With support from Santa Clara County’s Measure A Affordable Housing Bond, Eden Housing developed a services- and amenity-enriched new home for low-income families, seniors, and transition-aged youth (TAY) for San Jose’s Almaden neighborhood. The project is located at a threshold between a commercial district and an established working-class neighborhood. At five stories, Mesa Terrace establishes a gateway and landmark for the community; the parcel’s rounded corner is celebrated with a curving façade of cascading apartment windows. Massing steps down to one story in deference to neighboring residences, creating an outdoor terrace for residents. Care has been taken to design a home that creates a safe and supportive environment for the varied resident demographics while fostering connections between them, as part of a program reuniting local family groups. Twenty-three units are dedicated for TAY, youth exiting the foster system. A 1,000-square-foot ground-floor Neighborhood Room at the project’s prominent corner is available for use by the broader community.
Sustainable features include all-electric energy, rooftop solar, infrastructure for EV charging, and a rain garden for stormwater management. The building includes a naturally-ventilated garage in the podium, but is also walking distance from shopping, Almaden Lake Park, and Blossom Hill VTA Station.
Personnel
- Curtis Caton / PIC
- Gary Struthers / PA
- Ray Tam / PM
- Kevin Riley, Jr. / JC
Personnel
- L&D / GC
- Van Dorn Abed / Landscape
- Luk & Associates / Civil
- DCI / Structural
- Litzenberger / Mechanical
- BWF / Electrical
- RGD / Acoustics
- DuctTesters / Sustainability
- Photography / Jeff Peters