The Golden Shovel

This case study highlights my role as the sole designer on the UC Berkeley team for The Golden Shovel, an annual competition between University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University, where I translated complex development and financing strategies into a clear, compelling narrative and graphics that put people and place at the center of the proposal.

ROLE

Lead Designer

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission was exploring the development and disposition potential of an 18-acre site called Balboa Reservoir. Our job was to provide a thorough analysis culminating in a recommended development program and disposition strategy most likely to optimize the opportunity of the site while minimizing risks. The subject property provided a unique transit-oriented large scale development opportunity in San Francisco. Our team conducted detailed analysis of entitlement feasibility, market opportunities, design and development approaches, financing options, and disposition strategies.

Site Maps & Analysis

Originally constructed in 1957, the Balboa Reservoir has never been used for its original purpose of water storage. The site is located across from City College of San Francisco, Bishop Riordan High School, and Westwood residential neighborhood, and commercial development along Ocean Avenue.

Multi-Use Site

Our solution was to segment the site into three distinct product types; student housing, multi-family, and town homes. This allowed us to capitalize on product diversity that will hedge against the risk associated with long absorption time frames and fluctuating market conditions for a single use development.

The three segments also allowed us to bridge the diverse neighborhood conditions surrounding the site. With a residential neighborhood the west, a commercial district to the south, and a community college to the east, our site proposal bridges all three urban elements. The town-homes to the east maintain the residential aesthetic while ramping up in density to the multi-family housing to the west. The student housing at the north of the site abuts playing fields. Commercial development at the south edge of the site fronts the commercial district and creates a stepped-down separation between commercial and residential uses.