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Ivy Senior Apartments

Welcoming new apartment homes for formerly unhoused seniors in San Diego demonstrate that human-purposed, high-quality design should be accessible to all.

Information

Location San Diego, California
Size 39,487 SF
Project Type Residential

The Ivy Senior Apartments create 52 supportive studio apartment homes for seniors with chronic medical needs in San Diego who have experienced homelessness. Demonstrating a “Housing First” model — a proven model for reducing chronic homelessness — Ivy Senior Apartments create supportive housing in tandem with resident services and resources provided by PATH, St. Paul’s PACE, and Alpha Project Home Finder. These organizations help individuals in California and nationwide through permanent housing, home health, and supportive resources, such as “case management, medical and mental healthcare, benefits advocacy, employment training, and other services” to help residents live more stable, independent lives. Each apartment unit opens onto an outdoor community courtyard at the heart of the facility, connecting residents to gathering spaces, a community garden, lounges, and multi-purpose space for training and classes.

Impact + Innovation

Ivy Senior Apartments exemplify that human-purposed and high-quality design should be accessible to all. The project aims to address the high rate of homelessness in the San Diego area and specifically respond to the challenges unhoused senior citizens can face while navigating permanent housing, careers, and support services by providing beautiful, high-performance, and supportive homes. Design and materiality for Ivy Senior Apartments were guided by trauma-informed strategies to support residents’ transition from past living situations to permanent, stable housing. Establishing transparency and clarity in spaces was essential to creating a welcoming and comfortable home environment. A dynamic façade features eight-foot glass windows and introduces daylighting into the courtyard and interior spaces. The design team also conducted color research studies which guided the design’s color palette and signage, enhancing wayfinding and accessibility for individuals with color-blindness. Ivy Senior Apartments demonstrate how sustainable and cost-effective design can hold an important role in achieving funding and advancing organizational missions. The facility operates as an all-electric facility, implements a high percentage of vegetation and native landscaping to establish bio-retention areas, and qualifies for Greenpoint Gold Certification.

Process

BNIM worked in collaboration with Wakeland Housing and Development, as well as community partners PATH, St. Paul’s PACE, and Alpha Project Home finder to support the mission of Ivy Senior Apartments and the communities the project serves. Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation equipped residents’ new homes with furniture and appliances, and St. Paul’s PACE and Allgire General Contractors provided houseware and supplies. Residents continue to receive support from programs on-site including health and wellness care, skill building, advocacy, and other services. The development team also implemented community outreach in the early phases of the project to listen to community concerns. The process resulted in building support for Ivy and addressing opponents of the project while engaging them to explore ideas for bringing support and community resources to Ivy Senior Apartments.