News and Updates

40 for 40: 53 Columbus Avenue - 2007

2013-04-02T20:41:06Z

In 2007, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (representing the state’s 12^th district including San Francisco) makes history as the first elected female Speaker of the House, while Apple introduces its iconic iPhone—making “smart phones” and “apps” household words.

Two animated films strike box-office gold: A French rat charms audiences in Pixar’s Oscar-winning “Ratatouille,” while a cartoon family of TV fame conquers the big screen in “The Simpsons Movie.” In “Hairspray,” based on cult filmmaker John Waters’ campy hometown comedy set in Baltimore, John Travolta takes a star turn dressed in drag for the role of Edna Turnblad.

The Columbus United Cooperative epitomizes the struggle for affordable housing for low-income, elderly immigrants in the City. Tenants in the 21-unit building at 53 Columbus Ave., prime real estate between Chinatown and the Financial District, are threatened with eviction. Most of the residents are elderly Chinese and families. With the help of long-time AND allies Asian Law Caucus (ALC), Chinatown Community Development Center and Community Tenants Association, renters mobilize to defend their right to live in the building and fight eviction. The newly formed San Francisco Community Land Trust (SFCLT) purchases the building in 2006. In partnership with tenants, this innovative collaboration creates the City’s first housing cooperative. SFCLT retains ownership of the land, while tenants purchase the units so they can become homeowners with a limited-equity stake, establishing affordability in perpetuity.

AND provides design and construction services to renovate and improve the apartments which suffer from years of deferred maintenance. The three-story over basement, unreinforced masonry building is in very poor condition, with exposed wiring, dry rot, unfinished and patched walls, floors and ceilings, outdated appliances and systems.

With the help of funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, AND conducts initial feasibility/analysis work, through design and construction drawings. The rehab includes seismic upgrading, new heating, new finishes to replace contaminated lead paint, new kitchens, bathrooms, two fully-accessible units, a new lobby, a limited-use lift for elderly residents and proper ventilation. With lower-level commercial and two upper floors of residential, AND coordinates the building’s upgrades with improvements for the new permanent home of ALC on the ground floor.

There are over 200 community land trusts (CLTs) around the country today according to nonprofit Urban Habitat. From beginnings in the 1970s, CLTs have evolved as a viable housing strategy for cities to insure socioeconomic and ethnic diversity. True to its roots, the CLT model is more than a mechanism for developing and financing affordable housing. Each building that is rehabilitated and turned over to a CLT becomes a permanent barrier against gentrification. AND is proud of our involvement in this pivotal movement to protect affordable housing in the Bay Area.

40 for 40: Community Response to Earthquake - 1989

2013-03-25T23:46:08Z

In 1989, the non sequitur that became the cultural meme of the century--“Doh”—was uttered by lead character Homer Simpson in the early episodes of hit animated series “The Simpsons” on Fox. In movie theaters, Batman saved Gotham City from the Joker, Harry met Sally and the third film in the Indiana Jones trilogy “The Last Crusade,” struck box office gold. The world saw a lone man courageously stand up to Chinese government tanks in Tianamen Square, while in East Germany, citizens began to take down the Berlin Wall brick by brick. On Oct. 17 at 5:04 p.m, the 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake rocked Northern California, causing the Bay Bridge to collapse and shutting down the World Series Battle of the Bay.

In response to the most damaging temblor in San Francisco since 1906, AND’s architecture and Housing Advisory Center staff began organizing professional architects, engineers, contractors and community volunteers to conduct seismic safety surveys of low-income housing in Chinatown and other neighborhoods. Disaster preparedness education and advocacy became a top priority.

“During the renovation of the Aarti Hotel in the early ‘80s, I remember looking at an expansive area of bare bricks…inside…when most of the interior was gutted. At that moment, I thought about all the efforts we made to extend the use of the building, while not making the building safe. That’s when we started the seismic research, which led to citywide unreinforced masonry code changes and bond money for residents…This is how I became involved in earthquake research, which changed my life.”--Mary Comerio, author of ‘Inside Chinatown’ published in 1982 by AND; professor and former vice chair, UC Berkeley Dept. of Architecture

AND architecture staff volunteered with FEMA to help evaluate and tag buildings. We also worked in collaboration with Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) to monitor and intervene in cases where landlords were using the red/yellow tagging of buildings to evict tenants.

