GRLA’s Designer/BES Technician, Brandon Gaulin, recently graduated from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale’s Master of Architecture Program. Brandon’s thesis focuses on master planning a development in San Francisco’s Balboa Park Upper Yard which is an overflow parking lot for the adjacent Balboa Park Station.
After the park closes each day this parking lot is used by the homeless to park their car overnight without disruption. San Francisco has proposed to develop this area to help those who are living below the poverty line get back on their feet. The Upper Yard Emergency Housing and Rehabilitation Center features various amenities such as housing, case offices, vocational workshops, classrooms, a soup kitchen, library, mental and physical evaluation offices, and a parking garage to continue to be utilized as overnight parking for those who are homeless. These amenities paired with the current plan for San Francisco to tackle their homelessness situation can help in lowering the population of homelessness.