The development of a skyline is a design theme as old as Architecture itself. When reaching urban heights, orientation and a sense of identity for the community are the most visible outcome of that architectural ambition. Such understanding feeds the environmental vision of this proposed scheme. The Lake Merritt BART compounds intentionally amps up its presence at street level and on the Bay Area horizon to sculpt a memorable massing on a physically low‐shaped territory.
A relationship that began in 2016, Feldman Architecture originally connected with Playworks via the website OnePlus, an online platform connecting nonprofits to relevant design professionals providing pro-bono services. Playworks, an organization dedicated to providing ‘better recess’ to schools across the country, wanted an office to reflect the fun philosophy of their company and the dynamic ways in which they engage with not only the Oakland community, but also represent their larger organization as the national headquarters.
For its new headquarters, The Kapor Center commissioned a design competition to transform an existing 1920s-era office building in downtown Oakland into innovative workspace. The Kapor Center for Social Impact works to improve access to opportunity, participation and influence in the United States for historically underrepresented communities through investments in information technology and partnerships with nonprofits. The new headquarters had to be an architectural manifestation of the Kapor Center’s core values: connectivity, openness, and democracy.
This historically significant 4-story building, constructed of masonry bearing walls and heavy timber, occupies a rectangular 1.5 acre site at 1614 Campbell Street in Oakland, CA. Originally used as an incandescent light factory by General Electric (GE) and designed by the Austin Company, the building construction was completed between 1912 and 1917. The site continued under GE ownership in 1962 when the division closed. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake resulted in the destruction of a north bay of the west wing, not to be rebuilt in the rehabilitation project. The structure is noted for being the first industrial building on the West Coast to employ women.
Located in Oakland, California, on a down-sloping site high above the San Francisco Bay, this home was designed to capture the magnificent vistas spanning from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge. Floor-to-ceiling glass clears the way to unobstructed views. The predominantly south-southwest orientation required deep overhangs to cut down glare and soften the light quality in the home.
Article source: Mark Horton / Architecture with Michael Harris Architecture
Temple Sinai, the oldest and largest East Bay Jewish synagogue, has grown around their 1918 landmarked sanctuary with new buildings in a way that has disassociated all of their different activities. The Temple’s new building program included a new chapel, classrooms, a preschool, administrative offices, and a library, but most importantly the temple wanted a new design to organize these disparate elements into a place where their congregants could feel a greater sense of community where people could meet each other in casual spaces for spontaneous conversation.
Images Courtesy Mark Horton / Architecture and Michael Harris Architecture and Ethan Kaplan Photography
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