Builder - December 2008 - (Page 70) Blue Star Corner Location: Emeryville, Calif. Builder: Bjork Construction, Fremont, Calif. Developer: Holliday Development, Emeryville Architect: David Baker + Partners, San Francisco Web site: www.bluestarcorner.com LIGHT BOXES: Skylights above stairwells and large windows (the chill pod even has one) keep interiors bright and airy. Dutch Treat hen your charge is to introduce 20 new housing units to a site that’s less than an acre (.7 to be exact), of which nearly a third is to be preserved as open space, you’ve got nowhere to go but up. And in this LEED-certified infi ll project, every inch of vertical space is put to good use. Inspired, in part, by the space-saving row homes that now inhabit Amsterdam’s old shipyards, Blue Star Corner orients four rows of tall, skinny townhomes around English-style mews. Kinetic steel birdhouse sculptures, cable trellises, and droughttolerant plantings create intimate public Skinny row homes take a vertical leap of faith. gathering places in the narrow, 24-footwide courtyards between the buildings. Inside the units, which range from 1,300 to 1,700 square feet, living spaces are creatively stacked in three or four levels— rising up from a modest footprint of just 15 feet by 30 feet. Two of the three plans offer a mezzanine level between the second and third floors, complete with a raised, upholstered “chill pod” that can be used as a reading nook, entertainment cocoon, sleeping platform, or extra storage space. “The idea for the chill pods was driven by what the code allows,” explains architect Kevin Wilcock. In order to qualify as a W 70 ■ mezzanine, a space must be open to the adjoining floor below and cannot have a floor area larger than a third of the square footage of the floor below. The pod creatively adds more functional space to the mezzanine without blowing the ratio. “Technically, the chill pod doesn’t count as floor space because you can’t stand up in it. We sold it as a raised area that creates a ceiling for the kitchen underneath,” he says. About that kitchen: It’s equally economical, incorporating electronic charging stations inside cabinets, a built-in oven tucked underneath the stair landing, and a separate undercounter refrigerator and freezer in lieu of a big box fridge–freezer combo. “Without that large, bulky appliance, you have a nice, open stretch of counter space and the kitchen feels larger than it actually is,” Wilcock says. And then there’s the car factor: The project’s parking solution, which integrates 26 car spaces into tuck-under garages attached to the units at grade—plus six bicycle spots—was a major cost saver. “A structured underground podium garage might run you $50,000 to $60,000 per unit, and we were able to avoid that,” says Wilcock. The individual garages are small but functional, featuring built-in dog-washing areas and flip-down workstations with outlets and Peg-Boards. (see page 72) photos: Courtesy David Baker + Partners B U I LD E R de c e m ber 2008 W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM http://www.bluestarcorner.com http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM
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