Intimate Urbanism

Fulton Grove

San Francisco, CA

Historic Patterns For Modern Housing

The 1847 platting of San Francisco’s Western Addition by Jasper O’Farrell subdivided many blocks with small lanes. Over time these small lanes, intimate in scale and sequestered from city traffic, became highly desirable residential address and a feature of San Francisco’s unique charm. Architects Daniel Solomon and Robert Heckel suggested replicating one of O’Farrell’s charming lanes for a new residential development.

Placemaking and Neighborhood Rebirth

Twenty sunlit townhouses and two stacked flats define a new mid-block lane accessed through large portals through the buildings at either end. This special place is a proud address for its cohesive community of residents, and was a catalytic project in the renaissance of the Hayes Valley neighborhood after the Loma Prieta earthquake brought down the Central Freeway.