The LINK Apartments
Mechanical and plumbing design for a seven-story, 50,000 SF affordable housing development located at 707 17th St. in the East Village of Downtown San Diego. The development provides 72 permanent supportive housing units to people who have experienced homelessness, and 14 affordable studios for households earning 50 percent or less of the area median income (86 total resident units). The building is located on an 11,318 SF site near Interstate 5. The property features a glass-encased lobby, a community room, supportive services by Father Joe’s Villages, laundry facilities, and large terraces. Each apartment is 250-300 SF, and they contain a living space, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
The mechanical systems in this facility are packaged through wall air conditioners serving each individual living unit and a variable refrigerant flow system serving the public and managers’ spaces. The parking garage has an exhaust fan with carbon monoxide sensors and first floor laundry room has full dryer venting. Each room is also equipped with exhaust serving the restroom and kitchenette.
Plumbing systems include sanitary waste and vent system serving all plumbing fixture and equipment. Domestic water is provided to serve all fixtures, appliances and equipment. Domestic water booster pump is provided to serve building water pressure needs. Domestic hot water is provided via high-efficiency, natural gas fire water heaters. A hot water circulation pump is provided to maintain hot water temperature through the building. Natural gas is provided to service the building needs. Storm drainage system includes roof drains, deck drains and trench drain. All storm water is routed to exterior Bio-Filtration Planter. Garage trench drain, planter drain and exterior deck drain flow to sump pump. Sump pump discharge is routed to Bio-Filtration Planter.
Sustainable features include high-efficiency, low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce building potable water consumption. Solar thermal domestic hot water preheat system is provided to reduce building natural gas consumption.