The program for this urban infill development was to create a Micro Hotel with as many suites as practical, a roof deck, and a café. For each suite, the objective was to create efficient space, a balcony, and connections back into the city.

The concept arose from the thinking that within a tourist hotel visitors should feel they are an integral part of the community and not walled-off by parking structures, gates, and deep lobbies.  There is no front desk to filter the visitor’s experience, nor tourist traps demanding attention.  This concept is intrinsically linked to the hotel’s location, situated in the heart of the well-established Castro District - a tight-knit community of small businesses and long-term residents.

The overall solution is floor plan driven and façade associated. The hotel floor plans stack into a ‘12-pack’ with four suites per floor, each unique. Six have balconies facing the street and the other six the landscaped inner block yards and they average200 square feet. The façade is designed to maximize transparency both literally and figuratively, while at the same time being an overt counterpoint to the neighborhood buildings.  It’s a configuration of alternating glass boxes and recessed balconies framed by a system of custom-fabricated interlocking anodized aluminum channels. The frame system establishes the form of the façade and distinguishes the individual suites while also creating depth and detail.

As the architects, we designed the new building inside and out, yet a decorator designed and selected all of the finishes and furniture.