Dwight Place
Berkeley, California

This housing is located in Berkeley within walking distance of the University of California on a site formerly occupied by a dry cleaning plant. Through working with the Berkeley Planning Department staff and through open meetings with the neighborhood, a plan was devised retaining a portion of the old building (which was designed using a Maybeck inspired concrete and glass block system) for use as the Berkeley Ballet School.

The two-story units were grouped in clusters both to preserve the small scale residential feeling of the neighborhood and to maximize the open space for the users. Parking was centralized in a covered carport which was visually softened by a surrounding trellis with plantings of wisteria. One unit is designed as a completely accessible house on ground level only, and the balance of the 14 units are two-story townhouses with two or three bedrooms and a choice of living / dining / kitchen areas either on the ground floor or on the second level. The interior courtyards and the street-side yards are designed with evergreen plants and trees infused with deciduous flowering bushes, vines and trees for seasonal interest and to continue the traditional plantings found throughout Berkeley. Outdoor space for each unit is provided in the form of private decks or enclosed gardens.