Surrounding San Francisco - Coastal Pleat [Semester Fall 2010] by Erik Leahy

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PROJECT ABSTRACT: ‘Coastal Pleat’ represents a new look at the existing urban waterfront of San Francisco. What was an underutilized, forgotten stretch of land is ‘pleated’, stretched and transformed into a new urban condition. Instead of a straight waterfront, the boundary between the water and land is pulled allowing new meetings and uses from both sides. New pier structures are plugged into this new activated coastline serving as localized communities bringing density, activity, business and culture to this remnant neighborhood of San Francisco. From corporate campuses to new creative-startup incubators, these new pier structures act as a destination, attracting people down to the water and amenities found there. The project seeks to work within the boundaries of what San Francisco is: bringing density, culture and people back into the neighborhood around the unused Port of San Francisco. Existing building typologies, such as the Victorian-style row-house and open frame pier structures, are repurposed and brought back into the design in updated styles. ‘Coastal Pleat’ also seeks to envision the future of San Francisco, preparing the city for future rising water levels. The new pier structures plugged into the coast line are designed to function even when water has risen to cut them off from the mainland. They anticipate a future maritime-based society where they become new communities out in the water; emerging jewels in the San Francisco Bay.

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project extents

10,000 ft

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how do you devise a system that brings the city back to the water, that makes the harbor a center point?

climate change and ice melt are worstening storm surges as well as causing overall rising water levels.

“one response to threatening natural phenomena is to build a wall of defense - a dyke, seal wall, great barrier... In response to Nodernson’s study, however, we are instead interested in exploring numerous types of interventions in the harbor, the kinds of forms and strategies that might make the harbor the centerpiece of a city that has long turned its back on the water, while making the city more resilient to climactic challenges. We hope the teams will deliver provocative but entirely realistic and realizable proposals for combing ‘soft’ infrastructure, hydrolic maintanence, and other techniques with new forms of occupancy. The goal is not to imagine what is economically viable, but to create proposals so compelling that they cannot be ignored as the future unfolds.”

by 2100 predicted 5m rise in sea levels. potential storm surge flooding in new york harbor: dark green = cat 1 hurricane light green = cat 2 orange = cat 3 red = cat 4

rising currents projects for new yorks waterfront architect-in-residence program at ps 1 sponsored by moma november 2009 - january 2010

-barry bergdoll, chief curator, moma

back to the water

storm waters

(over)reaction + failure

meanwhile...

a recent surge in large-scale natural disasters, related to both global warming as well as an increase in population living in disaster-prone areas has shown the inadequacy of our current system of ‘hard’ infrastructure.

office ARO (architectural research office) along with structural engineer guy nordenson and landscape architect cahterine seavitt embark on 2 years of research on the effects of climate change, focusing on lower manhattan.

as hurricane katrina (one example) has demonstrated, structures like levees and sea barriers are inflexible and prone to failure, providing us with a false security. our industrial, production-based practices have stripped the natural wetlands and shoals which once protected these coastal areas, in addition to providing natural, integrated habitats.

research culminated in a proposed plan to ‘soften’ edge of manhattan through the injection of a series of man-made islands to buffer storm surges. research also focused on the ecology of the upper bay, as well as environmental conditions and man-made impacts. This research leads to the rising currents brief.

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_ARO (archtiecture research office) _lower manhattan, NY _landmarks: battery park, financial district the proposal seeks to blur the edge of the city at the waterline. Low-lying areas (built up trash infill) are returned to the harbor of made into fresh/salt water marshes providing restored habitats for local wildlife. Feathered islands at the tip of manhattan serve to slow surging waters from racing into the heart of the city. Hard surface streets and tramways are replaced with permeable paving allowing water to flow into and be cleaned by marshes before returning to the bay.

zone 0 project zones

zone 1

five different project zones are identified, each with very distinct characteristics and challenges. Each zone proposal is developed by a different architectural office team.

_LTL architects (lewis, tsurumaki, lewis) _northwest palisade bay / hudson river area, NJ _landmarks: liberty park, ellis island, statue of liberty at liberty park, an ignored coastline which was previously 5 miles is stretched into fingers creating a 50+ mile coastline. The fingers are populated with numerous program and park areas providing infrastructure for activities previously not found in the under-utilised park. Each finger culminates with a focal project, i.e. marina, eco hotel, while also respecting existing landmarks of ellis island and the statue of liberty.

