DESCRIPTION
Fremont Oak Gardens is a 51-unit residential housing development spanning two acres, designed specifically for deaf and hearing-impaired seniors. The project was made possible through a partnership with Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church in Fremont, which dedicated a portion of its land to support housing for an underserved community.
This project includes approximately 3,560 sq. ft. of community space to be used both by residents and the larger deaf community. The two story building complex is developed around three courtyards. The central courtyard is an extension of the community building and is primarily hardscape for large gatherings and has an axial connection to the parking lot in the rear of the site. Because visual connections are important in housing design for the deaf, the courtyard design provides many visual links between units. Each unit has a small porch entry looking into the courtyards. Each unit is approximately 540 sq. ft. with layouts designed to provide clear sight lines throughout living spaces. The architectural design team included a deaf architect who provided insight on the needs of the hearing impaired.
PROJECT INFORMATION
- Clients: Deaf Senior Retirement Corporation & Satellite Affordable Housing (SAHA)
- Building size/acres: 51 units/2 acres
- Completion: 2005
VMWP Faith-Based Design Experience
As partners in community service, VMWP has worked with faith-based groups to redesign church lands and religious buildings to meet the current needs of their congregation and community; with more housing, improved facilities and supportive services, better land use, connected communal areas, or to evaluate opportunities for future growth and development.
Supportive Housing Projects
VMWP designs supportive housing that uniquely serves each community it houses, whether senior, hearing impaired, veteran, previously unhoused, disabled, aging out of foster care, or having experienced trauma. Our affordable supportive housing projects are often coupled with on-site medical care and social services to meet the complex needs of residents. Health-focused design principles and an enhanced services model create a restorative environment for residents to access a continuum of services on site. As architects, we realize how the physical environment affects identity, worth and dignity, and how it can promote empowerment for residents.