In what may be a first in the U.S., 122 new affordable apartments at 705 Serramonte, Daly City, Calif., were designed for faculty and staff at Jefferson Union High School District. The three-story structure provides 59 one-bedroom, 56 two-bedroom, and seven three-bedroom units.
The Bay Area has one of the worst housing shortages in the country. Many younger teachers on relatively low salaries cannot afford to live near the schools where they teach. Lower-paid staff members – maintenance staff, cafeteria workers, administrative aides, etc. – often find themselves in the same boat.
The design-build team of SVA Architects and J.H. Fitzmaurice recently joined Jefferson Union High School District (JUHSD) in Daly City for the district’s Centennial Celebration and Grand Opening of 705 Serramonte, an affordable housing community specifically for district faculty and staff. Helping to bring housing equity to the region, JUHSD is the first K-12 school district to pass a bond exclusively to build an affordable housing community for teachers and staff.
PROPERTY FUNDED IN PART FROM MEASURE J BONDS
The $75 million project received $33 million in bond funds provided by the passage of Measure J in June 2018. The pioneering development unites SVA’s dual strengths of partnering with educational institutions and designing affordable housing communities.
RENTAL RATES SET AT 50% AMI
The Serramonte homes range from 560 to 1,174 sf, with rental rates set at 50% of market rate at the time of occupancy. Homes feature vinyl plank flooring, stainless steel appliances, and generous windows with abundant light. Community spaces include a community lounge, a fitness center, and a central, landscaped courtyard with children’s play structures, BBQ area, and ample seating.
Nathan Herrero, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal at SVA Architects, stated, “SVA’s vision was to design homes and community spaces that feel like a market-rate, luxury development. Along with the District, we wanted to honor the critical work of educators by offering comfortable spaces that feel like a haven at the end of the day.”
Mohammad Hakimi, AIA, President & CEO at J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc., stated, “It’s been our privilege to be a part of this trailblazing project with Jefferson Union High School District and SVA Architects. Many districts around the country are already looking to JUHSD as a model for this type of educator housing in their own communities.”
THE BUILDING TEAM
Owner/developer: Jefferson Union High School District
Architect: SVA Architects
Design architects: Seidel Architects and BDE Architecture
Structural engineers: Ficcadenti Waggoner and Castle, IDA Structural Engineers
Civil engineer: Luk & Associates
MEP engineer: Emerald City Engineers
Landscape design: ANLA Associates, JETT Landscape Architecture + Design
General contractor: J.H. Fitzmaurice
About J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc.
Founded in 1922, J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc. (JHF) has completed numerous projects in the Bay Area, with its headquarters being in the same location in the City of Oakland for the past 100 years. JHF’s primary focus in the past 40 years has been partnering with non-profit housing developers in building affordable housing projects including: teacher & faculty housing; multi-family housing; senior housing; veteran’s housing; and special needs & homeless housing. JHF’s mission and philosophy is to continue to partner with non-profits to help solve the current need and demand for affordable housing. For more information, visit www.jhfitzmaurice.com.
About SVA Architects, Inc.
Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, Davis, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.
Related Stories
Education Facilities | Nov 9, 2023
Oakland schools’ central kitchen cooks up lessons along with 30,000 meals daily
CAW Architects recently completed a facility for the Oakland, Calif., school district that feeds students and teaches them how to grow, harvest, and cook produce grown onsite. The production kitchen at the Unified School District Central Kitchen, Instructional Farm, and Education Center, (“The Center”) prepares and distributes about 30,000 meals a day for district schools lacking their own kitchens.
Products and Materials | Oct 31, 2023
Top building products for October 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from structural round timber to air handling units.
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2023
Top 170 K-12 School Architecture Firms for 2023
PBK Architects, Huckabee, DLR Group, VLK Architects, and Stantec top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school building architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2023
Top 100 K-12 School Construction Firms for 2023
CORE Construction, Gilbane, Balfour Beatty, Skanska USA, and Adolfson & Peterson top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school building contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2023
Top 80 K-12 School Engineering Firms for 2023
AECOM, CMTA, Jacobs, WSP, and IMEG head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school building engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
K-12 Schools | Oct 21, 2023
The Blueprint Schools Program in Maryland reins in construction time and cost
This collaborative P3 is also committed to expanding participation of small and minority businesses.
K-12 Schools | Oct 4, 2023
New high school in Minnesota provides career pathways for students
This 90-acre school campus also features myriad sports facilities.
K-12 Schools | Oct 2, 2023
4 design strategies for successful K-12 magnet schools
Clark Nexsen's Donna Francis, AIA, Principal, and Becky Brady, AIA, share four reasons why diverse K-12 magnet schools require diverse design.
Contractors | Sep 25, 2023
Balfour Beatty expands its operations in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Balfour Beatty is expanding its leading construction operations into the Tampa Bay area offering specialized and expert services to deliver premier projects along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
K-12 Schools | Sep 5, 2023
CHPS launches program to develop best practices for K-12 school modernizations
The non-profit Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) recently launched an effort to develop industry-backed best practices for school modernization projects. The Minor Renovations Program aims to fill a void of guiding criteria for school districts to use to ensure improvements meet a high-performance threshold.