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_matthew baird architects _southwest palisade bay / kill van kull neighborhood, NJ _landmarks: bayonne NJ, bayonne piers, n. staten island

_scape studio _northeast palisade bay / buttermilk channel _landmarks: gowanus canal, governors island

responding to the proximity of bayonne piers and its past history as an industrial / oil refining site, zone 2 becomes a bio-fuel producing parkland, feeding directly into established distribution facilities at the piers. Recycling and re-manufacturing facilities collect, among other things, old glass which is manufactured, on-site, into glass jack rip-rap. These jacks are then strategically deposited into the harbor as catalysts for reef development and marine habitats.

at zone 4, a previously dead, historic new york industry is reborn: oyster harvesting. Offshore reefs are created using a frayed rope netting which will facilitate oyster growth. The oysters will primarily serve to clean and filter the polluted waters around the gowanus canal, but will later (after the waters have been cleaned) provide for an argricultural industry. The gowanus canal will be reinvisioned as a vital connector to a neighborhood which previously relyed upon maritime industry. The canal provides pedestrian recreation, natural habitats, and cultivation facilities for the re-emerging oyster industry.

zone 2

zone 3 _nARCHITECTS _south palisade bay / verrazano narrows _landmarks: east staten island, bay ridge, sunset park, verrazano narrows bridge housing is stretched from existing neighborhoods into palisade bay creating a new relationship of living on the water. A series of small man-made islands, built through constant dregding efforts and landfill, are built out into the channel. While creating wildlife habitat, these islands are connected by inflatible seawalls to protect the communities from storm surges. A new housing typology is introduced to facilitate life on water. The traditional housing block is flipped, providing a flat roof for aerial evacuations. The units are held up on piers and are allowed to rise with the water level. Each unity is adjacent to a floating marshplanting bed which serves as waste water filtration for the housing units.

zone 4

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F F

F B B

B B

B B B

B F

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transit system

san francisco transit systems key caltrain bart muni metro express bus ferry bike site boundary info from sf-planning.org + thetransportpolitic.com

1 mile

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Alliant International University 5125 San Francisco Art Institute 666

Saybrook Graduate School / Research Center 488 Miami Ad School 208

American Conservatory Theater 103 Fashion Institue of Design 7500

Heald College 1300 Golden Gate University 5300 Academy of Art University 16000

California Culinary Academy 1526

Everest College 745 Hastings College of Law 1300 Art Institute of California 1606 Miss Martys Hair Academy 92

e bound ry sit

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University of San Francisco 8772 City College of San Francisco

California Institute of Integral Studies 1149

California College of the Arts 1800 University of California - S.F. 2998 American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 300

San Francisco Conservatory of Music 400

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UCSF Mission Bay

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educational institutions

san francisco age demographics Age 0-4 Age 5-9 Age 10-14 Age 15-19 Age 20-24 Age 25-34 Age 35-44 Age 45-54 Age 55-59 Age 60-64 Age 65-74 Age 75-84 Age 85+

31,633 31,564 30,813 33,334 56,054 180,418 133,804 107,718 35,026 30,258 53,955 37,929 14,227

** Roughly 150,000 total post-secondary students attending san francisco city institutions

san francisco post-secondary institutions general institutions research + law art + design vocational business medical info from maps.google.com + profiles.nationalrelocation.com

San Francisco State University 30469

City College of San Francisco 55000

4.1 % 4.1 % 4.0 % 4.3 % 7.2 % 23.2 % 17.2 % 13.9 % 4.5 % 3.9 % 6.9 % 4.9 % 1.8 %

Institution Size

10,000 +

2001 9999 >2000

1 mile

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conceptual site plan

beach

parkland

office / studio

tectonic shift marsh / wetlands

coastal living

urban farming

event of disruption shipping

energy production

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scattered ‘creative’ firms lack inspiration

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brought together in design houses, open, interdisciplinary environment fosters creative thinking

> >

competition and collaboration encouraged between design houses

+ universities ‘plug in’

products ship out

design house ‘fish market’: the creators hawking their goods in the hustel and bustle

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Econ + Transit Synergies

eco vehicle

regional transit

Creative (urban)Forces

creative economy financial economy •Financial district expands after economy stabilizes •More financial district jobs available, higher density •Residents take advantage of parks and public space •Middle class continues to diminish however median income rises, lower class reduced to service and labor jobs •Lower class occupy periphery, wealthier tax base city heart •With less dependency on cars, streets become less congested, can be used for alternative purposes •Creation of transitory class

Aristocrat City

•Economy relies on financial services •City gentrifies: upper class lives near central business district with lower class residing on city edges •Introduction of zero-impact personal transportation vehicles (ZIPTVs) reduces environmental impact of travel within the city •Reduced costs of fuel due to ZIPTVs allows residents to drive more •Transportation infrastructure expands in response to increasing car-centric culture

