{"id":27329,"date":"2023-07-12T12:39:59","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T19:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=27329"},"modified":"2023-07-12T12:40:00","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T19:40:00","slug":"an-architectural-contest-shows-how-s-f-s-sunset-can-add-housing-without-that-50-story-tower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/07\/12\/an-architectural-contest-shows-how-s-f-s-sunset-can-add-housing-without-that-50-story-tower\/","title":{"rendered":"An architectural contest shows how S.F.\u2019s Sunset can add housing \u2014 without that 50-story tower"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/author\/john-king\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/author\/john-king\/\" target=\"_blank\">John King<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>July 10, 2023Updated: July 11, 2023 11:56\u00a0a.m. (SFChronicle.com)<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/feed?app_id=137086563877087&amp;link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fbayarea%2Farticle%2Fs-f-sunset-housing-50-story-tower-18193132.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dfacebook.com%26utm_medium%3Dreferral&amp;name=An%20architectural%20contest%20shows%20how%20S.F.%E2%80%99s%20Sunset%20can%20add%20housing%20%E2%80%94%20without%20that%2050-story%20tower&amp;description=The%20six%20winners%20of%20the%20competition%20offer%20visions%20that%20include%20terraced%20condos%20fitting%2010...&amp;picture=https%3A%2F%2Fs.hdnux.com%2Fphotos%2F01%2F33%2F50%2F06%2F24019342%2F4%2FrawImage.jpg&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fbayarea%2Farticle%2Fs-f-sunset-housing-50-story-tower-18193132.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3DUTMSOURCE%26utm_medium%3DUTMMEDIUM\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fbayarea%2Farticle%2Fs-f-sunset-housing-50-story-tower-18193132.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dt.co%26utm_medium%3Dreferral&amp;text=An%20architectural%20contest%20shows%20how%20S.F.%E2%80%99s%20Sunset%20can%20add%20housing%20%E2%80%94%20without%20that%2050-story%20tower&amp;via=sfchronicle\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Your%20friend%20has%20shared%20a%20San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20link%20with%20you%3A%20&amp;body=An%20architectural%20contest%20shows%20how%20S.F.%E2%80%99s%20Sunset%20can%20add%20housing%20%E2%80%94%20without%20that%2050-story%20tower%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fbayarea%2Farticle%2Fs-f-sunset-housing-50-story-tower-18193132.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dshare-by-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%0A%0AThe%20six%20winners%20of%20the%20competition%20offer%20visions%20that%20include%20terraced%20condos%20fitting%2010...%0A%0AThis%20message%20was%20sent%20via%20San%20Francisco%20Chronicle\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"1-image-24019342\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.hdnux.com\/photos\/01\/33\/50\/06\/24019342\/4\/1200x0.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cSunset Steps,\u201d by the architecture firm West of West, received the honor award in a design competition to show ways to add dense housing to San Francisco neighborhoods like the Sunset District. The national competition was organized by the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSunset Steps,\u201d by the architecture firm West of West, received the honor award in a design competition to show ways to add dense housing to San Francisco neighborhoods like the Sunset District. The national competition was organized by the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects.West of West<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"2-image-24019343\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.hdnux.com\/photos\/01\/33\/50\/06\/24019343\/4\/1200x0.jpg\" alt=\"The San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects\u2019\u00a0Housing+ San Francisco 2050 Design Competition winner is \u201cSunset Steps,\u201d by the firm West of West.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"3-image-24019340\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.hdnux.com\/photos\/01\/33\/50\/06\/24019340\/3\/1200x0.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cSunset Lanterns\u201d by\u00a0Kennerly Architecture &amp; Planning received a merit award in a design competition to show ways to add more housing to San Francisco neighborhoods.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While a developer tries to win approval for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/realestate\/article\/san-francisco-condo-sunset-tower-renderings-18185475.php\">a 50-story residential tower<\/a>&nbsp;amid single-family homes near Ocean Beach, a new national competition shows there are more creative ways to add housing to San Francisco\u2019s low-slung Sunset District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such as terraced condominiums sliding 10 homes into a lone residential lot. Or lines of townhouses through a procession of backyards, with entries from single lots to the north and south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>50-story S.F. condo tower<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/sf\/article\/sunset-condo-tower-18193024.php\">Realistic or not, the proposed building casts political shade<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are among&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/aiasf.org\/architecture\/housing-san-francisco-2050-design-competition-awardees\/\">the six winning entries<\/a>&nbsp;announced Monday by the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects. And even though the competition is speculative \u2014 competition winners don\u2019t get an empty parcel of land \u2014 the organizers believe that the results can expand the debate over what can be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSomething has to change,\u201d said Sarah&nbsp;Willmer, a local architect active on housing issues with the chapter. \u201cWe have to find a way to increase density while maintaining the character of San Francisco that people love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The $10,000 honor award went to the firm West of West, which has offices in Portland and Los Angeles, for a proposal it calls \u201cSunset Steps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conceptual design starts with four stories along the street \u2014 noticeably taller than its neighbors \u2014 then steps down at each level until it is just one story at the rear of the lot. The types of units vary, and each level would have outdoor space for residents to enjoy, as well as a shared side yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were struck by the combination of spaces it created, and the real possibilities for interchangeable living,\u201d said Anne&nbsp;Torney, a partner at Mithun and the chair of the six-member design jury. Another asset? \u201cIt\u2019s quite a lovely architectural composition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the 45 or so entrants were from the Bay Area, but only one award went to a San Francisco firm.