The 250 Sq. Ft. Condo

Technically these are SROs- Single Room Occupancy units, but it's a spanking new building, cafe below, in the vibrant SoMa district, starting at only $279,000. The catch: some units are only 250 sq.ft.

1 minute read

August 25, 2008, 10:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"A San Francisco design and development firm has begun marketing 98 tiny condominiums - ranging from 250 to 350 square feet - at the Cubix Yerba Buena building in SoMa.

The asymmetrical modernist facade of the eight-story building at Harrison and Fourth streets, a few steps from Whole Foods, is a Rubik's Cube of muted reds, browns and tans. Metal-framed windows of varying shapes and sizes break up the blocks of color.

The kitchen area includes a mini sink, two-burner electric cooktop, half fridge and microwave-convection oven...There isn't room for a bed and a sofa, so each studio is staged with a sofa-bed. They come with a wardrobe but no closets.

The units cost $279,000 to $330,000. (Monthly homeowners' association dues are around $270.) By comparison, the median price for all homes in San Francisco was $749,000 in July...

The project in the Yerba Buena Center Redevelopment Project Area was designed as a single-residence occupancy building, which gave Hauser Architecture greater flexibility in the number of units it could build on the site, as well as the amount of parking spaces it didn't have to provide."

Sunday, August 24, 2008 in The San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO