Alta Potrero | San Francisco, CA

At 1301 16th Street, the site sits within San Francisco's Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Plan Area, zoned Urban Mixed Use to serve as a buffer between residential districts and industrially zoned land. The city had rezoned this 16th-17th Street transit corridor to encourage new housing, especially along the south side of 16th Street, mixed with remaining PDR uses.

Wood Partners took up that invitation with a vision for 172 homes. The challenge was to bring residential character to a corridor still defined by its industrial past, at a density supported by Type III over Type I construction. BDE Architecture partnered with the client on a modern design approach, dividing the form into distinct masses, each detailed with a simple palette of glass and fiber cement panels. Between these layers, deep terraces activate the building's exterior while enhancing its residential character.

Completed in 2021, Alta Potrero gives residents homes that are well served by transit, less than three blocks from Muni lines 10, 19 and 22 and about a mile from both the 16th Street BART station and the 22nd Street Caltrain station.

Address: 1301 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Client: Wood Partners

Number of Units: 172

Construction Type: IIIA / IA

Year Completed: 2021

Photographer: Abraham & Paulin Photography

A modern multi-story apartment building with glass windows and balconies, located at the corner of a city street during twilight.
Modern multi-story apartment building with glass windows and balconies, situated at an urban intersection with cars parked along the street and a traffic light.
Modern apartment complex courtyard with trees, landscaped greenery, and balconies, under a clear blue sky.
Modern hotel lobby with seating area, including a beige sofa with pillows, black chairs, a red armchair, a coffee table with a plant, and large glass windows showing an outdoor area with a fire pit and patio furniture.