San Francisco, CA

255 Shipley is a SOMA mid-block site with two 25’ wide lots on Shipley, and three 25’ lots on Clara. A building is built on each lot, with slots of open circulation connecting them, and a shared mid-block rear yard. These five buildings become a village like ensemble with opportunities for light and neighborliness in the slots. On both Shipley and Clara, incised bays create balconies for the units while maintaining the flat street walls typical of alleyways. The shared rear yard is bridged by a link that connects the buildings. On Clara, a half sunken PDR space is provided, with parking occupying the remainder of the site. Each floor of each of the 5 buildings is an independent detached dwelling.