In what may be a first in the U.S., 122 new affordable apartments at 705 Serramonte, Daly City, Calif., were designed for faculty and staff at Jefferson Union High School District. The three-story structure provides 59 one-bedroom, 56 two-bedroom, and seven three-bedroom units.
The Bay Area has one of the worst housing shortages in the country. Many younger teachers on relatively low salaries cannot afford to live near the schools where they teach. Lower-paid staff members – maintenance staff, cafeteria workers, administrative aides, etc. – often find themselves in the same boat.
The design-build team of SVA Architects and J.H. Fitzmaurice recently joined Jefferson Union High School District (JUHSD) in Daly City for the district’s Centennial Celebration and Grand Opening of 705 Serramonte, an affordable housing community specifically for district faculty and staff. Helping to bring housing equity to the region, JUHSD is the first K-12 school district to pass a bond exclusively to build an affordable housing community for teachers and staff.
PROPERTY FUNDED IN PART FROM MEASURE J BONDS
The $75 million project received $33 million in bond funds provided by the passage of Measure J in June 2018. The pioneering development unites SVA’s dual strengths of partnering with educational institutions and designing affordable housing communities.
RENTAL RATES SET AT 50% AMI
The Serramonte homes range from 560 to 1,174 sf, with rental rates set at 50% of market rate at the time of occupancy. Homes feature vinyl plank flooring, stainless steel appliances, and generous windows with abundant light. Community spaces include a community lounge, a fitness center, and a central, landscaped courtyard with children’s play structures, BBQ area, and ample seating.
Nathan Herrero, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal at SVA Architects, stated, “SVA’s vision was to design homes and community spaces that feel like a market-rate, luxury development. Along with the District, we wanted to honor the critical work of educators by offering comfortable spaces that feel like a haven at the end of the day.”
Mohammad Hakimi, AIA, President & CEO at J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc., stated, “It’s been our privilege to be a part of this trailblazing project with Jefferson Union High School District and SVA Architects. Many districts around the country are already looking to JUHSD as a model for this type of educator housing in their own communities.”
THE BUILDING TEAM
Owner/developer: Jefferson Union High School District
Architect: SVA Architects
Design architects: Seidel Architects and BDE Architecture
Structural engineers: Ficcadenti Waggoner and Castle, IDA Structural Engineers
Civil engineer: Luk & Associates
MEP engineer: Emerald City Engineers
Landscape design: ANLA Associates, JETT Landscape Architecture + Design
General contractor: J.H. Fitzmaurice
About J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc.
Founded in 1922, J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc. (JHF) has completed numerous projects in the Bay Area, with its headquarters being in the same location in the City of Oakland for the past 100 years. JHF’s primary focus in the past 40 years has been partnering with non-profit housing developers in building affordable housing projects including: teacher & faculty housing; multi-family housing; senior housing; veteran’s housing; and special needs & homeless housing. JHF’s mission and philosophy is to continue to partner with non-profits to help solve the current need and demand for affordable housing. For more information, visit www.jhfitzmaurice.com.
About SVA Architects, Inc.
Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, Davis, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | May 30, 2023
Milhaus, Gershman Partners, and Citimark close on $70 million multifamily development in Indy
Versa will bring 233 studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments to Indianapolis's $271 million, Class-A Broad Ripple Village development enterprise.
Multifamily Housing | May 23, 2023
One out of three office buildings in largest U.S. cities are suitable for residential conversion
Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.
Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2023
Biden administration beefs up energy efficiency standards on new federally funded housing
The Biden Administration recently moved to require more stringent energy efficiency standards on federally funded housing projects. Developers building homes with taxpayer funds will have to construct to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2021 for low-density housing and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ASHRAE 90.1 for multi-family projects.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2023
Shear Wall Selection for Wood-Framed Buildings
From wall bracing to FTAO, there are many ways to secure the walls of a building. Learn how to evaluate which method is best for a project.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | May 17, 2023
The Key To Multifamily Access Control — Consistent Resident Experiences
Explore the challenges of multifamily access control and discover the key to consistent user experiences with a resident-first approach and open platforms.
Affordable Housing | May 17, 2023
Affordable housing advocates push for community-owned homes over investment properties
Panelists participating in a recent webinar hosted by the Urban Institute discussed various actions that could help alleviate the nation’s affordable housing crisis. Among the possible remedies: inclusionary zoning policies, various reforms to increase local affordable housing stock, and fees on new development to offset the impact on public infrastructure.
Multifamily Housing | May 16, 2023
Legislators aim to make office-to-housing conversions easier
Lawmakers around the country are looking for ways to spur conversions of office space to residential use.cSuch projects come with challenges such as inadequate plumbing, not enough exterior-facing windows, and footprints that don’t easily lend themselves to residential use. These conditions raise the cost for developers.
Multifamily Housing | May 12, 2023
An industrial ‘eyesore’ is getting new life as an apartment complex
The project, in Metuchen, N.J., includes significant improvements to a nearby wildlife preserve.
Senior Living Design | May 8, 2023
Seattle senior living community aims to be world’s first to achieve Living Building Challenge designation
Aegis Living Lake Union in Seattle is the world’s first assisted living community designed to meet the rigorous Living Building Challenge certification. Completed in 2022, the Ankrom Moisan-designed, 70,000 sf-building is fully electrified. All commercial dryers, domestic hot water, and kitchen equipment are powered by electricity in lieu of gas, which reduces the facility’s carbon footprint.
