Location: San Diego, California
Developer: Nakhshab Development & Design Inc.
Designer: Soheil Nakhshab

The construction of Sofia Lofts provides a locally popular “community within a community.” Located in San Diego’s historic Golden Hill neighborhood, Sofia Lofts is a development with 16 studio, one-, and two-bedroom rental units constructed around an existing, historic three-bedroom home. Combining midcentury modern architecture with elements of Golden Hill’s historic infrastructure, it sought to foster both multigenerational living and an “age in place” concept, allowing residents to move to larger or smaller units with a range of amenities over the decades as their needs require.

Sofia Lofts integrates progressive and forward-looking features into its design to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of its construction. It includes amenities such as on-site electric vehicle chargers, an innovative bike-sharing program, high-efficiency Energy Star appliances, high-eficiency lighting and low-flow water designs, and solar photovoltaic installations to offset electricity use, earning it LEED Platinum certification. The “community within a community” objective is achieved through a layout in which all units surround an intimate common area with a barbecue grill, a lounge area, and a space for showing movies outdoors and sharing other activities. The idea is for all residents to mingle and interact, much like a large family of several generations. Moreover, the project’s large balconies and patios allow residents to enjoy the breezy, shady, and “hip” Golden Hill setting even more.