Mann/Stull House and Apartment #1
San Francisco, California

In a scarce, infill vacant lot in the hilly, desirable Potrero Hill neighborhood, LDA designed a home with a rental unit for a young professional couple. This duplex was their first home, a 2-bedroom, 2-story flat with a 2-bedroom rental unit attached to the rear. In the owners’ unit, the living areas are located at the top floor to capture the bay and city views, and the bedrooms are located a level below. The rental unit has private yard and sweeping views of San Francisco Bay to the east In the owners’ unit, locating the kitchen, living and dining rooms on the top floor, higher, shaped ceilings in these more public spaces are achieved. By holding the walls away from side property lines and with specific positioning of windows, abundant light and views are captured along the entire length of the house.

To meet a stringent budget, simple, common materials and ordinary construction methods were used to shape a lofty, light-filled house.