Tahanan Supportive Housing

San Francisco CA | Completed 

2021

This six-story modular building is a prototype of a new financing structure and construction approach to speed the production of permanent supportive housing for formerly unhoused individuals in San Francisco.

The goal was to expedite the development process and reduce cost using philanthropic funding, then engage modular design to streamline construction. Completed in 2021 within the schedule and cost goals, Tahanan was realized 30% faster than similar San Francisco projects.

Tahanan offers 145 studios for individuals affected by homelessness, built with five levels of modular construction over a concrete ground floor. Fabricated, finished, and furnished off site, each module includes two complete studio units plus a section of connecting corridor. 

The design maximizes the infill site with compact homes over a community-focused ground floor. With high ceilings and extensive glazing, the light-filled space balances security and transparency. The building offers extensive social support resources as well as a flexible community room that opens to a sunny courtyard lined with rainbow murals by artist Wendy Heldmann.

The building features a striking sawtooth facade that orients apartment windows toward downtown skyline views and away from the facing Hall of Justice. The rain-screen façade, developed in conjunction with local company BOK Modern, combines weathering steel and natural aluminum and is perforated for integrated venting.  

The site falls within the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural District, which was established by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Planning Department to preserve the cultural diversity of the South of Market with special attention to the culture and contributions of the Filipino American community in the area.

For the design, the project team consulted with SOMA Pilipinas, who offered thoughtful cultural references and imagery to inform design elements, which appear throughout the building. This collaboration resulted in the use of the traditional ‘banig’ handwoven grass mats as a source for a pattern in the cast concrete; a graphic representation of rice field terraces in the perforated metal of the striking aluminum stair tower; and a color palette drawn from Filipino imagery.

The building name, Tahanan, is a Tagalog word which evokes “home”, “coming home”, “return home” and represents a place for people and families to return to or rest.


Project Details


Project Number
21801

Address

833 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA
United States



Status
Completed
2021

Number of Units
Studio
145
1 Bedroom
1

Total 146

Density Ratios
Project
63,032 sf
Site
15,537 sf
Acres
0.36
Units per Acre
405

Parking
Parking Spots
0
Parking Type
Secure bicycle storage

Construction
Type IIIA
Type IA
Modular

Certifications
GreenPoint Rated Gold

Recognition


Awards
Winner—Special Needs
Affordable Housing Finance Magazine
Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing 2022 Finalist
Terwilliger Center
Architecture Merit Award
AIA San Francisco
Residential Design Merit Award
AIA California

Team


Developer
Mercy Housing California
Development Team
Tipping Point Community
Development Team
San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund
Architect
David Baker Architects
General Contractor
Cahill Contractors
Modular Manufacturer
Factory_OS
Landscape Architect
Fletcher Studio
Structural Engineer
DCI Engineers
Lighting Designer
Horton Lees Brogden
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineer
FARD Engineers
Civil Engineer
Luk + Associates

Keywords


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