La Fenix

La Fénix at 1950 is the largest permanent affordable housing development in the Mission and a co-development between Mission Housing and BRIDGE Housing. The $115 million project by David Baker Architects opened in 2021 with 157 units, a third reserved for formerly unhoused families, and a ground floor housing a childcare center, artist studios, gallery, and bike workshop. The building is two structures of nine and five stories connected by a central courtyard and an open-air bridge.

We approached this property as the modern architectural counterpoint to the older named buildings in the portfolio. Coverage focused on the Mission Street facade, the central courtyard, the rooftop garden, and the community-serving ground floor spaces. Aerial drone work captured the building's massing and its relationship to the 16th Street BART station and the broader Mission corridor.