san-francisco

+ 14

• Architects

  WRNS Studio

• Location

  755 Font Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States

• Project Team

  Bryan Shiles, Mitch Fine, John Ruffo, Pauline Souza, Raul Garduño Ed Kim, Tim Morshead, Doug Hoffelt, Jang Lee

• Area

  118670.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Jeremy Bittermann

+ 15

• Architects

  Studio O+A

• Location

  San Francisco, California, United States

• O+A’s Team

  Primo Orpilla, Joseph Rodriguez, Rachelle Meneses, Nikki Hall, Alex Bautista, Amy Young, Nick Escalante, Ryan Barr, Erin Mallon

• General Contractor

  Principal Builders

• MEP Engineer

  WSP

• Structural Engineer

  PLM

• Fire safety

  The Fire Consultants

• Furniture Dealer

  COG

• Custom Furniture

  MASHstudios, Inc

• Area

  55646.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Garrett Rowland

As architects face up to the need for ethical, sustainable design in the age of climate change awareness, timber architecture is making a comeback in a new, technologically impressive way. Largely overlooked in the age of Modernism, recent years have seen a plethora of advancements related to mass timber across the world. This year alone, Japan announced plans for a supertall wooden skyscraper in Tokyo by 2041, while the European continent has seen plans for the world’s largest timber building in the Netherlands, and the world’s tallest timber tower in Norway.

The potential for mass timber to become the dominant material of future sustainable cities has also gained traction in the United States throughout 2018. Evolving codes and the increasing availability of mass timber is inspiring firms, universities, and state legislators to research and invest in ambitious projects across the country.

With its historic but dilapidated waterfront, San Francisco has decided to restore the shoreline that could greatly influence the future of the city both environmentally and economically. The Port, contemplating between a piecemeal rebuilding pier-by-pier and a singular comprehensive construction of the waterfront, invited architecture and landscape firms to submit the reimagined proposals.

Global design firm HASSELL, known for their innovative recreational projects, envisioned an approach to preserve the significant history and culture of the pier while creating a sustainable green corridor in a playful manner. In order to activate the Embarcadero as an "interconnected greenway," HASSELL plans on developing the ecological areas along the waterfront as well as improving the accessibility between the recreational land with the surrounding transit hubs.

+ 12

+ 22

• Architects

  Edmonds + Lee Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, California, United States

• Lead Interior Designers

  Edmonds + Lee Architects

• Other participants

  BDE

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Matthew Millman

+ 28

• Architects

  David Baker Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, California, United States

• Interior Architecture

  Gelfand Partners Architects

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Bruce Damonte

+ 44

• Architects

  M-PROJECTS

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Lead Architects

  Amir Mortazavi of M-Projects

• Other participants

  Steve Mohebi

• Area

  13000.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Joe Fletcher, Sahra Jajarmikhayat

+ 26

• Architects

  Valerio Dewalt Train Associates

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Lead Architects

  William Turner, Matthew Gamache, Dana Stiernberg, Olivia Calalo, Mojdeh Kasraie

• Other participants

  Media Objectives at Valerio Dewalt Train (Branding and Experiential Graphic Design), Novo Construction (General Contractor), WBE (Electrical Contractor), Anderson, Rowe & Buckley, Inc. (Mechanical Contractor)

• Area

  34000.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Jasper Sanidad

• Architects

  Feldman Architecture

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Design Team

  Taisuke Ikegami, Lindsey Theobald, Nick Polansky, Humbeen Geo

• Lighting Design

  Techlinea Lighting + Integration Design

• Area

  5000.0 ft2

• Photographs

  Adam Rouse Photography

In Metropolis Magazine's latest - and last - installment in their annual design cities review, the focus is not on output or culture but on cities themselves as the point of inspiration. For the designers surveyed, these were the cities that made their hearts beat a little faster; the ones that remained in their minds and wormed their way into their work.

+ 8

• Architects

  Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Area

  130064.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Tim Griffith, Vittoria Zupicich, Kyle Jeffers

+ 13

• Architects

  Michael Hennessey Architecture

• Location

  San Francisco, United States

• Area

  2787.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2014

• Photographs

  Adam Rouse

+ 15

• Architects

  Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• Location

  San Francisco, CA, United States

• Architect

  Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

• Design Team

  Gregory Mottola, Douglas Speckhard, Reuben Alt, Sandy Lam, Helene Gregoire, Nicholas Backal

• Area

  50000.0 ft2

• Photographs

  Matthew Millman

Studio Gang has released images of their proposed high-rise MIRA residential scheme in the heart of San Francisco. Currently under construction, the 400-foot-tall tower will contain almost 400 residential units when completed, 40% of which will be below market rate.

The scheme's design is centered on the evolution of the bay window element, a feature common to San Francisco’s early houses. The bay window is reimagined in a high-rise context, twisting across the full height of the tower to offer views across the city.

+ 6

+ 31

• Architects

  Fougeron Architecture

• Location

  San Francisco, United States

• Lead Architects

  Anne Fougeron, Todd Aranaz

• Area

  2500.0 ft2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Joe Fletcher Photography

This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "The Skyscraper's Innovative Structure is Changing the Game for Earthquake Design".

The most remarkable thing about 181 Fremont—San Francisco’s third-tallest tower, designed by Heller Manus Architects—is not the penthouse’s asking price ($42 million). Rather, it’s an innovative yet unglamorous structural detail: a viscous damper system that far exceeds California Code earthquake-performance objectives for buildings of 181 Fremont’s class, allowing immediate reoccupation after a seismic event.