Large, vegetated courtyards within the project are protected from heavier traffic along the streets and act as both a place of refuge for the community and a means of filtering rainwater from the surrounding hardscapes. Large playful Ashanti symbols were cut to form in plywood and cast into concrete walls surrounding the rain court.
The residences sit atop street-facing commercial space, which will house shops, senior services, a library, and a community center. Retail spaces have been designed to accommodate bicycle commuting, and feature dedicated showers and changing areas. Parking was significantly reduced from the standard design load for a project of this size by providing car-share pods and conducting realistic studies of auto-ownership for the population in Hunter’s Point. This, in combination with the extended public transportation line, and added value of extra retail space, makes for a thriving a pedestrian-friendly community. We look forward to future community development plans along San Francisco’s Third Street Corridor.
+ David Baker and Partners Architects
All photos by Mike Chino, © Inhabitat
Good to see you guys appreciating dense, new urban, green development rather than just the flashy greenwashed sprawl that is landscape urbanism.