Partnering with BRIDGE and Mission Housing to bring more affordable housing to the Mission District—an incredibly rewarding project—we redesigned the interior of 490 South Van Ness to increase the unit count and meet the city’s affordable housing guidelines. Our design is geared toward families. An additional nine units, moving from 72 to 81, and several amenities make the 490 South Van Ness more family-friendly and service-oriented. A courtyard and playground are visible from the laundry room, giving parents a chance to watch their children and giving their children some freedom to play safely. Three-bedroom apartments are situated on the perfect corner of the lot. Moreover, working with community agencies to design the ground-floor supportive services gives residents a chance to get stable, healthy, and back on their feet. Everyone, from children to youth to adults and seniors, have access to health and wellness resources. Since mobility is a crucial element of opportunity, 490 South Van Ness’s location within a block of public transit makes it accessible for lots of people. Echoing the neighborhood’s dominant brick materiality, we used bricklike tile on the first two floors and a palette of warm browns and beiges throughout. Sealed concrete floors and wood-panel walls reference midcentury industry, while rooftop solar panels anticipate a lower-carbon future and contribute to the building’s energy efficiency.

Even though 490 South Van Ness centers around affordability, we found creative freedom in décor and materials that express pride and upward mobility for the building’s residents. The building’s name, Avanza 490, means “move forward,” which carries special meaning to the Mission District’s predominantly Latin residents. We also considered South Van Ness’s automobile culture, using vintage car photos from the area to create rootedness and nostalgia. Several furniture pieces play off the idea of cars, and garage doors separate the community room. The apartments are designed for personalization—we want residents to customize their space, to feel ownership over their homes—and we designed community spaces for flexibility. People move furniture to suit their own specific purposes, and they can use the garage doors to either expand or divide the large room on the ground level. Several apartments are designed with additional features that support mobility, accessibility, and emergency communication. Four units are especially supportive of deaf or hearing-impaired people, with strobes that flash to signal the arrival of visitors and in emergency situations.