Straddling the border of Potrero Hill and the Mission District in San Francisco, Rowan at 346 Potrero is a 70-unit mixed-use residential building. The goal of the project is to strike a chord of continuity with the industrial past of Potrero and the Mission and celebrate its urban, transit-oriented future.
Zendesk, a customer service software provider, was one of the first tech companies to move to San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood to take advantage of the city’s tax incentive program, and the first to sign a community benefits agreement. After experiencing large-scale growth, it was only natural for the company to seek an additional space in the neighborhood they called home. Zendesk’s new office marks its second building on Market Street, creating an urban campus that assists in the revival of the long-neglected Mid-Market neighborhood. The new building not only serves as a headquarters for the growing Zendesk team, but also as opens its doors as a communal hub for local businesses and residents.
1. The property was not in great shape when the client purchased it: foreclosed in 2011, it endured much vandalism and a habitual squatter. The front of the property was very industrial in appearance, with a tall wooden fence built around the board-formed concrete garage. The combined structure was topped with a large metal electrical pylon (see attached photo). All street-facing surfaces had been painted a putty grey color.
Objective: To create a quiet garden retreat in one of San Francisco’s most vibrant neighborhoods, by rehabilitating a mixed-use site into the next phase of its transformation into a dedicated residence.
In 2003, Architecture 2030 was established to respond to rapidly accelerating climate change. This has sparked extraordinary development in the field of renewable energy technology, allowing for buildings to become increasingly energy efficient.
The design intention was to establish the net-zero perspective from the eyes of the occupant. This project proposes a net-zero energy building in every aspect. Not only does the building produce more energy than it consumes through the use of building integrated photovoltaics, but it also attempts to foster a sense of community and a sustainable lifestyle through a vertical tower typology.
Adobe, headquartered 50 miles south in San Jose, established its San Francisco presence when it acquired Macromedia at the end of 2005. Macromedia occupied the historic Baker & Hamilton Building at 601 Townsend Street and the newer 625 Townsend Street next door. Recently, Adobe leased additional space at 410 Townsend Street two blocks away to meet the needs of its growing workforce. Adobe’s new workplace strategy, which was created for their San Jose campus, was implemented at 410 Townsend while providing a unique identity for the space.
400 Grove Street/Parcel H is a 33-unit market-rate development in the heart of Hayes Valley. This prominent site at the corner of Grove and Gough Streets is one of the parcels left vacant by the demolition of the Central Freeway, and is in a dynamic, urban San Francisco neighborhood.
San Francisco’s historic Central YMCA (1909), a nine-story Classical building located in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood, has been transformed into supportive housing for the homeless and a health center for residents of supportive housing and the homeless. The adaptive use project created 174 micro-units of permanent housing and preserved the original sky-lit second-floor lobby, auditorium, full-size gymnasium, offices, and meeting rooms.
The LEED Gold health center occupies 11,700 square feet of a former locker room and support space on the ground floor, and the original swimming pool in the basement has been converted to a multipurpose room. Renovations in the 1950s removed the grand entry staircase, which led directly from the street to the second-floor lobby. This lobby has now been restored as the heart of the building, including a new grand stair, a small street-level lobby, accessible elevator, and improved circulation throughout the upper floors. Residential wings and 24 new units constructed above the historic gym wrap the light well above the lobby.
The small residential units—the Y’s former hotel rooms, approximately 200 square feet each—preserve the original window bays and gain spaciousness from their generous proportions and high ceilings. All units provide ample storage, cooking facilities, and individual bathrooms. A new radiant heating system, energy efficient lighting and ventilation, and the use of healthy materials support sustainability and resident well-being. Terrazzo stairs, tile walls, wood ceilings, and translucent planters around the new grand stair were chosen for their compatibility with the historic wood, tile, and marble finishes, which were meticulously preserved. The building includes 1,450 square feet of corner retail space on the street level.
This project houses a growing graphic/product design office within an existing brick building located in the Jackson square historic district. The design requires the removal of all the existing interior structure while leaving the existing perimeter brick structure and original front facade intact.
With a name inspired by the farmhouse rums of the French Caribbean, Bar Agricole is a 1,400-square-foot restaurant and bar located in San Francisco’s industrial South of Market district. The architect and owner drew on long-term relationships with local artisans to assemble an expanded design team for the collaborative design-build process.
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