Sister Lillian Murphy Community was designed and built to provide equitable housing for disadvantaged families. The project provides 152 affordable housing units for families in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. This urban infill multifamily housing block is distinguished by an articulated façade and vibrant materials, seamlessly complementing Studio VARA’s townhomes across a pedestrian mews. The structure comprises four blocks, descending from seven to four stories, and responds to the specific urban conditions of each frontage.
The Mews Wing comprises a four-story wing of stacked flats that echoes the scale and composition of the adjacent three-story townhomes across a pedestrian passage, and creates an intermediate scale between the neighboring townhomes and the larger mass of the Mission Bay Boulevard wing of the building. The horizontal three-story mass hovers above a recessed base and moderates the Mews Wing's scale, acting as a backdrop for vertical recesses and horizontal shadow-boxed ‘bays’ defining each unit. The base introduces raised stoop entries, infusing the Mews with pedestrian activity.
The end of this wing faces Mission Bay Commons, and serves as both a gateway to the Mews from the Commons and frames the entry to the building’s central courtyard. The façade adopts an inflected angular form, mirroring the serrated design of the project's main stair tower on China Basin Street.
Anticipating the life of the building to be at least 50 years, the design prioritizes environmental stewardship and economic efficiency. Exposed concrete walls and floors minimize additional materials, while FSC certified wood is selectively employed. Environmental benefits are achieved through fly ash in the concrete, and low/No-VOC interior products contribute to healthy indoor air quality. Approximately 65% of site construction waste is diverted from landfills, and the use of prefabricated panelized wood-framed walls reduces on-site waste and construction time.

Prime Architect: Paulett Taggart Architects
Associate Architect: Studio VARA⁠
Landscape Architect: GLS Landscape⁠
Contractor: Cahill Contractors