This 94-unit residential project occupies a prime position between major transportation corridors, green amenities, artist studios, and Berkeley’s popular 4th Street retail area. The challenge was to create an appealing market-rate rental complex directly adjacent to major railroad lines and light industrial uses while highlighting the extraordinary geographical assets of the area. The solution is a five-story building organized around a serene private courtyard, and topped by a roof deck that offers panoramic views of both San Francisco Bay and the Berkeley Hills. A sculptural staircase provides a visual and literal connection, inviting residents to linger and socialize in the courtyard. The building is designed so that no units have primary exposure to the train tracks: most are heavily buffered by cleverly-planned circulation corridors and provide tranquil adjacencies to the landscaped courtyard.

At street level, retail spaces and a double-height building entry anchor the Addison Street façade. Landscaping softens the retail and lobby frontage along the main street, while a vine-covered trellis softens the east edge along the rail lines.