Riverwood Place | Santa Clara, CA

In Santa Clara, the need for affordable housing was pressing, and the site at 5090 Lick Mill Blvd offered a chance to meet it. Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition set out to create Riverwood Place, a 148-unit SRO that would encourage the use of public transportation and incorporate sustainable architecture into its design.

The challenge was to give a large number of compact homes a sense of place and connection. Working with the client, BDE Architecture helped align the units along a curved central corridor, each facing a series of exterior courtyards that differ in character and are designed to promote community interaction. Within VA / IA construction, the team introduced "bamboo rooms," key design features that use sustainable materials such as bamboo flooring and serve as places for residents to gather and socialize.

The courtyards now offer seating areas, landscaping and water features, giving residents shared outdoor rooms just beyond their doors. Affordable Housing Magazine called the project "affordable chic," and Riverwood Place won a Gold Nugget Award of Merit from the Pacific Coast Builder's Conference and a 2004 Builder's Choice Award of Merit from Builder Magazine.

Address: 5090 Lick Mill Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054

Client: Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition

Number of Units: 148

Construction Type: VA / IA

Photographer: David Wakely

Side-by-side comparison of two buildings with modern architecture, featuring large windows and colorful exteriors, one at dusk and one during daytime.

Lobby area with a gray sofa, brown armchair, red rug, coffee table, side table with red flowers, large windows showing parked cars outside, mailboxes along the wall, and modern artwork on the wall.

Modern apartment building with colorful facades and large windows, side view along a curved street with trees and a speed limit sign.

View of a modern apartment complex with two buildings facing each other, colorful yellow and red walls, multiple windows, small balconies, and a courtyard with trees and a metal railing in the foreground.