Acts Cyrene Apartments

    Located on the site of numerous vacant and underutilized retail, service and residential uses, this 59-unit affordable family housing community is envisioned as a catalyst for a revitalized mixed-income neighborhood along International Boulevard. Along a major bus and commercial corridor, residents are connected to employment, shopping, services and recreational activities. Forty percent of the units are set aside for households whose income is less than thirty percent of Area Median Income. The building includes an on-site community room, property manager, central laundry and retail.

    The project is GreenPoint Rated certified and CalGreen compliant, with a focus on indoor air quality, water- and energy-efficiency, and durability of materials.

    Project Contact
    Carlton Smith, FAIA, NOMAC

    Conceived as a response to the displacement of its members due to rising housing costs, the apartments are a partnership between the church, numerous Oakland-based agencies and firms, and an experienced developer. The partners share a goal of creating a neighborhood-centered development as part of plans to bring nearly 300 units of new housing to the neighborhood.

    The building is designed to break up the long, narrow site both visually and functionally through intimate meeting lounges, articulation in the facades, and daylight in the corridors.
    A double height study and lounge area provides a nice open space for residents.
    A lending library is available for residents across from the community/lounge space.
    Apartments are well daylit and generous in size.
    Amenities include a computer room
    and a large community room for residents to gather.
    Plaques from the old vacant bank building on the corner of the site (once used as a church) were salvaged and incorporated into the building façade.
    The building and apartments stack compactly and efficiently, reducing construction costs.

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