San Francisco State University Manzanita Square

Forward‑looking student housing that’s affordable, sustainable and integrated into the city fabric.

San Francisco State University had an imperative to build more student housing amid the city’s housing shortage. With the first new building planned across the traditional campus boundary of Holloway Avenue, the University’s goal was to create a contextual design and community resource. We designed residential units to prioritize affordability for students, retail to be community-serving, and common spaces to create a desirable and safe urban student living experience.

The L-shaped volumes of the building are arranged to harmonize with the scale of the area, responding to the University’s desire for a building that would fit appropriately in its built and urban context. The siting of the building creates a shortcut, allowing activity to flow through the courtyard to the campus at large. This created a continuous accessible path of travel for all from the light rail stop to the main entry and through to the campus, and helped navigate the 20-foot grade change across the site.

The main entrance and shared amenities—lobby, multipurpose room, academic success center, social and game lounge—are visible through a transparent glass box adjacent to the courtyard. Concentrating these social and academic spaces at the ground level creates an activity hub that in turn helps enliven the courtyard, for a vibrant student environment 24/7.

The common spaces are designed with a rich combination of biophilic materials and textures, which have been found to support cognitive function, physical health, and psychological well-being. The lobby takes visual cues from local Bay Area artist Jet Martinez’s vibrant floral mural, and the lounge with its moss and wood living wall invites students to gather and relax on soft seating.

To reinforce a sense of place, the building’s wayfinding graphics are inspired by the Seven Hills of San Francisco. Each residential floor has a unique but related graphic identity, and the entire composition is visible from the glazed main stairwell.