Affordable Housing Rising at 1100 La Avenida Avenue, Mountain View

Construction work has started for La Avenida Apartment Community, a new affordable housing project at 1100 La Avenida Avenue in Mountain View, Santa Clara County. Once complete, Eden Housing will be providing 100 new units of affordable rental units across from the Microsoft Silicon Valley campus. Completion is expected next year.

The 46-foot tall structure will yield around 80,425 square feet, with 61,970 square feet for housing and 9,080 square feet for the 44-car stacker garage. Unit sizes will vary, with 63 studios, 18 one-bedrooms, and 19 two-bedroom units. Additional parking will be included for 110 bicycles. Luk & Associates is consulting on civil engineering.

1100 La Avenida Avenue pedestrian activity, rendering by David Baker Architects

Of the 100 apartments, 25 will be managed by the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, and seven will be designated as permanent affordable housing for formerly homeless people. The remaining units will be for households earning between 30-60% of the Area’s Median Income.

David Baker Architects is responsible for the design. The comparatively restrained build will be more attractive than the typical podium-style apartment project, with a focus on textures and quality material to enrich the exterior. The facade will be clad with fiber cement siding, corten steel, sunshades, thin bricks, textured concrete, and wood siding.

1100 La Avenida Avenue facade elevations, illustration by David Baker Architects

1100 La Avenida Avenue ground-level floor plan, site map by David Baker Architects

Form/work is the project’s landscape architect. The structure will occupy just over half of the property, with landscaping setbacks between the property line and structure giving opportunity for courtyards and plazas. Five ground-floor units will have patios and entrances leading directly onto the public sidewalk, enlivening the block and keeping more eyes on the street.

1100 La Avenida Avenue ground-floor unit stoops, rendering by David Baker Architects

1100 La Avenida Avenue, image via Google Street View from last month

The 0.96-acre property is located in a mixed-use neighborhood dominated by offices and a sprawling housing infill. Along with the adjacent Microsoft offices, the area includes the now-complete East Charleston dome for Alphabet and Google, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studios.

Initial plans drafted in 2020 show that the city estimates the project will cost around $80 million. The application used Senate Bill 35 to expedite ministerial approval. Completion is anticipated by August 2024.

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