Contemporary Mixture of Retail and Housing
BayRock Residential has recently revealed the design of the planned retail/residential building at 1285 Sutter Street in San Francisco. Designed by award-winning San Francisco architects Christiani Johnson, the building’s appearance is intended to complement the existing streetscape and to help revitalize the architectural environment of upper Van Ness Avenue. The dramatic, contemporary, multi-level structure will sweep back from the streetside to help maintain ambient light and sky views for pedestrians, motorists and neighbors.
At street level, a 15,000 square foot space has been designed for a gourmet national grocer satisfying a much-needed daily grocery use. In addition to providing a great shopping resource for the neighborhood, the retail space will help create an attractive and lively area for pedestrian traffic along Van Ness Avenue.
Above the ground floor, the building will contain 107 large urban homes. The units offer the largest average home size of any new residential building in the neighborhood, approximately 1,055 square feet. Along with the selection of a nationally know grocery partner, the decision to offer larger homes is in line with the city’s plan to revitalize the Van Ness corridor with more attractive and resident-friendly housing and retail.
The developer and architects worked with city planning staff and zoning administrators to create a design in keeping with the city’s vision for the area as well as one that incorporates input from area residents. In addition to meeting functional goals of adding needed grocery retail and housing to the neighborhood, the building is designed to achieve aesthetic goals as well. Residents and city planners have reacted positively to BayRock’s plans to replace empty building in a dated architectural style with a vibrant and attractive contemporary structure. The exterior elevations of the new building, for example, include a stunning glass curtain wall accented by stone accoutrements and architectural panels. The design vocabulary will reflect an iconic structure with a completely modern style.
Depending on the timing of final approval of the design and a public hearing this fall, the new grocery store could open by 2009.