David Baker Architects

Station Center Family Housing
Slideshow | Details
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Image: Bruce Damonte

Enabled by the Proposition 1C TOD voter-approved bond program, Station Center Family Housing is the affordable inclusionary component of the Union City Master Plan. Designed by ROMA Design Group, the Master Plan calls for Union City BART Station to be revamped into an intermodal station—a hub for BART, Dumbarton Rail, ACE, and Capital Corridor.

A brownfield site sandwiched between the existing commuter and freight lines and currently cut off from the BART station by tracks is being reclaimed for a vibrant mixed-use district including these high-density affordable family apartments.

Station Center Family Housing comprises 157 affordable rental units in two buildings framing a public playground and overlooking the new plaza and eventual direct connection to the BART station.

The building is ringed with active edges: The main entry is framed by a towering entry portal, and the face of the building is lined with retail arcade that is soon to house a corner cafe and a market. Along Cheeves Street, additional public and private entryways connect to the sidewalk. At the rear, housing "wraps" the neighborhood-serving garage, shielding it from view.

 

Image: Bruce Damonte
Station Center Family Housing recently won a 2015 Growing Stronger Together: Public-Private Partnership Award from the Association of Bay Area Governments. Learn more about the project and the partnership in this video. 

 

 

Image: Bruce Damonte

A four story entry portal and double height retail space face 11th Street. Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte
The building has on-site social and health services with programs for teens and kids.

Community Room

 

The community room opens onto a fitness center and pool deck, and opens entirely to a grand courtyard, creating a large indoor-outdoor gathering space.

Image: Bruce Damonte
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Image: Bruce Damonte

Courtyard

 

Designed along with all the building landscaping by Fletcher Studio—features allottment gardens for residents, formal and informal seating areas, and a play yard populated by playful concrete gorillas.

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Water Cannon

 

The "water cannon" serve to dissipate the force of water coming down the downspouts from 6 stories above, and allow it to enter the stormwater retention swales without causing erosion. Needless to say, this idea required a lot of convincing to the client team! But it works well practically, while adding a playful element to the courtyards.

The "water cannon" serve to dissipate the force of water coming down the downspouts from 6 stories above, and allow it to enter the stormwater retention swales without causing erosion. Image: David Baker Architects

Stoops

 

On Cheeves way ground level apartments are entered by bridges across the stormwater retention swale. This activates the edge while providing a privacy buffer for the residents there.

The stoop entries on Cheeves Way are level in to allow ADA access, but are buffered from the street by a stormwater retention swale. Though these look like a townhouse they are actually all flats. Image: David Baker Architects

Garage

 

The multi-level garage forms a buffer to the heavy rail line at the rear of the block.

LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Platinum Certified.

 

 

Station Center Family Housing Green Features

Units

• Large operable window.
• Private decks
• High sound isolation between units
• High-efficiency lighting
• Built-in trash and recycling bins

Resources

• Contractor recycled 88% construction waste
• Over 45% cement replaced by  slag or fly ash, unused manufacturing byproducts
• Wood-framed walls built off site to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
• Building trash and recycling chutes

Air Quality

• Cabinets contain no added formaldehyde
• Bathroom and kitchen fans exhaust to the exterior 
• Low- or no-VOC paints, coatings, and construction adhesives
• CRI Green Label Plus carpets

Energy

• Added insulation to minimize heating needs.
• Solar hot water panels pre-heat domestic hot water
• A high efficiency gas-powered boiler heats domestic hot water
• Energy Star appliances
• Corridor and garage lighting controlled by motion sensors
• Exterior sunshades reduce heat gain
• Attic insulation is R-30 and wall insulation is R-21 

• Exceeds Title 24 by 20% 

Water

• Bay Friendly Certified landscaping
• Landscape irrigation controller receives weather data via a satellite connection
• All rain is captured and treated onsite in swales and large below-grade storage system
• Low-flow showerheads, faucets and toilets

 

Green

The low-energy building used a range of complementary sustainable strategies—including solar domestic hot water, high-efficiency boilers, and rooftop photo-voltaic arrays—to achieve LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Platinum certification. The Bay-Friendly Rated landscape design will save 193,282 gallons of water per year compared to a conventionally landscaped property.

The rooftop solar domestic hot water system provides more than 70% of the residents' hot water. The flatter panels in front are part of the solar photovoltaic array, which generates electricity.
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“Everyone here has roots in different parts of the world, and together we grow and blossom as a community.” —Elias, 9. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Mural

 

San Francisco artist Mona Caron creating a towering mural on the 5-story entry tower, visible from the neighborhood and neighboring train tracks.

The mural, "Taking Root," was inspired by an intrepid local plant she found pushing through the broken concrete. While the plant reaches to the sky, it is "rooted" at ground level in multi-lingual messages of welcome contributed by new residents.

More information on Mona Caron and her work can be found at www.monacaron.com.

Alazar, right, shared a welcoming phrase in Ethiopian. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Station Center community meeting where the residents decided on the welcome messages and crowd-sourced a vision of the future. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Artist Mona Caron and her in-progress mural at Station Center Family Housing. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Mural inspiration. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis
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Image: Bruce Damonte

Pyramid

 

This wonderful, dangerous appearing, but safe climbing structure is a temporary use of a building site immediately adjacent.

End-of-day play on the pyramid. Image: Mona Caron

This resident has turned his private deck into a garden paradise!

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Diagram of site issues.

