Bill Sorro Community

Project Details

Project Description

This project won an award from the 2019 AIA Housing Awards

FROM THE AIA:

The Bill Sorro Community reanimates a tough abandoned corner in San Francisco’s Sixth Street Lodging-House Historic District, with 67 apartments for low-income families and developmentally disabled adults, including restaurant and retail spaces. The project involved partnerships with the community to reflect on the historic and unique qualities of the neighborhood, and the mission of Bill Sorro, an endeared community leader. The building’s design resonates with the neighborhood’s distinctive character, enhances its’ vibrant mix of uses, and preserves affordability. With a GreenPoint Rating of 127 points, the building provides energy efficiency, air-quality, storm-water management, and grey-water re-use. These sustainability strategies were integral in the design goal to provide a healthier environment to live and work, and reduce ongoing costs to make funds available for other uses. Residential amenities include private balconies, a roof garden, laundry rooms, day-lit corridors, indoor bike room, landscaped courtyard, and flexible spaces for offices, exercise and gatherings.

Project Credits:
Project: Bill Sorro Community
Architect: Kennerly Architecture & Planning
Contractor: James E. Roberts-Obayashi Corp
Construction Manager: Regent Construction Management
Surveyor: Martin M. Ron Associates, Inc.
Green Point Rater: Thornton Tomasetti
Geotechnical: Treadwell & Rollo, Langan Geotechnical
Structural Engineer: DCI + SDE
Plumbing Engineer: DPC Consulting Engineers, Inc.
MEP Engineer: Ajmani & Pamidi Inc., MHC Engineers Inc.
Commissioning Engineer: Sherrill Engineering, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Cliff Lowe Associates
Civil Engineer: Luk and Associates
Acoustical Engineer Site: Mei Wu
Acoustics Acoustical Engineer Building: Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc.
Lighting Designer: Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Waterproofing: Steelhead Engineers, Inc.
Specification: William Buchholz
Specifications Consultant Title-24: Guttmann & Blaevoet


FROM THE AIA:

The Bill Sorro Community reanimates a tough abandoned corner in San Francisco’s Sixth Street Lodging-House Historic District, with 67 apartments for low-income families and developmentally disabled adults, including restaurant and retail spaces. The project involved partnerships with the community to reflect on the historic and unique qualities of the neighborhood, and the mission of Bill Sorro, an endeared community leader. The building’s design resonates with the neighborhood’s distinctive character, enhances its’ vibrant mix of uses, and preserves affordability. With a GreenPoint Rating of 127 points, the building provides energy efficiency, air-quality, storm-water management, and grey-water re-use. These sustainability strategies were integral in the design goal to provide a healthier environment to live and work, and reduce ongoing costs to make funds available for other uses. Residential amenities include private balconies, a roof garden, laundry rooms, day-lit corridors, indoor bike room, landscaped courtyard, and flexible spaces for offices, exercise and gatherings.

Project Credits:
Project: Bill Sorro Community
Architect: Kennerly Architecture & Planning
Contractor: James E. Roberts-Obayashi Corp
Construction Manager: Regent Construction Management
Surveyor: Martin M. Ron Associates, Inc.
Green Point Rater: Thornton Tomasetti
Geotechnical: Treadwell & Rollo, Langan Geotechnical
Structural Engineer: DCI + SDE
Plumbing Engineer: DPC Consulting Engineers, Inc.
M/E/P Engineer: Ajmani & Pamidi Inc., MHC Engineers Inc.
Commissioning Engineer: Sherrill Engineering, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Cliff Lowe Associates
Civil Engineer: Luk and Associates
Acoustical Engineer Site: Mei Wu
Acoustics Acoustical Engineer Building: Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc.
Lighting Designer: Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Waterproofing: Steelhead Engineers, Inc.
Specification: William Buchholz
Specifications Consultant Title-24: Guttmann & Blaevoet


FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

This 9-story, mixed-use building re-animates the abandoned corner of Sixth and Howard streets with 67 affordable family apartments, including 14 units for developmentally disabled adults. The housing units sit over restaurant/retail and community space at the ground floor.

To resonate with the rhythms of the surrounding historic district, the design begins with a double-height commercial space above which the building breaks into two brick-clad volumes, the taller marks the intersection as a tower; the other steps down with a roof terrace. Residential amenities include private balconies, two common roof gardens, day-lit corridors, and flexible spaces for community gathering, offices, and child play.

The building required a storm water retention system which required residential toilets to be operated with reclaimed water and compliance with mitigation measures driven by the building contributory to the historic district, Article 38 compliance, ERRC compliance, and SF Fire Department two way calling system – all within a 10,000 s.f. lot on one of the busiest corners in San Francisco.

Green Design: Green-Point certified Gold at 127 units, Bill Sorro Community provides an ambitious combination of energy efficiency, air-quality, storm-water management, and gray water re-use.