Emeryville Arts Center
New Wing of Affordable Housing
The new, mixed-use EAC retains as much of the existing structure as possible in service of new exhibition and support spaces and the new auditorium / event space. This large-scale recycling strategy economizes on construction costs and optimizes the building’s environmental sustainability (targeting LEED Gold certification). An iconic glass entrance serves as a modern element in an historical envelope to announce the use of a structure’s new role as a presentation space for the arts. The EAC logo and title are boldly presented at the Hollis St. entrance canopy providing an outdoor foyer to the facility.
We also propose the addition of a new 5 story wing of affordable housing and work space for artists at the south end of the facility to expand opportunities for inviting out of town artists into the local conversation about the arts. 22 family-friendly, affordable artist housing, modular micro-units (studio, 2 and 3 bedroom configurations) with 22 across-the-hall work studios. A gracious, cantilevered “Artists’ Terrace” with a dedicated kitchen and bar at the top floor of the EAC becomes the City’s new, elevated community-gathering place for residents, staff, their guests and the public. A glazed canopy with embedded photovoltaics shelters the terrace that is lined with a ring of edible gardens and two blossoming trees to frame end-of-day views of the Bay, San Francisco, and Mt. Tamalpais.
.jpeg)
