Residing directly on the shore of the San Francisco Bay, this artist community spans three small parcels of land and stretches into the water, where multiple houseboats are docked. The coastal site, which includes indoor-outdoor residences, creative spaces and studios, frequently floods and faces significant threats of sea level rise and land subsidence. Sherwood has collaborated with EYRC Architects and Terremoto Landscape to design solutions for the community’s more resilient future.
Our team calculated the implications of multiple flood scenarios including storm inundations, king tides, and various projections of sea level rise. This modeling not only illuminated the most effective design solutions for mitigating flood risks, it also illustrated to the City of Sausalito’s sea level rise task force the important precedents this small community can set for future coastal developments.
Informed by the data, we developed grading and drainage plans for the 13,000 square foot site, which includes the region’s low point. A new bioretention zone slows and filters stormwater through the landscape before it drains into the bay, and a proposed storage cistern collects water for irrigation. We also designed the utility infrastructure to be concentrated in a single location and to be resilient to rising groundwater and flooding, with flexible connections for the houseboats as they rise with the tides.
| Location | Sausalito, CA |
|---|---|
| Design Partners | Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects Terremoto |
| Size | 13,000 square feet spanning three parcels |
| Status | In Design |