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/Kennerly%20Architecture\">Kennerly Architecture &amp; Planning<\/a>&nbsp;received a $2,000 merit award for a design with seven stacked units in two slender towers with a shared courtyard and upper-floor open bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a needed conversation,\u201d said Owen&nbsp;Kennerly, the firm\u2019s co-founder. Though Kennerly is the architect for such upcoming projects as a 17-story collection of low-income apartments on Folsom Street that Mercy Housing will develop, it got its start with small buildings in neighborhoods like the Mission and the Richmond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis scale is something we\u2019ve always enjoyed,\u201d&nbsp;Kennerly said. \u201cEveryone worries about neighborhood character, and I agree, but neighborhood character can be augmented\u201d by new forms for living.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most intriguing winner, recipient of a $1,500 citation, came from the East Coast: \u201cIn Our Back Yard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its premise is that owners of consecutive single-family homes might pool their backyards to make room for a succession of two-story townhouses along a shared alley&nbsp;\u2014 \u201ca flexible, organic urbanism that can unfold over time,\u201d according to the entry. The entrance from one block could be created by turning an existing home\u2019s ground-floor garage into a covered walkway, or making an empty lot into a landscaped portal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The proposal is from&nbsp;ISA, a Philadelphia firm. According to Brian Phillips, the firm\u2019s founding principal, the inspiration was the surge in construction of accessory dwelling units since California made them easier to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat one building can do on one lot is limited,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cWe were interested in developing a housing strategy. It\u2019s the planner in every architect&nbsp;\u2014 thinking about the larger move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conclusion of the competition coincides with efforts by the city\u2019s planning department to begin rezoning the Sunset neighborhood&nbsp;\u2014 much of which is scaled to single-family homes&nbsp;\u2014 as part of larger effort to clear the way for construction of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/82,000%20homes%20over%20the%20next%20eight%20years\">82,000 homes over the next eight years<\/a>, as required by the state.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even as work begins, there\u2019s heavy pushback by neighbors and planners to one developer\u2019s claim that he can use state housing bonuses to build a 580-foot, 680-unit shaft across from the San Francisco Zoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This context makes the competition\u2019s results all the more relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe winners did a really good job helping visualize density\u201d and show that it needn\u2019t be overwhelming,&nbsp;Torney said. \u201cIt\u2019s the role of architects to make it easier for skeptics to imagine a San Francisco with more neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other winners were Martin&nbsp;Fenlon Architecture and Object-Territories, which received merit awards, and citation recipient Po-Yu Chung.<br>Information on the contest is available at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aiasf.org\/\">www.aiasf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reach John King: jking@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @johnkingsfchron\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/author\/john-king\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Written By <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/author\/john-king\/\" target=\"_blank\">John King<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/johnkingSFChron\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnKingSFChron\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John King is The Chronicle\u2019s urban design critic and a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist who joined the staff in 1992. His book \u201cPortal: San Francisco\u2019s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities\u201d will be published by W.W. Norton in November.VIEW COMMENTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/img\/logos\/black\/logo.svg\" alt=\"San Francisco Chronicle Homepage - Site Logo\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/img\/core\/hearst_newspapers_logo.svg\" alt=\"HEARST newspapers logo\">\u00a92023 Hearst Communications, Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John King July 10, 2023Updated: July 11, 2023 11:56\u00a0a.m. (SFChronicle.com) While a developer tries to win approval for&nbsp;a 50-story residential tower&nbsp;amid single-family homes near Ocean Beach, a new national competition shows there are more creative ways to add housing to San Francisco\u2019s low-slung Sunset District. Such as terraced condominiums sliding&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/07\/12\/an-architectural-contest-shows-how-s-f-s-sunset-can-add-housing-without-that-50-story-tower\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[780],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27329"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27330,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27329\/revisions\/27330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}