These efforts led to the creation of the Seismic Loan Fund which provided monies for owners of unreinforced masonry buildings to make needed repairs and improvements, at the same time stopping tenant displacement and protecting affordable housing in the City. AND worked on seismic retrofits for the Ritz, William Penn and Cambridge hotels in the Tenderloin; Oakland’s Madison Park Apts., University Homes in Berkeley and numerous other projects throughout the Bay Area.

Our community organizing effort in earthquake and disaster preparedness was integrated with that of NICOS Chinese Health Coalition (a consortium of Chinatown-based service organizations) and Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) training in Chinatown. To this day, Chinatown is one of the few communities with a culturally competent emergency plan in place.

Accompanying photos: A young ALC housing attorney named Edwin Lee (now the City’s mayor) conducts a housing rights workshop, while Rev. Norman Fong (today CCDC’s executive director) meets with a fire marshal to present emergency procedures to tenants.

40 for 40: Minna Park Family Apts. - 1999

2013-03-12T21:49:11Z

1999 saw the debut of both Britney Spears with “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and rapper Eminem’s alter-ego Slim Shady with “My Name is.” Boy bands and former members rock the charts as Backstreet Boys, N‘Sync and ex-Menudo singer Ricky Martin all hit the top 10 in album sales.

It was also a ground-breaking year in film, with the pioneering visual effects of the Matrix and the controversial Fight Club. Moviegoers were eerily intrigued by child actor Haley Joel Osment in Sixth Sense, while Star Wars fans lined the block to see Episode I: Phantom Menace, the first new film in the franchise in 16 years.

In December, AND completes Minna Park Family Apts., a new project it both designed and developed. The site of the new 4-story, 26-unit residential complex, built by hometown contractors Nibbi Brothers and FineLine Construction, is on Minna, an alleyway in densely populated SoMa. Units in the development are organized around a courtyard and its position on the site provides a semi-public park along the property’s western edge. The ground and second floors are fully accessible and served by a hydraulic elevator.

The first floor consists of a parking garage, residential units, community rooms, lobby, office and utilities. The 2^nd, 3^rd and 4th floors provide 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom flats and there are 2-story townhouses as well. Exterior walkways offer additional outdoor space for children and families in addition to improved natural lighting and ventilation.

Tutubi, which means “dragonfly” in Tagalog, is the name given to the park adjacent to the apartments. The name was chosen with extensive input from neighborhood residents. Designed by landscape architect Bob Tanaka of Tanaka Design Group, Tutubi Park features two separate play structures, a climbing wall and sand play area with seating for caregivers and guardians. Local artists were commissioned to adorn the park’s fencing with metal and tile artwork based on the dragonfly motif. The park is attached to the community room which is part of the complex.

Funded by the Mayor’s Office of Community Development and SF Redevelopment Agency, Minna Park Family Apts. provide much-needed affordable housing for families in SoMa, a historic Filipino and Japanese immigrant enclave. Tutubi Park offers open space and recreational opportunities for the many young children living in this urban neighborhood where such amenities are scarce. Today AND continues as owner of the apartments, with oversight by Caritas Management Corp. Caritas’ mission is to enhance quality of life for residents and surrounding communities and provide long-term employment opportunities. Caritas is the for-profit arm of Mission Housing Development Corp., whose vision and goals are to foster healthy residential communities.

40 for 40: Multi-Service Center South - 1991

2013-03-06T02:44:16Z

The Bay Area watched in sadness and disbelief as a firestorm ravaged the Oakland Hills destroying countless homes and killing 25. In LA massive riots occur after the beating of an African American man by the LA Police Department is taped by a bystander; Rodney King is forever etched in our collective memory.

Americans rush to theaters to watch Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector tell young FBI agent Clarice Starr (Jodie Foster ) that, “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,” in Silence of the Lambs. That same year Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” from the album Nevermind ushers in the grunge scene, while Perry Farrell launches the first Lollapalooza tour as a farewell for his just-dissolved band, Jane's Addiction.

