The Griggs Resource Group, which operates through 950 Hough Investors LLC, proposed 4-story apartment development at 950 Hough Avenue, Lafayette, in Contra Costa County, which was approved back in March of 2021. The developer has recently filed for new building permits; the project will include 20 condominium units and three affordable units. The developer is currently working with the city of Lafayette to obtain the necessary approvals for the construction of this project.
The Griggs Resource Group filed a review of the updated design for their approved 4-story apartment development. The Griggs Resource Group requested that more square footage be added to each floor of the project, as well as penthouse elevator access from all units; in addition, they wanted their parking capacity expanded by using parking stackers—having it go from 25 cars up to 45 cars. However, because the project is so close to the downtown city center and the Lafayette BART station, The Griggs Resource Group was forced to reduce rather than increase parking requirements due to transit proximity.
The new proposed design of the structure has a height of 54 feet and around 50,570 square feet—nearly 4,000 more square footage than previously approved designs. The ground floor forms an irregular wedge shape that follows the lot, with two to four apartment floors extending linearly. The units’ sizes vary from 9 two-bedroom apartments to 11 three-bedroom ones. The building’s design is inspired by the surrounding urban landscape, which consists of a mix of old and new buildings.
The landscape architecture of the development is designed by Environmental Foresight Inc., a firm based in Walnut Creek. The design includes a few trees and planters facing Hough Avenue and a concrete pathway connecting to the backyard overlooking the nearby creek easement. The design is meant to give the building an urban feel, and it does. The apartment units are modern, with high ceilings and large windows that allow in a lot of natural light. There’s also plenty of space for entertaining guests or simply resting and relaxing after a long day at work. The structural engineer for the development is a San Francisco-based firm called KPFF, LTD. The civil engineering work has been assigned to Lafayette’s Humann Company.
In an updated design headed by Form4 Architects, the original bright red and white palette has been replaced with composite metal panels, and cast-in-place architectural concrete (both in a light brown palette scheme) and now bears a more subdued look. The weathered metal panels that currently form the building’s façade are expected to remain the focal point of the development. However, architectural renderings show its overall color scheme as predominantly brown.
