Challenges

The building was home to transient residents who needed to be relocated before construction could begin.

Because the building was in an industrial area, significant remediation had to be completed before permits could be issued.

Major seismic improvements were required.

The Emeryville location was a tough sell to San Franciscans who saw the Bay Bridge as a barrier rather than a gateway to the city.

courtyard at night

Framework

We worked with architect David Baker to renovate the reinforced-concrete structure and add 140 new live/work lofts and 180 parking spaces. New fifth and sixth floors were added to create three penthouse lofts with an elevator entrance and large private roof terraces. The units range in size between approximately 500 square feet and 2,700 square feet. Each has 13-foot-high ceilings, exposed services, mezzanine sleeping platforms, open-plan kitchen and living areas, and custom-finished kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Twenty percent of the units were voluntarily positioned and sold as below-market-rate housing.

dining area

Impact

exterior commercial units

When it was completed in 2000, the Emeryville Warehouse was the largest loft project in the East Bay. It was an important part of the Park Avenue Historic Preservation initiative, a city-sponsored effort to redevelop Emeryville’s historic core into a mixed-use community of housing, retail, and office space. Since the Emeryville Warehouse was completed, several new housing and retail developments have opened in the surrounding area, including IKEA, the Bay Street retail center, and the AMC Bay Street Multiplex.

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