Step(0): NowHouse
San Francisco Earthquake CottageMore than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
The city built over 5,000 tiny, one-room shelters to house those displaced by the 1906 earthquake and fire. These endearing little structures were called Earthquake Cottages and were rapidly deployed in large number on open spaces with the intent they would be moved to permanent locations. Many have survived, are still lived in today, and are cherished by their residents.
While over a century has passed since this historic disaster, the strategies used to tackle this previous housing emergency can very much inform the way we approach our current one. We have designed a contemporary version of the earthquake cottage to address homelessness – we call it the NowHouse.
The city built over 5,000 tiny, one-room shelters to house those displaced by the 1906 earthquake and fire. These endearing little structures were called Earthquake Cottages and were rapidly deployed in large number on open spaces with the intent they would be moved to permanent locations. Many have survived, are still lived in today, and are cherished by their residents.
While over a century has passed since this historic disaster, the strategies used to tackle this previous housing emergency can very much inform the way we approach our current one. We have designed a contemporary version of the earthquake cottage to address homelessness – we call it the NowHouse.
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1906 - SF Earthquake Cottage
2025 - NowHouse
1906 - SF Earthquake Cottage
2025 - NowHouse
1906 - SF Earthquake Cottage
2025 - NowHouse
1906 - SF Earthquake Cottage
2025 - NowHouse
Copyright: Office of Charles F. Bloszies, 2025
Step(1)
Interim Supportive Housing
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Project Sites:
Mountain View
0.99 acres
1 story
102 doors
Completed
0.99 acres
1 story
102 doors
Completed
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San Jose
2.02 acres
3 tories
188 doors
Under construction
2.02 acres
3 tories
188 doors
Under construction
San Mateo
2.52 acres
3 stories
240 doors
Completed
2.52 acres
3 stories
240 doors
Completed
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Kit of Parts:
sl-2-ba
2-Unit Sleeping Module
w/ Private Bathrooms
200 gsf/unit
w/ Private Bathrooms
200 gsf/unit
spt-1
Support Services Module
(1) 0ffice
200 gsf
Support Services Module
(1) 0ffice
200 gsf
sl-4
4-Unit Sleeping Module
100 gsf/unit
100 gsf/unit
ts-2
Toilet and Shower Module
(2) toilet rooms
(1) janitor’s Closet
(2) toilet rooms
(1) janitor’s Closet
sl-3
3-Unit Sleeping Module
133 gsf/unit
133 gsf/unit
fs-1
Food Service Module
sl-fam
Flexible Back to Back Modules
(2) 400 gsf units with private bathrooms
or (1) 400 gsf unit with private bathrooms + (2) 200 gsf unit with shared bathrooms
or (4) 200 gsf units with shared bathrooms
or (1) 800 gsf unit with (2) private bathrooms
(2) 400 gsf units with private bathrooms
or (1) 400 gsf unit with private bathrooms + (2) 200 gsf unit with shared bathrooms
or (4) 200 gsf units with shared bathrooms
or (1) 800 gsf unit with (2) private bathrooms
spt-4
Support Services Module
(4) offices
100 gsf/office
(4) offices
100 gsf/office
ts-4
Toilet and Shower Module
(4) toilet + lavatory compartments
(3) shower stalls
(4) toilet + lavatory compartments
(3) shower stalls
Site Installation:
See San Mateo County Navigation Center
Copyright: Office of Charles F. Bloszies, 2025
Step(2)
Permanent Supportive Housing
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Conventional Modular
Step(2) Modular
Modules:
A
B (same as A, bathroom + kitchen omitted on one side)
Module Combinations:
A =
B+B =
B+B+B =
(1) 2-Bedroom Unit
The Step(2) basic module can be arrayed in an almost infinite number of configurations and can yield a variety of unit mixes. The three examples here utilize only ONE module with an off-set corridor plus a vertical circulation module, with or without elevators depending on the number of stories.
Option A
(6) Studio Units
(2) 1-Bedroom Units
(2) 2-Bedroom Units
(2) 1-Bedroom Units
(2) 2-Bedroom Units
Option B
(11) Studio Units
(1) 1-Bedroom Units
(1) 2-Bedroom Units
(11) Studio Units
(1) 1-Bedroom Units
(1) 2-Bedroom Units
Option C
(7) Studio Units
(3) 1-Bedroom Units
(1) 2-Bedroom Units
(7) Studio Units
(3) 1-Bedroom Units
(1) 2-Bedroom Units
Copyright: Office of Charles F. Bloszies, 2024