SAN JOSE. A large two-tower apartment complex is expected to appear next spring in downtown San Jose, next to a Google-suggested mixed transport town.
At McEvoy and Dupont Apartments in downtown San Jose, 365 affordable housing units will be built around the corner from the future transit-oriented Google West City Center and Diridon Train Station.
First Community Housing has teamed up with development giant Lendlease to build a two-story residential complex designed by SERA Architects.
“We are working with First Community Housing to begin construction next April,” said Russell White, general manager of Lendlease Australia.
The project, located at 280 McEvoy St. near West San Carlos Street, will be built using mass-produced timber technology.
“The city is very excited about the massive timber construction project, especially for affordable housing,” said Veronica Hinckley Reck, CEO of sera Architects. “This is the first solid timber high rise in San Jose.”
According to Lendlease and sera, the developer alliance receives building permit feedback from city planners.
Mass wood building techniques combine softwood into heavy-duty and fire-resistant materials strong enough to build a multi-story building.
“One of the benefits of using solid wood is to reduce construction costs,” White said. “We can also create a project that we can build faster” than conventional high-rise buildings made of steel and concrete.
Each tower will be 12 stories high, and the residential complex will feature apartments of various sizes.
The Dupont Tower on the east side of the project site will have 141 family apartments in one, two and three bedroom apartments. The McEvoy Tower at the west end will provide 224 studios for working people and couples.
“Homes will have many design elements that bring nature and give people a sense of comfort,” Reck said.
Among the approaches: the units can have a European flavor.
“We are allowed to display a certain amount of timber in blocks,” Rec said. “We expect that 20% of the ceilings will be exposed. This will create great quality, ”said Rec. “It will be a warm, Scandinavian-style tactile sensation.”
Lendlease and sera have stated that the complex will have several amenities.
“A large local urban farm, spacious meeting spaces, digital literacy classes, playgrounds, a fitness center, ancillary services, shared kitchen, community passes,” are among the amenities of the project, said representatives from the alliance of developers and designers. …
The urban farm is expected to produce food for residents, the developers said.
Four roofs with green spaces, public spaces and terraces were designed for the project.
To create a greener project, the project will be fully electric, according to Lendlease and sera Architects.
The last important step before starting the project is obtaining a loan for the construction of two towers.
“First Community Housing is providing funding for the construction of the project,” White said. “They are waiting until the last tranche of funding arrives.”
Reducing costs and improving the efficiency of a solid wood project, along with elements of sustainability, could create a better financing environment for the two towers.
“Funding will be more conducive to sustainable projects,” White said. “Bulk wood is one of the tools that allows us to pursue a greener project.”
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