Carefully designed to fit within a highly sensitive Palo Alto neighborhood, this compact community of 35 studio units serves single adults ranging from seniors to youth recently released from foster care. Indoor and outdoor common areas are arranged to encourage interaction among the diverse residents and to support the long term goal of transitioning residents to economic independence. The sense of shared community is enhanced by visual connections between the entry lobby, community room, patio, and roof deck. Careful placement of the building allowed 12 of the 13 existing heritage trees to be retained, creating a shaded refuge and maximizing the visual buffering from neighboring homes. The building was sculpted to reduce the apparent height, stepping down from four to two stories at both front and back. All units have 9 foot ceilings and tall windows looking directly into the large live oaks and stately valley oaks.