Buena Vista Terrace

Serving 42 seniors with extremely low incomes including individuals living with health challenges

Acquired from Citizens Housing Corporation in 2010, Buena Vista Terrace is an adaptive reuse of the abandoned Third Church Christ Scientist building in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, illustrating the innovative ways in which modern building technologies can be fused with old styles. The project restored the historically-significant exterior of this circa 1915 Romanesque Revival-style church while four stories of studio and one-bedroom apartments were constructed within the building shell.

Individual apartments include full kitchens and private baths. The common space amenities include several lounge areas, a library, a laundry facility and a comfortable community space on the first floor. Some of the original decorative plaster work has been integrated into the design of the public spaces. Green features include Energy Star rated appliances and energy-efficient lighting fixtures. Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ Seniors at Home Program provides services that address the specific needs of seniors. Awards received by the development include the 2008 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards and Best Historic Preservation Excellence Award from the Structural Engineers Association of California; 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards for the Nation’s Best Affordable Housing Development and Best Historic Rehab from Affordable Housing Finance Magazine; 2008 Gold Nugget “Best of the West” Grand Award at the Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference (PCBC) in the Best Adaptive Re-use Project Category; 2008 Best Affordable Residential Property Real Estate Deal of the Year from the San Francisco Business Journal; and the 2008 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards’ Retrofit/Alteration Award of Merit from the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California.

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Take a virtual tour of Unit 406 at Buena Vista Terrace!