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Architects: David Baker + Partners
- Area: 65 ft²
- Year: 2011
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Photographs:Bruce Damonte
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Manufacturers: 3M, Sika, Solarlux, Dow Building Solutions, DuPont, Sherwin-Williams, Signify, USG, Acuity Brands, Arcadia Inc., Armstrong Ceilings, B-K Lighting, BASF, Baltix Sustainable Furniture, Bigelow, Birchwood Lighting, ClarkDietrich, Concreteworks, Cooper Lighting, Corian, +16
Text description provided by the architects. David Baker + Partners worked with Community Housing Partnership and Mercy Housing California to develop the Drs. Julian & Raye Richardson Apartments, which will provide permanent supportive housing for a very-low-income, formerly homeless population.
The building is named in honor of Drs. Julian and Raye Richardson, local activists and founders of Marcus Books, the oldest black bookstore in the country, founded in 1960. Richardson Apartments includes 120 permanent, supportive residential studio units for adult residents coming out of or at risk for homelessness. Each unit is approximately 300sf and is provided with basic furnishings, a full kitchenette, an accessible or adaptable bathroom, and a secure telephone line to the front desk.
The residents’ entrance on Fulton Street features a spacious, secure lobby with a custom reception station. Beyond the lobby, the south-facing courtyard frames an expansive existing mural—a paint-and-glass mosaic of dancers adorning the side of the adjacent Performing Arts garage. Connected by an open-air stair, four levels of fully equipped studio apartments sit atop neighborhood-serving retail and surround the private landscaped courtyard. Other supportive uses include an on-site medical and counseling center, a residents' lounge, and a prominent flexible-use community room.
The rooftop deck includes a living roof, allotment garden plots, solar arrays, and City Hall views. The corner retail space is slated for BakeWorks, a bakery featuring a work-training program for residents, and other ground-level retail spaces maintain an active street edge and connect the building to the busy Hayes Street retail corridor. Construction began in February 2010, with substantial completion in August 2011, and the building opened its doors to tenants in September 2011.
