Kapuso at the Upper Yard

2025 Residential Design Award Recipient-Citation

Kapuso at the Upper Yard demonstrates the potential of affordable housing design to amplify both climate strategy and social benefit. One hundred thirty-one (131) homes for low-income households over a richly programmed ground floor frame a new public open space serving residents and commuters. Building on neighborhood advocacy for more height and 50% more housing units, the west façade embraces the scale of the 280 freeway while sheltering a ‘green heart’ of resident open spaces on the east side. An active, transparent ground-floor and a large aperture from the community room animate the plaza, framed by public art by a local artist that speaks to the identity of this diverse working-class neighborhood.

A welcoming internal network of common spaces for residents in this busy urban location begins with an entry garden that helps residents to decompress on their way home. The gracious landscaped stair leads to a sheltered courtyard and community room at the heart of the complex with a view back over the transit plaza, fostering internal social connections and linking residents with the larger neighborhood. Double-height lounges provide space for homework, play and casual meetups in this building full of families.

Kapuso transforms a windswept underutilized parking lot into an integrated neighborhood resource and a showcase for sustainability. A continuous central ventilation system in units with MERV 13 filtration and healthy interior material selection ensures optimal interior air quality. A high-performance building envelope with enhanced insulation, glazing rated with sound transmission class of 40 and efficient building systems help conserve energy for an EUI of 16 kBtu/SF/yr. Rooftop renewable energy and fossil-fuel-free building systems yield operational carbon 75% lower than US national average, meeting the 2030 Challenge. A strategic approach to embodied carbon achieved a concrete mix with 59% lower global warming potential than the regional average.

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The jury appreciates this thoughtful response to a brutal site: a well-done affordable housing project realized through a well-conceived language and vocabulary. The exterior elevations and cladding work in harmony.

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Measure 1: Design for Integration

“Kapuso’s multi-layered sustainability strategies encompass building performance, decarbonization and both resident and community wellness.
Poor air quality and noise were identified as major risks for this housing project located adjacent to Interstate 280. A continuous central ventilation system in units with MERV 13 filtration in tandem with healthy interior material selection ensures optimal interior air quality to support residents’ health and well-being. A high-performance building envelope with enhanced insulation, glazing rated with sound transmission class of 40, considered optimal for noise mitigation, and efficient building systems help conserve energy for a low EUI of 16 kBtu/SF/yr. Rooftop renewable energy and fossil-fuel free building systems resulted in operational carbon 75% lower than US national average, meeting the 2030 Challenge design targets. A strategic approach to embodied carbon during design and construction achieved a concrete mix with 59% lower global warming potential than regional average. The energy efficient, fossil-fuel free systems and transit-supportive design demonstrates the way forward for decarbonization.”

Measure 2: Design for Equitable Communities

The client, Mission Housing, brought decades of experience with the Outer Mission to the conception of this project. Early in the design, public meetings and many smaller conversations with a wide range of community stakeholders brought together neighbors, representation from historically marginalized populations, and public agencies. Multi-lingual meetings helped amplify community priorities. The community pushed for a taller building to provide 50% more homes than originally planned, reconfiguration of BART drop-off to create a pedestrian-friendly transit plaza, and a suite of ground-floor uses highly tuned to neighborhood needs. Consultation with community youth directed the public art selection.

Measure 3: Design for Ecosystems

The planting palette is 100% low-water to moderate-water use, and no invasive plant material was used. The site’s permeability was increased from 0% to about 17%. The site treats stormwater through green infrastructure via flow-through planters and green roof. All wood used through the site furnishings is thermally treated ash, avoiding the use of endangered tropical hardwoods or chemically pressure treated lumber. A large coast live oak shades the ground floor childcare center outdoor play area, with native grasses encouraging discovery and free play.

Measure 4: Design for Water

All fixtures, including 1.28 gpf toilets, 1.5 gpm showerheads, and 0.5 gpm faucets, are Watersense rated, representing a 40% reduction in potable water use based on COTE Super Spreadsheet baseline, and exceeding CalGreen requirements by 15%. The predicted annual water use includes residential at 4.1m GPY, commercial at 50.3k GPY.

Measure 5: Design for Economy

Adding three stories to the original six-story design breif added 50% more units at the same cost per unit, leveraging the initial public investment in valuable transit-oriented land over more affordable homes. To maximize useable square-footage within the mid-rise height limit, the ground-floor non-residential spaces are a mix of single- and double-height, allowing nine total stories in 85’ while providing a tall floor-to-floor height at commercial streetscapes. The courtyard expands the community room for popular events, allowing conditioned areas to be right-sized for daily rather than peak use.

Measure 6: Design for Energy

Passive design features reduce peak energy demand with R-4 exterior insulation building envelope, low window wall ratio, 0.25 solar heat gain coefficient windows, and operable windows. High-efficiency, all-electric equipment, heat pump hot water heating, and a solar water heating system deliver significant reductions in energy use and operational carbon. +80% efficient ERV provides ventilation air with MERV-13 filtration. A future rooftop PV array is sized to cover common area loads, providing energy stability and resiliency for residents.

Measure 7: Design for Well-Being

Kapuso provides a secure, welcoming environment and onsite supportive programming that fosters inclusion. Residents enjoy convenient access to transportation options, an onsite bike hub, cultural destinations and a nearby park. The second-floor residential open space is protected from wind, noise and particulates and provides views over the neighborhood. Daylight and views at the twinned indoor and outdoor ‘social stairs’ encourage residents to forgo the elevators. Interior materials and finishes were selected to support resident health. MERV 13 filtration provides healthy indoor air quality and enhanced glazing with sound transmission class of 40 mitigates noise intrusion from Interstate 280 to units.

Measure 8: Design for Resources

Optimized concrete mixes limited cement content and maximized substitution rates of supplementary cementitious materials, resulting in a mix with a 59% lower GWP relative to NRCMA regional average. An exposed structure and streamlined material concept minimized finishes and prioritized durability, resiliency and adaptability. Insulation and finish materials are lower carbon relative to the market range. Human health impacts were considered for all surfaces with which occupants regularly interact. Low-emitting materials were used throughout, and material selection avoided red list chemicals of concern. Construction waste was considered and tracked: 82% of waste was recycled or reused.

Measure 9: Design for Change

Natural daylighting, natural ventilation and an optimized exterior envelope enhance passive surviveability without power. Increasing storms threaten California, and the design includes bioswales, drought-resistive vegetation, and landscaped areas that capture, infiltrate, and treat stormwater runoff for 90% of the average annual rainfall. Robust insulation, energy-efficient windows, and highly efficient all-electric HVAC systems all minimize energy consumption, mitigating the effects of climate change, and provide resilience to extreme heat events. The building incorporates water-saving fixtures and systems, including low-flow toilets, crucial for regions like California that are at risk of water shortages and droughts.

Measure 10: Design for Discovery

“The team has shared our methodologies and lessons learned regarding community outreach and the project’s low embodied/operational carbon at national conferences. A multi-lingual post-occupancy evaluation conducted a year after move-in underscores the project’s success in fostering community, wellness and transit-oriented living:
– 84.4% of respondents are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the adjacent BART Plaza.
– 74.3% use public transit weekly, affirming the project’s role in promoting sustainable urban mobility.
– 87.1% report that that they feel a sense of belonging living at Kapuso.
– 80.7% report that household health has improved as a result of living at Kapuso.”