474 Natoma, San Francisco
Award Grand
Units 60 studio, 1- ,2-, and 3- bedroom apartments
Size 376 square feet to 1,147 square feet
Rents $921 to $1,333/month
Target Market Low-income families earning 40% to 60% of AMI
Builder Nibbi Brothers Construction, San Francisco
Developer BRIDGE Housing Corp., San Francisco
Design Architect Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, San Francisco
Executive Architect Saida + Sullivan Design Partners, San Francisco
Funding Tax credits; city of San Francisco; bank loan
Photographer Bruce Damonte
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Originally slated as condos, 474 Natoma was part of a city initiative to encourage first-time homeownership. The program was nixed during the housing crash, and the project was reborn as rentals for lower-income families. Some 2,800 applicants vied for 60 units. The site, demolished after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, is “about the size of five single-family lots in San Francisco,” says Richard Stacy, principal at Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects. “Sixty residences was a challenge.” The top of the T-shaped lot faced an alley, and the tail of the T, just 25 feet wide, fronted onto another alley. “Just to make it interesting, there was also a 5-foot grade change,” Stacy adds. The tail of the T became the parking garage ramp, on top of which was set a three-story wood frame annex that houses a community room and three apartments (stick building, of course, helped reduce costs). City guidelines dictate a setback of 15 feet, yet this was impractical, Stacy notes (a compromise of 7 ½ feet was reached). Upper floors are smaller than lower ones as a result, but the apartments most directly affected have more light. Immediately striking when you turn the corner is how 474 Natoma transforms a gritty urban alley, making it feel safe, bright, and comfortable in scale.
In addition to a tight site, the budget was modest, especially in light of the city’s high construction costs. Subcontractors were key allies in providing cost-effective solutions that didn’t compromise design, says executive architect Mimi Sullivan, principal at Saida + Sullivan Architects. “We were all solving issues until the very end.” Of delivering high-quality for low-income households, Stacy says there’s nothing more satisfying than being there on move-in day. “Good design is for everyone, not just a select group of citizens.”
Learn more about markets featured in this article: San Francisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA.
