Rebuilding a Community

Broadway Family Apartments

San Francisco, CA

From Freeway to Affordable Housing

Broadway Family Apartments is set within the Northeast Waterfront Historic District, a context of historic brick lofts and mid-rise commercial buildings which was shattered by the insertion of the Embarcadero Freeway in 1960. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake, the freeway was demolished and this site designated for critically-needed affordable housing.

Uniting the Community

An initially-contentious community process concluded with unanimous approval for this three-building complex that restores the fragmented block and gives low-income housing the solidity and dignity of surrounding older structures. Inside, the project provides a rich program of childcare, open space, community rooms and social services around mid-block courtyards.

Urban Repair and Respect

The dense, efficient and budget-constrained modern buildings gracefully repair their historic setting. The design achieves contextual fit in this high-end neighborhood and carries that sense of quality inward for the residents, yielding a vibrant low-income community in the city’s heart.