![\"Kapuso](\"https:\/\/www.e-architect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/kapuso-upper-yard-san-francisco-c141125-tf.webp\")
<\/a>photo : Tom Fitzgerald<\/p>\n
Photos below by Bruce Damonte & Tom Fitzgerald<\/p>\n
Kapuso at the Upper Yard, San Francisco, California, USA<\/p>\n
Located in San Francisco\u2019s Outer Mission district, Kapuso at the Upper Yard transforms a former parking lot into a vibrant, mixed-use development, demonstrating the potential of affordable housing design to amplify both climate strategy and social benefit.<\/p>\n
Originally planned at a smaller scale, the project doubled in size in response to community advocacy, ultimately providing 131 affordable homes for low-income families over a richly programmed ground floor that frames a new public open space serving residents and commuters. Strategically located next to the Balboa Park BART station, the development leverages transit access to connect residents to the broader city.<\/p>\n The building responds to its context through two distinct facades. On the west, the sweeping, undulating form engages with the scale of Interstate 280, while on the east, the massing respects the proportions of surrounding single-family homes, anchoring the structure to the neighborhood\u2019s residential character.<\/p>\n A welcoming entry garden offers a transition from the street, leading to a sheltered courtyard and a dramatic community room at the heart of the complex.<\/p>\n Double-height apertures from the community room offer sweeping views of the transit plaza and activate social connections within the building, while transparent ground-floor uses\u2014including childcare, a community resource center, youth arts programs, and a bike-share station\u2014link residents to the neighborhood. Public art by a local artist further celebrates the identity of this diverse, working-class community.<\/p>\n Kapuso is also a model of sustainable design. The building features a fossil-fuel-free system, high-performance insulation, MERV 13 filtered ventilation, and healthy interior materials to optimize air quality and comfort.<\/p>\n The building envelope, with enhanced glazing rated for a sound transmission class of 40, and efficient systems deliver an EUI of 16 kBtu\/SF\/yr, while rooftop renewable energy reduces operational carbon by 75% below the US national average, meeting the 2030 Challenge. A strategic approach to embodied carbon further reduces environmental impact through a concrete mix with 59% lower global warming potential than the regional average.<\/p>\n At its core, Kapuso transforms a windswept, underutilized lot into an integrated neighborhood resource, balancing climate-conscious design, social connectivity, and affordability. The project creates meaningful internal and external spaces for families, fosters community, and sets a precedent for how affordable housing can engage both its immediate context and the city at large.<\/p>\n Kapuso at the Upper Yard, San Francisco \u2013 Building Information<\/p>\n Project Title: Kapuso at the Upper Yard Architect \/ Interior Designer: Mithun<\/a> Collaborators:<\/p>\n Civil Engineering: Luk & Asociates Gross Floor Area: 170,000 sf; 0.7 acre Photographer: Bruce Damonte & Tom Fitzgerald<\/p>\n 2025 AIA California Residential Design Award<\/a> \u2013 recognized for its \u201cthoughtful response to a brutal site\u201d and described as \u201ca well-done affordable housing project realized through a well.<\/p>\n Kapuso at the Upper Yard, San Francisco housing images \/ information received 151125<\/p>\n Address: Mission Bay, San Francisco, California, United States of America.<\/p>\n San Francisco Building Designs<\/p>\n San Francisco Architecture Designs<\/a> \u2013 chronological list<\/p>\n San Francisco Architecture News<\/a><\/p>\n San Francisco Housing Design on e-architect:<\/p>\n HomeRise, Mission Bay, San Francisco Housing<\/a> Edwin M. Lee Apartments<\/a>, Mission Bay neighborhood ++<\/p>\n San Francisco Building Designs \u2013 selection:<\/p>\n San Francisco Centre<\/a>, 865 Market Street The Canyon tower building<\/a>, San Francisco waterfront San Francisco Architecture Tours<\/a><\/p>\n San Francisco Houses<\/a><\/p>\n +++<\/p>\n California Architecture<\/p>\n San Francisco Architect<\/a><\/p>\n San Francisco Buildings<\/a><\/p>\n California Architecture<\/a> : building images<\/p>\n +++<\/p>\n American Architectural Designs<\/p>\n American Architectural Designs \u2013 recent selection from e-architect:<\/p>\n America Architecture News<\/a> \u2013 latest building updates<\/p>\n US Architecture News<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
Location: San Francisco, CA<\/p>\n
Landscape Architect of Record for BART Plaza: Merril Morris Partners<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Structural Engineering: Mar Structural Design
MEP: Engineering350
Lighting: Banks Landl Lighting Design
Acoustics: Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc
General Contractor: Cahill Contractors<\/p>\n
Sustainable Metrics: Architecture 2030, Compliant; GreenPoint Rated, Targeted
Status: Completed 2023<\/p>\n
Architecture: LEDDY MAYTUM STACY Architects<\/a>
photo : Bruce Damonte<\/p>\n
Design: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, Saida + Sullivan Design Partners<\/p>\n
Architecture: 10 Design<\/a>
image courtesy of architects practice<\/p>\n
Design: MVRDV<\/p>\n