people to the places they inhabit and expresses a richer understanding of its place.
Our Mission: At Studio E Architects, we design places that cultivate community, enhance well-being, and make the best use of resources. We listen carefully, uncover opportunity, and expand possibility.
Diversity Statement: Diversity is a core value at Studio E Architects. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment. We believe every member on our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of backgrounds, skills, and views.
Address: 2258 1st Ave. San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-235-9262
Info at e-mail: info@studioearchitects.com
Website: www.studioearchitects.com