41 TEHAMA STREET

Location: San Francisco, California
Typology: Mixed Use
Project Type: Academic
Date: 2015

In the heart of downtown San Francisco, this sustainable, mixed use high rise incorporates efficient design of site, form, and systems to meet the functional needs of the diverse urban neighborhood while creating a new icon for the city. Bordering an interstate ramp that disintegrates the traditional urban corridor, a triangular plan complements the irregular site. The triangular shape places functional spaces on the wings, allowing corridors access to the exterior, providing natural ventilation that passively cools the spaces. Structurally, the wings tie into the shear core with exterior bracing, maximizing unobstructed views on the end of each wing.

​As seen in plan, the shear core acts as a central element. The cantilevered floor plates are primarily supported by 4 pairs of steel columns for each wing, but exterior bracing resists lateral loads on the floor plates, tying the cantilevered floor plates to vertical trusses. The vertical trusses tie each wing’s structure back into the shear core, creating a complete system. To address seismic issues in San Francisco, isolated footings allow the building to move slightly, while maintaining loads through the foundations.