With 453 residential units, a striking design and an acre of public space, Equity Residential (EQR) developers announced last month that they’ll begin preleasing apartments at Potrero1010 this October, with move-ins scheduled for December. The project won’t be entirely finished until spring of 2016.
A little more than a year ago the lot on which Potero1010 is being built, at Seventh and 16th streets, was a triangle of cracked concrete, the previous home of a long dismantled paint factory. The new development, splashed with earth-toned colors and massive windows, promises eye-popping views, a series of storefronts and green space dotted with public art.
Potrero1010 consists of two buildings, each designed by San Francisco architect David Baker. According to Baker, the rolling shape of the larger, western building was inspired by a player piano’s scroll. The structure has a rounded triangle slab reminiscent of the famed Flatiron Building in Manhattan. Sandwiched between the residences is Daggett Park, designed by CMG Landscape Architects. The park will be owned by the City but maintained by the complex.
According to EQR, the complex’s design was influenced, in part, by its urban surroundings and San Francisco’s do-it-yourself subcultures. “Throughout this architectural gem, textures are grounded by nature while inspired by the neighborhood’s industrial heritage,” EQR said in a statement. “Wood accents the steel, stamped concrete, and crafted edges to show that this community isn’t just located here; it’s integrated and belongs here.”
The building offer luxuries that border on Bay Area stereotypes, including a bicycle repair room and pet grooming facility. According to EQR, areas of the complex will be designated for creators. “Designated ‘Maker Spaces’ encourage residents to pursue DIY projects and the desire to create, which is ingrained in the neighborhood’s culture,” Potrero1010’s team noted. The developers claim that 20 percent of the residences, some 90 units, will be rented at below market rates.
Baker has designed several other proposed or already constructed complexes in the neighborhood, including 1601 Mariposa and the lofts at 18th and Arkansas streets. The latter, completed in the 1990s, faced intense opposition from Potrero Hill residents worried about gentrification and a loss of open space.
Daggett Park will take over Daggett Street, a short thoroughfare that slices through the lot connecting Seventh and 16th. Dotted with trees, the park features an event lawn, dog walk and softer play area for children. The space will also be home to Mission Marsh Bears, a public art project by Adriane Colburn comprised of three bears cut from steel.
“Mission Marsh Bears reflects the history of the site of Daggett Park while simultaneously responding to the contemporary role the park will play in the neighborhood,” Colburn contended in her winning proposal to the San Francisco Public Arts Commission. Colburn was inspired by Potrero Hill’s ecology and history in creating the bears. The bears’ bodies will be cut with designs representing the Bay Area’s flora paired with contemporary cityscapes.
“This work of art will reintroduce historic species such as the Grizzly Bear and the native plants and animals that make up the form and structure of the sculptures,” Colburn explained. “It will also combine a geometric element into the organic animal forms, referencing the contemporary grid of urban streets and architecture in concert with the natural world.” Mission Marsh Bears will also function as a kind of West Coast Stonehenge; as the sun progresses throughout the day the designs cut into the sculptures will cast an array of shadows across the park’s grounds.
