The developer envisioned a sustainable light industrial workplace for AI and biotech enterprises in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill.
The design addresses zoning constraints while celebrating the area’s industrial heritage and diverse communities. As the first urban building for advanced R&D to meet the International Living Futures Institute’s zero-carbon pilot, the 150,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified structure features multimodal site entry, a recessed lower plinth, and a separate main lobby.
Curtain wall facades and perforated metal scrims frame views to downtown while tempering sunlight. Sawtooth forms reduce glare and comply with the bay window code. The building includes six day-lighted floors, a mezzanine with indoor-outdoor access, and below-grade parking for bicycles and EVs/AVs. The green roof offers views of the city and a tangible means to engage with the sustainability story. The project integrates specially-optimized low-carbon concrete to garner a 40% embodied carbon reduction in concrete against regional benchmarks.