SVA’s Work on Bay Area School Staff Housing Recognized

By Eric Althoff

DALY CITY, Calif.—The Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) and the American Institute of Architects California (AIA California) have awarded SVA Architects with a Jury Citation Award for their work with the Jefferson Union High School District. The project, the Serramonte Del Rey Faculty & Staff Housing, is an affordable community for JUHSD faculty and staff. The Leroy F. Greene Design & Planning Awards praised the district and SVA for their work realizing affordable housing in the Bay Area, where rents often put living spaces out of reach for educators.

The Serramonte Del Rey Faculty & Staff Housing, known colloquially as 705 Serramonte, hosts 122 apartments divided up among one-, two- and three-bedroom options ranging from 640 to 1270 square feet. SVA’s design aesthetic incorporates plank floors as well as large windows to allow in as much sunlight as possible. 705 Serramonte also contains a fitness center and community room, as well as areas for outdoor cooking. The $64-million 705 Serramonte is but the first piece of an eventual 22-acre development at the site in Daly City.

The awards were announced as part of CASH 44th Annual Conference at the Safe Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. Entries were judged on such metrics as community environment, sustainability, planning and design.

“This project tackles the goal of providing affordable housing for faculty and staff in an area with a housing crisis and a high cost of living,” said SVA President Robert Simons. “Affordable housing allows staff to be full-time members of the community where they teach, and provides more stability and cohesion for the students’ learning experience. We thank the jury for recognizing this project.”

SVA worked with general contractor J.H. Fitzmaurice on 705 Serramonte, which was completed last fall.

“Along with the District, we wanted to honor the critical work of educators by offering comfortable spaces that feel like a haven at the end of the day,” added SVA principal Nathan Herrero.

In addition to its Bay Area offices in Oakland, SVA is headquartered in Santa Ana, with other California locations in San Diego and Davis.