Japantown Senior Apartments

Completed / New Construction / Senior Housing

The design creates 75 spacious one-bedroom suites, each with a sun-filled living room and full kitchen and bathroom. An outdoor courtyard which maximizes sun exposure and is protected from street noise is located atop the grade-level parking garage. The main elevator lobby, lounge, and adjoining shared community halls line the building’s street frontage where the building mass steps down near the historic Nishioka Building. Open private patios are typical except at the street facade where interior courtyards protect living spaces from outside noise.

Project Details

LOCATION

San Jose, CA

CLIENT

First Community Housing

UNITS

75 one-bedroom units

COMPLETION DATE

2016

CONTRACTOR

Branagh Inc.

Expanding community housing choices that support us as we age.

Japantown’s location in the historical Nihonmachi District of the city played a major factor in site selection and design. The architecture emulates a translucent screen by day - a lantern by night. Our team strived to create a building which enhanced the neighborhood while providing the community with opportunities to age comfortably in their beloved neighborhood. The proximity to the VTA network empowers residents to get around the city independently and self-sufficiently.

Japantown is certified LEED Platinum through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes Midrise. Our partner, First Community Housing, is dedicated to sustainable building design and recognizes the intersectionality of green design benefits in terms of health and finances. Thus, a variety of green building features such as low-VOC finishes, energy efficient appliances, water conserving fixtures and landscaping were incorporated. These features provide improved indoor environments for building occupants and economic benefits to tenants through lowered utility bills. 

Architecture is basically a container of something. I hope they will enjoy not so much the teacup, but the tea.

— Yoshio Taniguchi

Project Recognition

CERTIFICATIONS

LEED Platinum


PUBLICATIONS

  • Nichi Bei Weekly, September 2015 “Ethnic Enclave Readying for New Developments”

  • The Architect’s Newspaper, September 2015 “Affordable San Jose”

  • Affordable Housing News, Fall 2015 “Beyond Four Walls

AWARDS

Merit Award, 2016, 2016 American Institute of Architects, Santa Clara Valley Chapter