Construction on the Panoramic, developer Patrick Kennedy's 10 11-story micro-unit building rising in SoMa, won't wrap up for another eight months, but we got a peek inside the building on a tour led last week by the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition. Designed by Dwellwell (now Workshop1) with Kwan Henmi, the project consists of 160 apartments with an average size of 354 square feet—though 120 will be smaller than 300 square feet, the old minimum enforced before a limited number of units as low as 220 square feet was approved in 2012. The partly fitted-out studio shown here is a typical unit, just 274 square feet. That puts it among the very smallest rentals in the city, beating out Kennedy's own studios at 38 Harriet.
California College of the Arts has preleased floors two through six for its students, but the upper floors will be rented on the open market, presumably to young adults who want to recapture the feeling of living in a dorm—albeit with a Murphy bed and a flat-screen TV provided gratis. The bed, descriptively dubbed the TableBed, folds down onto the dining-room table, and built-in storage and banquettes squeeze every inch of living space out of the micro-abodes. The studio unit essentially feels like one giant kitchen that you can sleep in. (Panoramic provides a microwave, a dishwasher, a three-quarter-size fridge, and a two-burner mini-stove.) The bathroom, it should be noted, is rather spacious, and the units have bay windows that capture a crucial two additional feet of light and air.
The suites, at the building's corners, will be 625 square feet. They have a single bedroom, a double bedroom, and a central living area, though in CCA's hands, that living room will convert into a third bedroom to bring the roommie count up to a stultifying four.
The roof deck will come with planter boxes, seating, a barbecue, and "clothing-optional yoga," says Kennedy, perhaps referring to the bare-chested yogi who appears in the renderings. As prefigured by the many CGI hipsters, the building will cater to the young and the car free: There's just one parking spot, for a Zipcar, as well as 200 bike-parking spots on the lower level. Among the features of the lobby and lounge area will be a bike-repair station, bar-height tables, a fireplace that stays on 24/7, and a heated bench. "That's where you'll wait for your Uber and have your bum heated at the same time," says Kennedy.
· The Smallest Apartment for Rent in SF is 300 Square Feet [Curbed SF]
· Previous Coverage of 38 Harriet [Curbed SF]
· A Micro-Unit for Two Is a Slumber Party That Never Stops [Curbed SF]
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