Richard Johnson Design

linda street

2008

Located in the Mission district of San Francisco, 184 Linda Street offers a model for how to re-purposes a small historic structure in a very dense residential neighborhood. Originally, this modest 1907 grants and loan structure served as a temporary structure post 1906 earthquake. Over the last 100 years there has been a number of additions expanding what once was 700 sq ft to 1000 sq ft. The structure will under go a major renovation, removing the small additions and adding a small horizontal addition to the rear yard and new studio/garage in the front. The addition will expand the current structure to1400 sq ft. as well as upgrading all structural and infrastructural systems. The project constraints ? are the tight footprint, height limitation, and location of existing exterior windows on the sidewalls of neighboring buildings. The design strategy is simple; clean up and leave the existing architectural ?form? in-tack and express the new additions as a series of knots within the program. Within very tight space constraints, these knots or overlapping volumes provide a clear relationship between the public and private parts of the program. Along with this efficient use of the building there was a mandate to turn what is now a very inward focused environment to one that is exterior or outward focusing. The use of windows, skylights and large operable doors, clearly reestablishes a connection between inside and out and the extended urban fabric. Where the rear yard and neighborhood becomes an extension of the interior program.

San Francisco, CA

architecture