In 1991, AND begins working with the City of San Francisco which was then facing the complex issue of an estimated homeless population of 7,000 to 10,0000, one of the largest in the country. The Multi-Service Center on 525 Fifth St. was created as part of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development’s plan to address homelessness by integrating multiple support services in one place.

AND gathered input from homeless coalitions, neighbors, and local businesses to design and renovate a former SoMa warehouse sustainably and address this foremost of urban issues in a socially responsible way.

AND created sleeping areas with modular beds in foldable partitions and under-bed storage, as well as a commercial kitchen, dining areas and office space. In addition, AND’s design included counseling spaces and a 24-hour drop-in center.

Operated by the St. Vincent De Paul Society, today the Center is the largest homeless shelter in Northern California. Typically, it houses more than 400 homeless men and women every night, provides two meals a day, offers drop-in medical care, mental health and substance abuse case management and support groups for those recovering from trauma.

40 for 40: AND’s First Social Enterprise - 1987

2013-02-25T23:47:27Z

In 1987, the average monthly rent in the US is $395, a gallon of gas costs 89 cents, a first class postage stamp is 24 cents and the median price of a home is $85,500. “Black Monday” sees the largest stock market crash in Wall Street history. The music world is rocked by Michael Jackson’s BAD, while Prozac hits the market and Les Miserables wins 8 Tony awards, including Best Musical.

In San Francisco, AND’s community organizing efforts pay off in the re-zoning of Chinatown to protect residential and commercial mixed developments, a measure approved by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

AND’s social enterprise venture Specialty Mills Products (SMP) which employs graduates of the Employment Training Center (ETC) debuts its first line of custom modular furniture, designed primarily for multi-unit affordable housing developments. The SMP business also completes its first large-scale commercial project, building custom storefronts for small businesses in the Rincon Center in San Francisco.

These and other projects, such as Brainwash Café & Laundromat, the Bank of America lobby, Bangkok Bank and Brandy Ho’s restaurant, begin providing regular work to the SMP manufacturing crew, most of whom are low-income Asian immigrants who arrived in the US with skills in technical woodworking but limited English ability.

AND’s job training program and furniture production business together occupy another 4,100 sq. ft. space in an adjoining building on Yosemite St. in the City’s Bayview district. In another 4 years, AND would develop, build and complete a brand-new facility so that the SMP shop and ETC programs could work within the same building in the Potrero district.

40 for 40: 1994 – Hamilton Family Center

2013-02-11T18:35:19Z

The year 1994 saw Americans watching a live feed of OJ Simpson fleeing the LAPD in a white Ford Bronco, while in South Africa, the nation’s first multi-racial election is won by Nelson Mandela. President Bill Clinton becomes mired in the Whitewater investigation.

Children and their parents left the theater humming Hakuna Matata from the movie “Lion King” and other film fans cheered on Keanu Reeves as he rescues Sandra Bullock from certain disaster on a bus barreling down the road in “Speed.” Comic actor Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels act the part in the prescient satire of things to come, “Dumb and Dumber.”

Green Day’s major label debut Dookie becomes a breakout success and popularizes the retro punk movement of the ‘90s, while TLC enjoys even huger success with their second album CrazySexyCool.

At the same time, AND begins work with Hamilton Family Center on a site to create new supportive housing for homeless parents with children. The Center was established in 1985 as the first homeless shelter for families in San Francisco by Hamilton United Methodist Church. Staffed entirely by church volunteers, the program grew as did the desperate need for its services and transitional housing for homeless families in the City.

Located in a dense neighborhood on a through block connecting Hayes and Fell streets, the new facility was designed by AND to meet the needs of homeless parents with children. The site’s unusual configuration allowed AND to create two separate street-facing residential buildings linked by a landscaped, trellised courtyard and children’s play structure. AND works with community input on a design that fits into, and is respectful of the surrounding neighborhood’s character.

The Transitional Housing Program provides families the time and space they need to identify and address the multiple barriers and factors contributing to chronic homelessness, and helps them improve budgeting, parenting and life skills while preparing for stability. Families initially stay in the north residential building in group housing (16 one- and two-bedroom units with private bathrooms and shared living/dining areas and kitchens). As their lives stabilize with onsite counseling, childcare and social programs, families transition to the other building that has 9 separate apartments. Here, each family is able to function independently as they apply for affordable housing in the community.

