New ‘extremely subtle’ apartment complex opens in downtown SLO. Take a look inside
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Artisan Apartments adds 36 rental units on 0.39-acre lot in downtown SLO.
- Project includes costly foundation work, EV charging, all-electric systems.
- Leasing now open with most units still available; prices begin at $2,620.
A new high-density apartment complex wrapped up construction last week in downtown San Luis Obispo, packing 36 units into a 0.39-acre lot nestled behind the Creamery Marketplace commercial space.
Last week’s ribbon-cutting officially completed the 22-month construction process at Artisan Apartments, an all-electric, dense infill project on Higuera Street, making the 36 units within available for rent, developer Abbott | Reed principal Aaryn Abbott said.
Built along San Luis Obispo Creek, the five-story project’s 17 unique floor plans and compact design reflect the realities of building housing at scale in dense, spatially constrained building environments such as San Luis Obispo’s downtown core, Abbott said.
“It just made the building much more complex, and we also wanted to use as much of the building, as much of the space as we could,” Abbott said.
Ultimately, Abbott said he’s happy with the finished results of the five-story building and its fit with the nearby downtown structures.
“Because of the creek itself and the amount of depth of vegetation, it ultimately is extremely subtle,” Abbott said. “You barely even notice that there’s a five-story building.”
How high building costs drive prices for dense developments
Abbott said many of the decisions that went into the design process of Artisan Apartments come from the small lot size and position along San Luis Obispo Creek.
By making 6% of the total units affordable for very-low income households, the project qualified for 18 “density units” according to staff reports included in its Planning Commission review process around five years ago.
Abbott said a significant driver of the price came from the cost of building a stable foundation along a creek bed, sinking 60-foot helical piles deep into the clay soil beneath the property.
Those piles support a first-level parking garage space that sits on top of the foundation, which is accessed through a parking lot across the street from Captain Nemo’s Games & Comics.
“Doing that part added a month or two, and then doing the podium adds another couple of months,” Abbott said. “What normally, if you were just building the stick frame building, you could do in maybe 18 months, we added five months to essentially do substructure, and then the podium structures.”
Functionally, those site preparation measures mean that Abbott | Reed had to spend around $70,000 for each of the 23 parking spots on the development’s first level, including 13 electric vehicle charging spots.
In another case of lot location dictating building practices, Abbot pointed out a set of large concrete planters behind the building that serve as stormwater runoff filtration and collection, which were installed to prevent water from being returned to the clay soil beneath the building.
The building uses an all-electric water heating system along with all-electric heating, air conditioning, cooktops, ovens, washers and driers for the same reason, saving space and making the project more energy-efficient, Abbott said.
Abbott said while building in such a tightly constrained building space, solid communication with the owners of nearby structures is essential, as the small space means few materials if any can be stockpiled on-site during the building process.
Applications open for available apartments
Abbott said applications for the apartments opened shortly after the developer’s ribbon-cutting ceremony last week.
Just three of the 36 units are already in the leasing process, meaning almost all units are still available for tours and applications from potential residents.
The majority of the units are studios, with 10 top-level units coming with a lofted bedroom space and vaulted ceilings, Abbott said.
With prices falling between $2,620 and $2,830 for the non-loft units not found on the top floor and a minimum of $3,410 on the top floor, Artisan Apartments’ units are relatively in line with San Luis Obispo’s rent prices, if not slightly higher.
More information on how to apply for available units at Artisan Apartments is available at artisanslo.com.
“This is infill development at its best—sustainable, well-designed, and rooted in community,” Abbott said in a statement. “Artisan Apartments transforms an underutilized site into a vibrant living space that reflects the values of San Luis Obispo: walkability, community and access to nature.”
