Framing has begun on the Harbor View house, and a mild New England winter is giving us a shot of getting the job done before beach season. It’s a complex structure for a small building, and the next steps include a few steel columns and beams to help navigate some of the larger spans and cantilevers.

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Today was the first of many highlights of our project in Gloucester, MA: the last of the foundations was poured! The biggest challenge, and our largest design constraint, was the steep grade and exposed ledge. Knowing that this was also the site’s greatest asset, we’ve compressed the footprint of the building, and used the verticality of the site to terrace up and along the protruding cliff face. An ambitious project, but one that is certainly taking shape!

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With permits approved and demolition underway, we’ve officially broken ground at the Harbor View House in Gloucester, MA. Situated on a steep rocky site overlooking the harbor, this two-unit condo will terrace three levels over the 25 foot grade change on site. Designed to prioritize views to the harbor, natural sunlight transmission, energy efficiency, and prevailing winds, this house compliments its surroundings and maintains a sensitivity to the site without compromising the integrity of the design.

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This past week, 280 Beale Street Apartments has opened it’s doors to 70 families seeking affordable housing in the ever-increasing rent environment of the Bay Area. Located in the heart of the emerging TransBay District in SOMA, San Francisco, this project is another collaboration with the California affordable housing developer, Mercy Housing. With a tight budget and ambitious density goals, we have designed this highly efficient building that capitalizes the amenities of its surroundings; including an adjacent park and views of the Bay Bridge.

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From the MONDAY newsletter:

“What’s special about my space is that while most of work is done on computer screens, I’ve held onto my adjustable drafting table. I work better with the tools I learned back in the dark ages. I get frustrated working on the computer: Sometimes you want to zoom back like on the physical drawing.

Although my space is mostly a mess of things I’m supposed to be doing, nothing gets the creative process started like cleaning the drawing board of all the piles and rolling out a fresh piece of paper. Things build up. It’s a good way to clear out the sense of constraints that come with the technical side of buildings.”

We are proud to announce that the AIA San Francisco Branch has granted the Muxbal Community Center with a Small Firm / Great Project Award in the Civic category. Below is an excerpt from the announcement, and more can be found at the link provided below.

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Santos Prescott and Associates is an architecture and urban design practice with a strong portfolio of innovative cultural and residential projects. The firm derives architectural solutions based on both professional experience and academic research. Working in San Francisco since 1991, the firm has established a reputation for spatial inventiveness and social responsibility with buildings completed in San Francisco and around the world.

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http://aiasf.org/programs/competition/sfgp/2014/muxbal-community-center/

The new SP+A designed house goes on the market this weekend in Somerville, MA. More to come.

Santos Prescott and Associates is one of the firms featured in the US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, on exhibit until November 23, 2014. Featuring work by American architects working overseas, the exhibit includes three SP+A projects: SDC Headquarters, Housing in Kitakyushu and the Muxbal Community Center.

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