The Jefferson Elementary School District (JESD) housing project fulfills an unmet need for affordable faculty and staff accommodations in Daly City, CA. To attract and retain teachers and staff, JESD has committed to building 56 affordable units for employees at a substantial discount from market-rate rents.

The design incorporates material and color elements from the surrounding single-family neighborhoods, including vivid colors to enliven the project on the city’s typical foggy days. Simple materials, such as stucco and horizontal siding in shades of blues, greens, and reds form familiar patterns, helping the project blend with its surroundings and emphasize the residential character of the complex. Entrances to all the units face onto communal stairways which are intentionally oriented to open onto the main courtyard.  A children’s play space, vegetable garden beds, BBQ areas, and a community hub building with communal laundry and large kitchen space are some of the amenities offered to the residents. Located immediately adjacent to the school grounds of an Elementary School, the site is secured with a gated entry to ensure the privacy of the residents and the safety of students. Monterey Pines surround the site on three sides, providing a green buffer from the adjacent neighborhood.

The site includes 97 parking spaces and a drop-off zone, yielding 1.7 parking spaces per unit. An existing solar array that served the adjacent school has been relocated to accommodate fire lane access, with the additional benefit of providing covered parking for a number of residential parking spaces.

To keep costs down and deliver the project as quickly as possible, JESD turned to Lowney Architecture to assist with site planning and to take advantage of our expertise in the modular construction approach. The facility will be constructed on District-owned land. The entitlements and site-built building permits will be issued by Daly City, while the state of California has permitting authority for the modular elements.