Meridian Sunnyvale, California

Combining public-facing amenity and open spaces, street-facing townhomes, and porous visual connections into the residential courtyards, this affordable project actively engages the wider Sunnyvale community.

  • Location

    Sunnyvale, California

  • Sector

    Residential

  • Service

    Architecture

  • Client

    Related California

  • Status

    Completed

  • Size

    135,500 SF; 90 Units

Creating a gateway to downtown Sunnyvale on a 1.4 acre site, Steinberg Hart’s design for this new 90-unit development with Related California integrates affordable and developmentally-disabled housing options into the neighborhood through scaled massing, community-friendly site design, connective landscape and an improved pedestrian experience. 

Meridian is designed as a seamless extension of the neighborhood, serving as a gateway that transitions from the commercial corridor of Mathilda Avenue to the single-family residential fabric beyond. Drawing inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood, Meridian incorporates familiar cladding materials, creating a sense of continuity with nearby homes. By using straightforward, commonly found residential materials, the design maintains a cohesive identity while introducing subtle variations in patterning to add diversity. Consistent tones and colors unify the development, ensuring it feels both distinctive and seamlessly integrated into the community. The result is a bold new residential project that integrates and ingratiates itself into the surrounding community by taking inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood profiles and the articulated use of scale and materiality.

The seven residential street-facing townhomes provide a gradual transition to the adjacent 4-story apartment building beyond, respecting the neighborhood aesthetic without compromising on design. Amenities include a community room with kitchen, computer lab, outdoor courtyard, underground parking, storage lockers, and shared laundry room. Local artists were commissioned to design murals and art for the courtyard, community room, and garage.

The building is designed to maximize sustainability and energy efficiency through a range of thoughtful strategies. Natural ventilation and daylighting are key design elements, reducing the need for mechanical cooling and artificial lighting. An enhanced building envelope, featuring optimized insulation with R-38 roof and R-21 wall assemblies, along with air-tight walls and windows, minimizes air infiltration and improves energy performance. Open-air corridors provide access to daylight and views, enhancing occupant comfort and well-being. A 17.26 kW rooftop solar PV system generates renewable energy onsite, further reducing the building’s carbon footprint.  These integrated strategies support a high-performance, low-impact built environment.