Multi-Family Residential

San Mateo, CA

Project Start Date:

Completion Date:

1982

1988

Project Description:

Carrasco & Associates' design of Hillsborough Gateway, a 33-unit condominium complex at the edge of downtown San Mateo, a railroad suburb south of San Francisco, is sensitively woven into the existing environmental fabric. Located on a corner that faces the city library in one direction and a landmark residential hotel in the other, the project incorporates the strong Mediterranean influences of the neighboring structures.

Whereas local opposition had derailed a previous proposal for the site by another architect, Carrasco & Associates sought community input from the very beginning of the design process. By designing the project specifically to enhance the neighborhood's existing character, the firm was able to gain city approval. The same group that opposed the prior proposal actively encouraged the City Council to approve this one.

To tie the project more firmly to its surroundings, the design employs a diagonal corner entry similar to the entries of the library and hotel. The arched entryway opens into a set of two connected courtyards which separate the complex's two buildings. All units are designed with windows to both the courtyard and the street, ensuring that the units get light throughout the day and have ample cross ventilation. Unit size ranges from 1,500 square feet 2 bedroom to 2,000 square feet 3 bedroom. The complex with the smaller-scale Baywood neighborhood behind it, the project's mass is broken by a series of horizontal stepbacks along three sides as if it were a series of contiguous houses rather than two large buildings. Small variations in the vertical massing as well as Mediterranean-style balconies further reduce the sense of mass, while a major setback at the top level mitigates the impact of the project's height on the structures surrounding it.