San Francisco Chronicle highlights Sunset Steps

From the article:

While a developer tries to win approval for a 50-story residential tower amid single-family homes near Ocean Beach, a new national competition shows there are more creative ways to add housing to San Francisco’s low-slung Sunset District....Such as terraced condominiums sliding 10 homes into a lone residential lot.

These are among the six winning entries announced Monday by the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects. And even though the competition is speculative — competition winners don’t get an empty parcel of land — the organizers believe that the results can expand the debate over what can be done.

The $10,000 honor award went to the firm West of West, which has offices in Portland and Los Angeles, for a proposal it calls “Sunset Steps.”

The conceptual design starts with four stories along the street — noticeably taller than its neighbors — then steps down at each level until it is just one story at the rear of the lot. The types of units vary, and each level would have outdoor space for residents to enjoy, as well as a shared side yard.

- John King, the San Francisco Chronicle