In 2000, Hamilton Family Center receives a Best Practices Award from the US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development. Then in 2007, the Center is honored by the National Alliance to End Homelessness for its achievement in expanding focus and services from sheltering to ending homelessness for families. AND is proud to have been a part of Hamilton Family Center’s success helping these families gain stability through this innovative and transformative project.

40 for 40: 1974 – The Early Days

2013-02-01T01:22:23Z

In 1974, Watergate caused the resignation of Richard Nixon, the first sitting president in US history to do so. Mel Brooks scored two big hits: “Blazing Saddles,” starring Clevon Little as a black sheriff trying to save an all-white town from a band of “rustlers, cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperadoes, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, half-wits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswagglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass kickers, shit kickers and Methodists," headed by Harvey Korman as “Hedley Lamar.” December saw the release of “Young Frankenstein,” Brooks’ and Gene Wilder’s affectionate parody of 1930s horror classics.

Sporting some fine bell-bottoms, Swedish group ABBA burst onto the music scene with “Waterloo” by winning a Euro TV talent contest, while discos played Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” and southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd gave the world “Sweet Home Alabama.”

The fledgling AND, now a certified nonprofit, continues to define community needs, providing technical and space planning services with architecture student volunteers moving, painting and implementing improvements. Though funding is scarce, AND takes on projects in San Francisco Chinatown such as planning and construction supervision for a remodel of Everybody’s Bookstore; and design and building a free-standing photo display system for Asian Community Center. AND members also participate in community meetings for Chinatown Committee for Better Parks & Recreational Facilities. In SF Japantown, AND produces storefront designs and materials for the Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction and offers space planning help to Kimochi’s Food Program.

AND projects in Oakland Chinatown include planning for Asian Law Caucus; a report on the Chinatown Redevelopment Project, and poster design advertising bilingual medical information for Asian Health Services. AND produces the Home Buyer’s Handbook and distributes copies to low-income Asian families with limited language skills to help them “escape from highly congested living conditions.” AND begins operations from volunteer staff members’ homes, eventually moving to an office on Waverly Place in SF Chinatown.

40 for 40: Oak Park Apartments - 2002

2013-01-10T18:38:01Z

While President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, Michael Jackson received the Artist of the Century award at the American Music Awards. Barry Bonds hits his 400th home run as a Giant, becoming the first player in baseball history to slug that many homers for one team. Americans are soothed by the strains of 'Always On Time' by R&B artist Ja Rule while the US invades Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attack. Distracting and entertaining us at the movies were Spider-Man; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and, last but certainly not least, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the top 5 grossing films of the year!

AND began working on a landmark project for two respected nonprofit housing organizations, East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. (EBALDC) and Affordable Housing Associates (AHA) in East Oakland. The project involved the renovation of the Oak Park Apartments, a relatively large complex containing 56 1-bedroom units in six separate buildings surrounding a courtyard. A key goal of the project’s sponsors, 26th Ave. Housing Associates (a joint venture between EBALDC and AHA), was to accommodate the overcrowding of multi-generational low-income families living in single units. This was addressed by reconfiguring the complex and converting existing structures into 37 1-, 2-, 3- and 4- bedroom units.

AND helped transform the existing “motel” aesthetic of the complex through a new design incorporating a new hipped roof, new windows and new entry portals into the complex, reflecting an Asian architectural motif. Additionally, a new community building was built in an area formerly used for parking that included a multi-purpose room with kitchen, computer room, resident manager’s office, two ADA-accessible toilets and two private study rooms. Today, in addition to its new construction, Oak Park Apts. features a basketball court and community garden.

The Oak Park Apts. represent the culmination of a community organizing struggle in partnership with New Hope Covenant Church to address the severe living conditions of its predominantly Central and Southeast Asian immigrant residents. Not only did this project address construction deficiencies, the phasing of the construction process allowed many of the families to remain in place and transfer to new units after the completion of the first phase. AND is honored and proud to have played a small part in helping to improve the living conditions of this underserved community through our work on this project.