Station Center Family Housing is part of a Union City TOD that also includes:

Union Flats

Windflower II

Station Center Family Housing is joined by the neighboring Union Flats and Windflower II. Image: David Baker Architects
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A typical residential floor level. Image: David Baker Architects
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The site plan with landscape design by Fletcher Studio Landscape Architecture. Image: David Baker Architects


PDF Icon2014cnu-awards

 

CNU Charter Award

The Congress for the New Urbanism selected Station Center Family Housing as Best Building and also bestowed the building the Grand Prize for overall excellence in its 2014 Charter Awards, which recognize exceptional placemaking. Says juror  Will Bruder, "It is a mastery of proportion and scale, materials and detail."   

 

ULI Global Award of Excellence

Station Center Family Housing was awarded a 2013 ULI Global Award for Excellence. This year's 12 worldwide winners were selected for their dedication to building enduring communities.  

 
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Diagram of site issues.

The brownfield site before construction of Station Center.

Station Center Family Housing is joined by the neighboring Union Flats and Windflower II. Image: David Baker Architects

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

A four story entry portal and double height retail space face 11th Street. Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

The "water cannon" serve to dissipate the force of water coming down the downspouts from 6 stories above, and allow it to enter the stormwater retention swales without causing erosion. Image: David Baker Architects

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

The stoop entries on Cheeves Way are level in to allow ADA access, but are buffered from the street by a stormwater retention swale. Though these look like a townhouse they are actually all flats. Image: David Baker Architects

Sketch section showing relation of high density residential to the townhouses across Cheeves Street. Image: David Baker Architects

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Image: Bruce Damonte

Mural inspiration. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Early tracings as Mona Caron's Station Center mural takes shape. More mural images and info at www.monacaron.com. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Artist Mona Caron's work-in-progress at Station Center. More images and info on the mural at www.monacaron.com. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Community participation. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Community participation. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Alazar, right, shared a welcoming phrase in Ethiopian. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Community input: A resident adding a greeting in Pashto. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Community input: Punjabi welcome. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

Station Center community meeting where the residents decided on the welcome messages and crowd-sourced a vision of the future. Image: Nick Kasimatis

“Everyone here has roots in different parts of the world, and together we grow and blossom as a community.” —Elias, 9. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis

The residents' vision of the future surrounding Station Center. Mural: Mona Caron. Image: Nick Kasimatis.

Artist Mona Caron and her in-progress mural at Station Center Family Housing. Image: Nick Kasimatis

End-of-day play on the pyramid. Image: Mona Caron

Night view of Mona Caron's mural. Image: Nick Kasimatis

This resident has turned his private deck into a garden paradise!

Aerial view from the southwest. Image: David Baker Architects

Aerial sketch from northwest. Image: David Baker Architects

Garage sketch. Image: David Baker Architects

The multi-level garage, which provides for residents as well as for future commercial uses, serves as an acoustic buffer to the freight rail line to the north. Image: David Baker Architects

Sketch view of the corner of 11th and Cheeves Streets. Image: David Baker Architects

Computer visualization of the corner of 11th and Cheeves Streets. Image: David Baker Architects

View of entry portal from 11th Street. Image: David Baker Architects

View of the entry portal from 11th Street. Image: David Baker Architects

View of the entry portal as Phase 1 construction winds up. Image: David Baker Architects

A cafe is planned for the retail space next to the entry portal. Image: David Baker Architects

A cafe is planned for the retail space next to the entry portal. Image: David Baker Architects

Image: David Baker Architects

Fletcher Studio has found pre-cast concrete gorillas to roam over the soft topography of the children's play area.

The custom laundry table being fabricated at the Ohio Design workshop in San Francisco.

The Ohio Design custom laundry room table installed. The wood is sustainably harvested American Hickory.

This 14-foot table in the community room was custom fabricated by Ohio Design in San Francisco from steel and sustainably harvested American hickory.

The rooftop solar domestic hot water system provides more than 70% of the residents' hot water. The flatter panels in front are part of the solar photovoltaic array, which generates electricity.

A typical residential floor level. Image: David Baker Architects

The site plan with landscape design by Fletcher Studio Landscape Architecture. Image: David Baker Architects

This project is registered in the LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Pilot Program with a goal of Platinum certification.

LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Platinum Certified.

Station Center resident Colleen Dutton and her daughter at the building Grand Opening.

Station Center has been officially recognized as a Bay-Friendly Rated Landcape. The project will save 193,282 gallons of water per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 13.89 and 36.01 tons of CO2e over the life of the project (compared to a conventionally landscaped property).

The neighboring detached houses to the south of Station District Family Housing are considerably less dense.

awards

2015 Growing Smarter Together—Public-Private Partnership Award
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
CNU 2014 Charter Award—Best Building
Congress for the New Urbanism
CNU 2014 Charter Award—Grand Prize
Congress for the New Urbanism
ULI Global Award for Excellence
Urban Land Institute

project details

Category

Affordable Housing, All Projects, Apartments, Current Work, LEED, Transit-Oriented Developments

​Location

Union City, California

Master Planner

ROMA Design Group

Nonprofit Housing Developer

MidPen Housing

Architect

David Baker Architects

General Contractor

Barry Swenson Builders

Landscape Architect

Fletcher Studio

Lighting Designer

Horton Lees Brogden

Structural Engineer

Tipping Mar + Associates

Structural Engineer

FBA Structural Engineers

Mechanical Engineer

Timmons Design Engineers

Civil Engineer

Mark Thomas & Company

Mural Artist

Mona Caron

Permalink

www.dbarchitect.com/StationCenter

project data
Station Center 20813
Union City, California
Completed April 2012
number of units
1 bedroom 33
2 bedroom 74
3 bedroom 50
total 157
density ratios
project sf 299,944
site sf 94,139
acres 2.16
total bedrooms 328
bedrooms/acre 152
units/acre 72.6
open space sf 33,000
open space sf/unit 210
parking
total 289
resident 204
flex commercial 10
public 75
spaces/unit 1.3
type  garage
bicycle parking 53
certification
LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Platinum