Before 1
What the space looked like when we moved in
Before 2
What the space looked like when we moved in
Wall Mockup
Before we began framing, we layed out the wall configuration so everyone could get a sense for the sizes of the rooms.
Floor Plan
Sketched on a piece of drywall
PROJECT: Station 40
LOCATION: Mission District, San Francisco, California
TYPE: DIY Commercial Renovation
DATES: Fall 2003 – Summer 2005
SIZE: 2,000 sf
FEATURES:
- Community design process
- Consensus decision making
- Salvaged building materials
- 100% volunteer labor
- Very low-budget
DESCRIPTION:
In the fall of 2003, a friend and I decided to explore the idea of creating a new cooperative housing space. We posted a housing wanted ad on craigslist. Within a few weeks, there was a group of ten or so like-minded strangers on board, willing to help procure a space large enough to house 10-12 people and engage the process of building community.
Through the process of finding a suitable space, organizing ourselves into a consensus-based collective, developing a renovation plan, building out a rented warehouse space on a shoestring budget, and living together in a construction zone, we turned from strangers into close friends and allies.
We cooperatively designed and built-out the top floor-and-a-half of a three-story brick warehouse that had originally been a post office. We evolved from a housing cooperative to an events collective, hosting a variety of arts and activism events including: movie nights, teach-ins, workshops, skill-shares, food not bombs cook nights, fundraisers, meetings and community celebrations.
Still in operation, the space houses between 9-13 residents who share the responsibilities of running the events space.