Housing Design Contest Winners

San Francisco Mayor’s Office and San Francisco Prize Announce Winners of Octavia Boulevard Housing Design Contest

Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Office and the San Francisco Prize announced the winners of the Octavia Boulevard Housing Design Contest on June 13th. The design competition was held to generate innovative and imaginative building ideas for the land formerly occupied by the elevated Central Freeway and adjacent to the newly constructed Ocatavia Boulevard. The excess land will allow for nearly 1,000 units of new market-rate and affordable housing.

“The Removal of the Central Freeway has given us a unique opportunity to think creatively about new housing opportunities,” said Mayor Newsom. “The housing design competition and the winning designs should encourage innovative, cutting-edge architecture for in-fill housing throughout San Francisco.”

The winning designs were selected by a jury of architects and urban design professionals from among 167 entries from around the world. The jury awarded six prizes - two first place winners, a second-place winner and three honorable mentions. The jury also noted several community design ideas from other entries that could be incorporated in future housing developments.

• Envelope A+D Architects in Oakland received a $10,000 first-place award for their housing design proposal for Parcels M and N, which are on Octavia Boulevard and are only 15-feet deep. The competition jury selected the glass and steel design because the architects took maximum advantage of the proposed zoning for the area, creating an active street level, innovative unit types, and a dignified living place, all on a very narrow lot. The Envelope A+D team consisted of Douglas Burnham, Michael Cotton, Robert Pei, Tolya Stonorov, and Chris Weir.

• Amit C. Price Patel from Dorchester, Massachusetts received the other $10,000 first-place award for his design proposal for affordable housing on Parcel K, which is on Hayes Street adjacent to the newly opened Hayes Green. The jury selected the entry because of its modest and intelligent design and its positive relationship between the proposed courtyard space and the adjacent alleyway and open space.
• George Tolosa and Lily Nguyen from Hayward, California received the second-place award for their housing design proposal on Parcels M and N. The jury admired the design’s open framework, informality of the proposed retail space, and its incorporation of the adjacent streetscapes.

At the HVNA General meeting in September, there will be a discussion of the design competition along with a display of the winning entries. In the meantime, the designs will be on display during July at the SPUR office on the 5th floor at 312 Sutter Street.