Columbia Square is a low-rise, fifty unit multi-family development in a mixed-use area of San Francisco. In response to its context, the development integrates affordable family housing with commercial establishments on the street level. Concrete, wood and galvanized steel are just a few of the industrial materials used to reflect the neighboring light industrial workshops and warehouses. To respect the building massing of its context, this four-story apartment building maintains an urban edge along Folsom Street while reducing in mass toward the main entry on Columbia Square, a small alley.

The tenants of Columbia Square are primarily working families who have previously lived in overcrowded conditions or who have paid an extremely high proportion of their income to rent.

Cost-effective materials and equipment were used to reduce costs including: Corrugated and stucco-metal siding, hardy plank and aluminum windows are just a few examples.

Tax credits and low interest loans for the project include: Savings Association Mortgage Company (conventional, 30-year loan at $1,591,087), Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Affordable Housing Program (10-year loan, forgivable, $194,000), City of San Francisco (deferred loans at $2,710,000) Mission First Financial (tax credit syndication proceeds, $ 4,469,676), Mercy Housing Inc. (sponsor equity $195,183).

Support household and neighborhood fit:

Columbia Square responds to the building types of Folsom Street, which is lined with various commercial establishments, most with residences above, as well as to the neighboring narrow alleys which are scattered with light industrial workshops and warehouses. Ground floor offices are accessed from Folsom Street, while the residential entrance on Columbia Square is buffered from the traffic by a forecourt.

Columbia Square is designed to provide a safe and secure place for adults and children to relax and play. The central courtyard, which steps up to the second floor level, provides a protected environment for adults and children to meet and socialize. Its location also provides parents with a clear view of their children at play.

Meet high aesthetic standards:

Columbia Square has been designed in a U-shape to enclose a central courtyard yet still allow for maximum sunlight penetration to the courtyard space. The type of materials used - concrete, wood and galvanized steel - complement those used in the surrounding neighborhood, but their colors and textures give the development a strong identity. The building base is made up of stuccoed columns rich with color: deep reds, earthy oranges, soft grays, and a crisp white. The upper exterior walls are finished in a silver band or wood painted various colors of gray. Stained wood trellises and balconies soften the building exterior providing a distinguishing contrast to the surrounding buildings.

The unifying element in the building layout is the central, sun-filled courtyard. The featured elements in the courtyard garden are integral colored concrete planters and walls tiled by local artist Pilar Olavarria. Pilar worked with members of the local community to develop design ideas for the tiles applied to the planters and walls. The contributors and the artist were given a rewarding opportunity to create a lasting piece of art together. This integrated approach allowed the artwork to establish a connection to the community in which both the creators and the tenants live. Other elements within the courtyard include sculptural seating areas and benches by Buddy Rhodes.