Named for local activists Julian and Raye Richardson, the Richardson Apartments sits on land left vacant after the removal of a freeway spur. To break up the building massing, the architects employed several surfaces and materials on the façade.
North façade
Drs. Julian and Raye Richardson Apartments on right, with San Francisco City Hall in background.
Lobby
Wood mailboxes by elevator
Extensive glazing allows for views between many of the lower-level spaces.
Ground-floor communal spaces, including the resident lounge, feature board-formed concrete walls and polished concrete floors.
A pattern applied to the windows of the clinic and counseling spaces maintains privacy.
The community room, which opens out onto the central courtyard.
The robust materiality of the public spaces continues in the units themselves, which incorporate highly durable cabinetry, quality furniture, tiled bathrooms, and easy-to-maintain plumbing. Staggered stud walls between units mitigate sound.
The building is topped with a partial green roof, planters for resident gardens, a photovoltaic array, and solar hot-water heaters.
A courtyard provides another outdoor gathering space for residents.
First-Floor Plan
Typical Apartment-Level Plan
