Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House

Architect: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

Owner: Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House

Location: San Francisco

Project site: Brownfield

Building program type(s): Lodging – Residence Hall/Dormitory, other

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Founded in 1981, Family House is a not-for-profit organization providing free temporary housing to families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at the University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital. The objectives for the new Family House in Mission Bay were to provide a comforting, healthy, and supportive environment for 80 families in a non-institutional, residential setting. Sustainable strategies focused on combining healthy and restorative living spaces for the families with resource and energy efficiencies critical to the on-going operations of the non-profit organization. The resulting design received a Platinum Level certification under the LEED for Homes program.

"This cost-effective building serves a community of sick children and their families while prioritizing environmental performance." ~ Jury statement

Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House provides a comforting and supportive environment for 80 families in a non-institutional, residential setting. Image: Bruce Damonte

Integrating health-focused strategies and a sensitivity to economy into a space that fosters community and healing within an urban environment: Founded in 1981, Family House is a not-for-profit organization providing free temporary housing to families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Children’s Hospital. With the construction of the new Benioff Children’s Hospital in Mission Bay, Family House needed to relocate their operation to a nearby location. Developed on a site two blocks away from the new hospital, the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House provides a comforting and supportive environment for 80 families in a non-institutional, residential setting. The mission of Family House is unique, which led to a unique design process. The project faced several constraints; some of the biggest challenges included managing construction costs, a contaminated and subsiding site, recognizing the importance of designing an environment for children with severely compromised immune systems, and constructing the first new development project undertaken by the organization. The design team’s sustainable strategies focused on providing healthy living spaces, including a continuous air ventilation system and nontoxic building materials, achieving LEED Platinum certification. Supporting community was a central design strategy as well; shared living and gathering spaces are integrated throughout the building, with two community living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms on each floor, a courtyard on the second level, a flex conference room, and meditation space. The exterior orange corner screen serves as both an icon for the building as well as solar shading; the fresh air system does not need cooling and has a low operating cost; and the green roofs offer insulation, stormwater management, habitats for drought-tolerant plants and local fauna, as well as attractive views.

Additional information

Project attributes

Year of design completion: 2014

Year of substantial project completion: 2016

Gross conditioned floor area: 73,057 sq ft

Gross unconditioned floor area: 16,143 sq ft

Number of stories: 5

Project Climate Zone: California climate zone 3 (Title 24)

Annual hours of operation: 8,760

Site area: 31,831 sq ft

Project site context/setting: urban

Cost of construction, excluding furnishing: $29.2 million

Number of residents, occupants, visitors: 8,000

Project Team

Acoustic Consultant: Mei Wu Acoustics

Corrosion Consultant: JDH Corrosion Consultants, Inc.

Gas Mitigation: Terra-Petra

General Contractor: Nibbi Brothers

Engineer - Civil: Luk and Associates

Engineer - MEP: Engineering 350

Engineer - Structural: OLMM

Interior Design: Marie Fisher Interior Design

Landscape Architect: Cliff Lowe & Associates  

LEED rater: Bright Green Strategies

Lighting Consultant: Architectural Lighting Design

Low Voltage: EdesignC

Signage Consultant: Keilani Tom Design Associates

Waterproofing Consultant: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Third party rating systems

LEED: Platinum

Jury

Michelle Addington, Dean, School of Architecture, The University of Texas Austin, Austin, Texas

Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, FAIA, EHDD. San Francisco

Kevin Schorn, AIA, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, New York

Julie V. Snow, FAIA, Snow Kreilich, Minneapolis

M. Susan Ubbelohde, LOISOS + UBBELOHDE, Alameda, California

Jury comments

This house proves that sustainable best practices are not only for institutional buildings or single-family homes with large budgets. This cost-effective building serves a community of sick children and their families while prioritizing environmental performance. The technical and spatial solutions are both impressive, including the solar hot water system; the shared living, dining, and play areas; and the intelligent flexible apartments.

The building’s social organization into neighborhoods with shared common and rooftop outdoor areas emphasizes the indoor air quality and non-toxic materials. A large sunny garden for recreation supports healthy living spaces for this community, providing a sense of normalcy for families struggling with sick children who need housing near the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

Image credits

2018 FH COTE_Image 2_k

Bruce Damonte

2018 FH COTE_01 Integration_k

Bruce Damonte

Family House-4

Bruce Damonte

Family House-3

Bruce Damonte

2018 FH COTE_09 Change_k

Bruce Damonte

2018 FH COTE_10 Discovery_k

Bruce Damonte

2018 FH COTE_Image 1_k

Bruce Damonte

Family House-8

Bruce Damonte