West10

DESCRIPTION:
This 10 unit mini-lot subdivision is a cluster of homes located on the industrial edge of West Oakland. The design looks to its context for conceptual underpinning. The surroundings are primarily existing warehouses and industrial buildings, many of them converted to housing, along with older, low-density single-family houses. The site is also adjacent to the 880 freeway and its frontage road, and the ageing Southern Pacific rail lines. New development has sprung up nearby in recent years.
The architecture incorporates the warehouses’ corrugated metal and the lap siding of adjacent houses. The band of color playing though the project connects to the lines of infrastructure that cross the area and provides the project with a playful formal meandering. This line further serves to mark various functions, from overhang, to balcony, to screen wall, which simultaneously connects and distinguishes each home. The same materials make their way into the spaces of the homes, but are softened by other layers of material, such as wood, stone, and tile.

PROJECT DATA:
Location: Oakland
Year Completed: 2018
Project Type: Mini Lot Subdivision
Program: 4 BR / 2 BA Homes
Square Footage: 17,755
Units: 10