40 for 40: Lao Iu Mien Culture Association Community Center - 2000

2013-01-01T00:32:40Z

In 2000’s US presidential election, “hanging chads” became the center of debate in Florida with the victor of the race in question for over a month until the Supreme Court made the final decision in Bush V. Gore. “Oops, I Did It Again,” Britney Spears’ second album, sells a record 1.3 million copies in its first day of release while the song “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Baja Man becomes a regular theme at sporting events. The country was mesmerized by the new reality show “Survivor” where a group of contestants on an isolated tropical island vied to be the last man or woman standing.

Transplanting their traditional leadership structure to a US setting, elders of the Iu Mien tribe--refugees from the Laotian highlands--established the nonprofit Lao Iu Mien Culture Association, Inc. (LIMCA). Their goal was to unite Iu Mien community members who were scattered across the Bay Area and help integrate them into American life.

LIMCA’s organizers purchased a half-acre site with a small single-family home in East Oakland with the hope of making a community center and (King Pan) Buddhist temple that would serve as a focal point for Iu Mien cultural, language and religious events, celebrations and archive.

Kouichoy Saechao, LIMCA’s board chairman, said, "We believe that the Iu Mien Cultural Center will help strengthen our commitment to the preservation and rebuilding of the Iu Mien culture and religion. We need to maintain and preserve our cultural values, our confidence and our sense of security in order to become productive citizens in America."

AND worked with LIMCA for the first phase of the project to obtain necessary conditional use and master plan permit documents for development and construction. The original vision was to house a multi-purpose auditorium/meeting/activity space, offices, museum and library. Activities at the center would include the annual Lunar New Year and King Pan celebrations, high school and college graduations, cultural performances and social service programs.

Due to limited resources, the project was broken up into two phases, with the help of owners’ rep and longtime AND ally Thomas Lauderbach (with whom AND partnered previously on the Aarti SRO hotel renovation project). Phase I prioritized general site infrastructure improvements and the construction of a basic shell for meeting, kitchen and restroom facilities. This phase was specifically designed to accommodate future phase II expansion and development to include the temple, multi-purpose space, elevator/stairs, offices, library/museum and building infrastructure systems.

It was a unique honor for AND to be part of contributing to this important Iu Mien cultural institution. Through our experience, we learned about and were inspired by the spirit of the Iu Mien people--their deep and abiding care for each other and their dedication to nurturing and creating community. This in turn deepened AND’s own commitment to building and revitalizing underserved communities, our passion for the past 40 years! For more info, visit limcacenter.org.

40 for 40: Excelsior Youth Center - 1998

2012-12-20T20:12:35Z

The year 1998 marked the scandal-plagued investigation and impeachment proceedings against then-President Bill Clinton, characterized by denials of "sexual relations" with “that woman”-White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Among top grossing movies of the year was Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” portraying with ultimate bloody realism WWII’s D-Day invasion. In the world of mainstream corporate radio, Celine Dion’s “My Heart” from 1997’s movie “Titanic” gets constant airplay.

That same year AND, with Kendall Young Associates, designed the Excelsior Youth Center to provide a new neighborhood facility bringing much needed youth services to the Excelsior. Both the City and SF Unified School District collaborated in the realization of this 22,000 sq. ft. space that includes a gymnasium, activity and multi-purpose rooms, recording studio, computer lab and study hall.

The building’s design was contextualized to harmonize with the adjacent Excelsior Community School’s brick and plaster detailing. The center houses the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco (BGCSF) which works in partnership with the school to encourage youth to participate in its strong after-school programs and provide access to its gym. BGCSF functions under contract with the City’s Dept. of Children, Youth & Families to operate the clubhouse. It is the fourth largest clubhouse in the BGCSF organization.

The Excelsior Youth Center provides free Saturday programs, including sports, cooking, open gym, arts, puppetry, drama and family story time. Toddlers (ages 3-5) can learn new sports and motor skills or attend story time. Elementary school-aged children can stay healthy while playing sports or explore their artistic side making puppets or learning to cook. Older youth can take drama class, or play pick-up sports in the open gym. The center also regularly hosts family and cultural events, adding vibrancy while serving as an integral part of the neighborhood.

AND is honored to have played a part in revitalizing the Excelsior neighborhood through its involvement in the youth center’s creation, one among many that we’ve designed in the Bay Area’s underserved communities.