American studio David Baker Architects has completed a housing block in San Francisco that comprises a pair of buildings covered in contrasting white cement and black tiles, and micro apartments inside.

Located in the Hayes Valley neighbourhood, the 388 Fulton complex contains the city's "first market-rate, micro-units", according to local studio David Baker Architects.

Of the 69 total units in the complex, 35 are studios that encompass 325 square feet (30 square metres) to make the most of the available space. The remaining apartments contain one or two bedrooms, ranging from 485 to 743 to square feet (45 to 69 square metres).

Interior finishes include wooden floors, white walls and monochrome kitchen cabinetry. All of the micro units were sold before the project's completion in 2016, with one going for $550,000 (£427,432).
Roughly rectangular in plan, the six-storey complex is composed of two, connected volumes that look like different buildings from the street. One is clad in white cement plaster, while the other is wrapped in black low-fire tiles. Both have aluminium shading devices that are positioned to minimise solar heat gain during warm months.

The complex features a courtyard with a variety of plantings, concrete benches and perforated screens made of weathering steel. A metal bridge cuts across the outdoor space, spanning a bioswale that helps manage stormwater by removing debris and pollution.

The ground level, devoted to retail space, contai...