111: 4-Block Design | Sister Lillian Murphy Community

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Christopher Roach, Principal, and Nick Brown, Senior Associate from Studio VARA in San Francisco, California. They discuss the Sister Lillian Murphy Community in San Francisco.

The Sister Lillian Murphy Community is a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly housing development nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. Designed by Studio VARA in collaboration with Paulett Taggart Architects, the multifamily block is part of a 152-unit affordable housing project for Mercy Housing. Its striking façade, colorful material palette, and 4-block design harmonize with neighboring townhomes across a shared pedestrian walkway.

Christopher Roach, Principal, Studio VARA

Christopher is a San Francisco-based architect and urbanist with over 25 years of professional experience and a deep commitment to both the craft and the intellectual ambition of architecture. Before co-founding Studio VARA, Christopher worked at several notable offices in San Francisco, Austin, and Germany, and has engaged with a wide range of project types, from custom residences and affordable housing to commercial offices and academic institutions. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, and Master of Architecture in Urban Design with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Christopher received several awards for his work at Harvard, including the Urban Design Thesis Prize and the Gerald M. McCue Medal.

Nick Brown, Senior Associate, Studio VARA

Nick’s wide range of positions within the architectural profession has provided him with a well-rounded base of experience to conceive and execute projects with short time frames and limited budgets. Nick has worked at Studio VARA since 2015 bringing his expertise to our commercial and multi-family projects in San Francisco, Oakland and the Peninsula.

Nick received his Masters of Architecture from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. He also worked as a Design Fellow at Architecture for Humanity on their final book Design Like You Give A Damn II, which involved researching projects, interviewing designers, clients and end users, and writing project profiles with a particular emphasis on the chapter of Housing solutions.

Project Name and Location: Sister Lillian Murphy Community, San Francisco, CA

With an articulated facade and vibrant material palette, this pedestrian-scaled, multifamily housing block was designed to complement Studio VARA’s townhomes on the other side of a pedestrian mews in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. Designed in collaboration with Paulett Taggart Architects, as part of a 152-unit affordable housing development for Mercy Housing, the building’s four distinct blocks step down from seven to four stories and respond to the specific urban conditions of each frontage.

Project Team List:

• Developer: Mercy Housing


• Prime Architect: Paulett Taggart Architects


• Landscape Architect: GLS Landscape Architecture


• Structural Engineer: KPFF


• MEP Engineer: Emerald City Engineers, Inc.


• Civil Engineer: Luk + Associates


• Lighting Designer: Apeiro Design


• Acoustic Engineer: Salter, Inc.


• Contractor: Cahill Contractors


• Construction Manager: Regent Construction Management

Unique Products:

• Metal shading and guardrail panels: BOK Modern


• Felt wall covering: 3form

Photos/Drawings/Supplemental Info:

• Photographer: Bruce Damonte