For more than two decades, a high-crime light-rail stop at a toxic empty lot; now, a sustainable affordable housing development and new gateway to downtown.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
This new affordable rental building remediates a toxic site, bolsters important local electrical and storm-water infrastructure, and brings compact transit oriented homes to a neglected area.
The project provides 63 affordable homes for local singles and families earning between 30 and 50% of area median income.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
Taking a strong stand along the rail line, the building provides new neighborhood-serving spaces and puts eyes on the street with private balconies, an outdoor lobby and stair tower, and bridge ways that create views at all levels and on all sides of the site.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
The street level facing the light-rail station is activated by new commercial space and a café. An open-air stair and bridge emphasizes walk-ability and social interaction. The building provides secure indoor and outdoor bicycle parking.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
At ground level, a long span of glass, masked with a “bar-code” mural spelling the building name, illuminates the night sidewalk with a mellow glow while ensuring privacy for the community room inside.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
The larger development includes this project – a high-density, 76 unit/acre property with a mix of housing types – located alongside a row of zero-net-energy townhomes by YHLA Architects. Community space and services for both projects are provided on this site.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
The sustainable strategies for this project should be understood within the larger context of the whole development, which was planned to transform a high-crime, neglected site next to one of the most utilized transit stops in Sacramento into a diverse, high-density, transit-oriented, mixed-use gateway to the downtown area.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
A series of complementary simple and readily available green strategies were employed to reduce the negative impacts of the building on the site, while enhancing measures that improve quality of life for residents.
courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
Site constraints placed most units facing east and west, and heat gain was minimized by facing windows north and south around balconies, minimizing west-facing glazing, and allowing the cladding material to double as a sun shade. A 34 kW rooftop PV array provides a portion of common-area electricity. The project also features low-impact materials, including low-VOC interiors, permeable paving, and drought-tolerant landscaping.
Low-energy and low-maintenance technologies such as LED fixtures in the corridors and high-reflectance roofing contributed to the building exceeding Title 24 by 10%.
courtesy David Baker + Partners
+ Project facts
Project: La Valentina Station
Architect: David Baker + Partners
Project Team
David Baker FAIA LEED AP
Peter MacKenzie AIA
Bradley Sugarman AIA LEED AP
Kevin Markarian AIA LEED AP
Location: Sacramento, California
Client: Domus Development
Date of occupancy: July 2012
Square footage: 67,356sf
Site area: 36,124sf
Construction cost: $14m
Contractor: Brown Construction
Consultants
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Anderson Structural Group
CIVIL ENGINEER Cunningham Engineering
PLUMBING J.R. Pierce Plumbing Co, Inc.
ELECTRIC Barnum & Celillo Electric, Inc
MECHANICAL KC Engineering
BJ Heating & Air Conditioning
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER Raney Geotechnical Inc.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Garth Ruffner Landscape Architect
LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT Fletcher Studio
Key materials
Azek Siding
Cor-Ten Steel
Boardform concrete
Stucco
Tot Turf
Software used: Revit
Awards: “Best Infill Project of 2011-12”, Sacramento Business Journal
Photographer: Bruce Damonte
+ All images & drawings courtesy David Baker + Partners | photo by Bruce Damonte
