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Marina Housing
Location:
San Rafael, California
Inspired by activated European waterfront precedents, this multi-unit housing complex in San Rafael emphasizes a vibrant relationship between land and sea, inside and outside. Pulling precedent from historical Norwegian waterfront housing, the project was an exercise in siting, massing, and construction possibilities.
Each individual townhouse is a flipped plan, with parking on the ground floor, private spaces on the middle, and, unusually, living spaces on the top so as to maximize views and emphasize a continuity between ocean and interior. Designed to be constructed from cross-laminated timber, the simple shapes of each gable belie a Jenga-like complexity in their organization, with neighboring homes alternately pushing towards and pulling back from the waterfront.
Each individual townhouse is a flipped plan, with parking on the ground floor, private spaces on the middle, and, unusually, living spaces on the top so as to maximize views and emphasize a continuity between ocean and interior. Designed to be constructed from cross-laminated timber, the simple shapes of each gable belie a Jenga-like complexity in their organization, with neighboring homes alternately pushing towards and pulling back from the waterfront.
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