Alamo Square Residence

Jensen Architects has renovated a Victorian row house in San Francesco, reconstructing the original facade and creating a new sculptural wooden staircase.

Jensen Architects, Alamo Square Residence, San Francisco, United States, 2016
This residence by Jensen Architects embodies San Francisco’s contemporary culture: modern yet enamored with the city’s rich history. The setting is Alamo Square Park, a city-owned park built in 1857 and known for its “Painted Ladies,” the row of Victorian homes captured on many postcards. The challenge of restoring the original 1889 facade stemmed from a lack of documentation concerning historic details. Physical remnants, a few historic photographs, and existing original ornamentation, laid the groundwork for collaboration with craftspeople skilled in historic Victorian restoration, leading to a faithful reconstruction.

 

Once completed, the restored facade was painted silver, hinting at the modern transformation within. Beyond the threshold, the house’s original identity is legible in the elongated proportions of the interior spaces. A sculptural stair rising through all four floors provides a dramatic focal point while allowing natural light to flood the house from above. A muted interior palette of bleached white oak, marble and neutral colors, contrasts with the rich materiality of the fumed oak of the central stair, bringing the sculptural form into relief. Subtle yet intricate elements such as the fireplace tile and kitchen details offer a quiet nod to the more ornate facade. Sliding mill-finished aluminum screens compose the rear facade. The motorized custom laser-cut panels provide privacy while allowing views outward.

Img.7 Jensen Architects, Alamo Square Residence, San Francisco, United States, 2016
Img.7 Jensen Architects, Alamo Square Residence, San Francisco, United States, 2016

Alamo Square Residence, San Francisco, United States
Program: single family house
Architect: Jensen Architects
Design team: Mark Jensen, Emily Gosack, Yusheen Yang (project leads) Keri Goodlad, Ricardo Gonzalez
Structural engineer: Holmes Structures
MEP engineers: Engineering 350
Land surveyor: CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group, Inc.
Historical consultant: Tim Kelley Consulting
Landscape architect: Surface Design
Interior designer: Hulburd Design
Lighting: SoundVision
Acoustical: Acoustic Arts & Engineering
Area: 400 sqm
Completion: 2016

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