The San Mateo County Navigation Center represents the first built instance of the Office of Charles F. Bloszies’s “Step(1)” interim supportive housing system, derived from the modular concept developed for the award-winning Mountain View Homekey facility.
This project does not consist of “tiny homes” – the clients’ sleeping units are private quarters within the larger complex with shared amenities, services, and exterior spaces that comprise a supportive community.
This navigation center serves roughly 260 formerly unhoused clients at a time, with anticipated stays of 3-6 months. The facility serves as a sanctuary for residents to recover from life on the street and successfully transition to stable housing. With this goal in mind, the site is designed to provide a balance between privacy and community.

Office of Chatles F. Bloszies FAIA

The architects have included a substantial solar capacity in the stackable module accommodation units design. Each upper unit is fitted with 24 PV modules, providing a potential 9.6kWh capacity. The modules also reduce heat load on the flat roof. The facilities full array is designed to contributes ~60% of required energy needs.

OFFICE OF CHARLES F. BLOSZIES FAIA, SAN MATEO COUNTY NAVIGATION CENTER, REDWOOD CITY. CALIFORNIA, USA

The San Mateo County Navigation Center represents the first built instance of the Office of Charles F. Bloszies’s “Step(1)” interim supportive housing system, derived from the modular concept developed for the award-winning Mountain View Homekey facility.

This project does not consist of “tiny homes” – the clients’ sleeping units are private quarters within the larger complex with shared amenities, services, and exterior spaces that comprise a supportive community.