Berkeley USD Workforce Housing

The BUSD educator housing at 1701 San Pablo Avenue will be a transformational new multifamily residence in Northwest Berkeley. The project, whose site is shared with the Berkeley Adult School, will create needed, affordable homes for teachers, school district staff, and the broader community. The project will contribute to San Pablo Avenue’s transformation into a transit-oriented mixed-use corridor, taking further advantage of its close proximity to BART, bikeways, and bus routes. California’s density bonus was utilized to maximize unit count while preserving surface parking for BAS and employing massing that respects the adjacent single-family neighborhood.

The project promises to be an important model for educator housing on school district land. Five stories of flats sized between one and three bedrooms will partially enclose an 8,000-square-foot podium-level courtyard. An adjoining community room, fitness space, and central laundry will activate the courtyard and generate opportunities for residents to interact and play. The ground floor podium will include an entrance lounge and management offices, coworking and meeting spaces, a 110-capacity bike room, and a garage naturally ventilated to reduce up-front costs and long-term energy use. The rooftop will include capacity for approximately 50% PV coverage.

Design strategies such as broken-up volumes, stacked bay windows, and a pulled-back (“Mansardesque”) top floor reduce the project’s perceived bulk. The ground floor uses brick and storefront openings to lend a human scale and feel for passersby and the public realm.