In the SoMA district of San Francisco, Tahanan Supportive Housing provides permanent studio homes for adults who have experienced homelessness in the city. This is the prototype of what is hoped to model a new financing structure for permanent supportive housing—expediting the development process, making it more efficient, and reducing cost by jumpstarting construction using philanthropic funding. Tipping Point Community partnered with seasoned housing developer and operator Mercy Housing to envision and achieve this new supportive community. The modular building offers 145 studio homes created from 80 prefabricated modules, which were stacked by the contractor in just 10 days.

The building features a resource-rich ground floor, including a mural-adorned private courtyard, community spaces, social services, and street-side commercial spaces. The durable materials have been detailed with care and include custom patterns drawn from the culture and topography of the Philippines. Located within the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural District, the building name is a Tagalog word which evokes “coming home” or “return home,” and represents a place for people to return to rest.

Architects Daniel Simons and Jonas Weber will walk guests through the design, development, and construction processes and lead a guided tour of the property.

PRESENTERS
Daniel Simons, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, David Baker Architects, is a deeply experienced housing architect and firm leader whose award-winning projects include affordable senior and family housing, supportive housing for formerly unhoused residents, modular housing, and market-rate mixed-use developments. Daniel works to advance the practice of bringing sustainability standards to affordable and modular housing, and looks for innovative means to streamline the development and delivery of much needed housing, including modular design technologies and the nuanced use of state and local density bonuses. In 2018, Daniel was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows, recognizing his exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society.

Jonas Weber, AIA, LEED AP, David Baker Architects, Associate and the firm’s Modular Lead has more than two decades of experience collaborating on the design of community places and sustainable multifamily buildings. Jonas was the Project Architect for Tahanan Supportive Housing as well as The Union Flats, a 243-unit market-rate modular community in Union City. His affordable housing experience includes creating buildings for low-income seniors, youth aging out of foster care, and formerly homeless families.