The Fairways

Completed

The Fairways at San Antonio bridges the idyllic setting of a golf course to the east and the ferocity of freeway noise to the west. The building responds to both extremes by combining elegance with practicality. First and foremost, the massing and expression of The Fairways with its protective shell displays a dedication towards quality of life for its residents.

Project Details

LOCATION

San Jose, CA

CLIENT

Affirmed Housing

UNITS

86 appartments

COMPLETION DATE

2009

CONTRACTOR

Branagh Inc.

Responding to difficult sites with delightful design.

The automotive drama of the adjacent freeway is mitigated with a metallic soundwall - standing as an abstracted landmark for the eastern approach into the City. From the freeway, the building appears as a fortress of metaphoric chevron forms. However, the project provides an oasis of calm for the dwellings and four landscaped courtyards contained. The private decks of the 86 affordable apartments look onto these courtyards, to the golf course beyond and out to city lights and mountains in the distance. The tidy contemporary glass and steel pavilion highlights the primary entry that presides over a concentrically designed public park built for use by the building residents and the surrounding neighborhood.

The five separated buildings that comprise the development are linked by an open-air corridor and are topped with expansive photo-voltaic arrays powering lighting for all common spaces within. Other sustainable features include: Two-by-six exterior stud walls allow for extra insulation; hallways are designed to maximize natural daylight and ventilation; and Energy-Star appliances are standard.