San Francisco, California

Transbay Block 7 is affordable rental apartments located between Fremont and Beale Streets in the San Francisco Transbay redevelopment area. This high-density urban infill project is comprised of two 8-story mid-rise podium buildings and a 4-story garden apartment townhouse building with individual stoop entries along the new Clementina Street extension. MMP developed an elegant grading solution for the pedestrian walkways providing full accessibility to each unit and to the outdoor community areas. 

The buildings frame a central landscaped courtyard for resident use and for the programmed day care facility, offering a strong connection to the outdoors by bringing neighbors together to share common space. MMP took advantage of the challenging grade change across the site by dividing the courtyard into two terraces. The first terrace creates an outdoor room which includes casual dining tables laid out on special paving acting as an ‘area rug’ subdividing the space. A planted pergola screens the view from the upper balconies, and a planted slope between the terraces screens the second terrace which contains the creative play area designed for the day care. The paths and terraces throughout the courtyard provide full accessibility to all programmed elements.

Owner/Client: Mercy Housing

Team Lead: Santos Prescott & Associates