Energy Efficient Instability

Creative (urban)Forces

•Trend to small-scale creative upstarts. •Competition from affordable communities stealing creative force. •Incubator zones foster creative startups. •Transportation hubs to create fabric of creative centers. •Regional / national transportation allow SF to sell as a hub in the small-scale creative market. •High connection to related creative industries, exposure, and marketing. A trend has recently been emerging in San Francisco. Centered around Silicon Valley and the south bay area, the tech boom of the late nineties/early millennium solidified San Francisco’s position as an environment for creative entrepreneurs. However, San Francisco has recently found competition in its position as a high-tech, creative leader. As the costs to live in the bay area have continued to skyrocket, emerging communities around the country, and especially in the Midwest such as Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa; with their lower costs of living have begun attracting creative and high-tech businesses. Large tech companies like Google have begun looking to the Midwest to expand, and with the large companies will follow the small, young startups. In an effort to retain this young, creative, educated community, San Francisco begins adopting measures to retain and enhance its position. Recognizing Silicon Valleys’ attraction for large high-tech companies, San Francisco itself focuses on the small-scale, creative start ups looking to squeeze into less prosperous neighborhoods. As a tool of urban renewal, S.F. turns these past-their-prime neighborhoods into special economic zones, ‘creative startup incubators,’ across the city with lower rent and tax breaks for young, educated entrepreneurs. An initial investment by the city is made on an aging transportation infrastructure. ‘Community centers’ are formed in these incubator zones around existing and expanded transportation lines, providing small-scale, local creative think-tanks, as well as wider scale connection with other related upstarts and larger-scale investors. These local zones provide not only creative ‘juices’ but also a stage to expose as well as market these highlydesigned products. This young, educated, environmentally conscious and politically active new group of entrepreneurs takes urban renewal into their own hands. Actively concerned with the betterment of the neighborhoods they live and work in, they slowly, through a serious of small, micro-investments are reviving and rejuvenating areas of the city with have long sat unnoticed. These forgotten areas quickly become the most educated, environmentally sustainable parts of the city through the use of small-scale private investment and an accepting city government.

Econ + Transit Synergies

•Synergy between the low cost Creativity and Innovation Based Economy (CIBE) and the flexibility and freedom provided by a Zero Impact Personal Vehicle (ZIPV). •Incubation of a creative and innovative working and political class. •Continued utilization of distributed transportation system. •Reinforcement of a commuting centric society •Consistent with the American Dream In the post-economic meltdown world, the city of San Francisco has fully separation from its historically financial service based economy. A massive investment in the incubation of an economy composed of creative and innovation centric companies has paid hefty dividends through economic diversification and long-term stability. The most significant of these dividends has been the locally grown technologies that have enabled the ZIPV. While ZIPVs are not produced within the city, the technologies that have enabled ZIPVs are the best known products of the CIBE incubators and has lead many municipalities to try to replicate the conditions. Perhaps the greatest benefit that San Francisco has seen from the adoption of a CIBE is the introduction of a real middle class to the city. Most of the high paid jobs provided by financial services have evaporated and to a large extent the poorest of the city have transitioned to a working class. This removal of the vast divided that once existed between the classes has created an environment that’s, by all accounts, remains one of the most progressive and desirable cities to live in. The administration of San Francisco has directly benefited from the CIBE. It has pulled substantially from the creative ranks to run the city. One of the most substantial results of this is San Francisco becoming the first ZIPV exclusive city. The ZIPV has allowed a guilt free existence for commuters and city dwellers alike. The ZIPVs are also a huge source of pride for the entire City of San Francisco. Many citizens that could not previously afford to own a car have found themselves ZIPV owners and often drive simply for the sake of driving. As a result of the unprecedented adaptation of ZIPV new taxes are likely to be levied on their use. While they cost nothing to drive and their direct impact is minimal, their total impact is somewhat more then “Zero”. The cost of maintaining and building the infrastructure to support their use has far exceeded gasoline-powered cars and has become the single largest source of pollution. In addition budgets at all levels of government are staining to provide the infrastructure demanded by their constituents.

Aristocrat City

Energy Efficient Instability

•Financial district expands after economy stabilizes •More financial district jobs available, higher density •Residents take advantage of parks and public space •Middle class continues to diminish however median income rises, lower class reduced to service and labor jobs •Lower class occupy periphery, wealthier tax base city heart •With less dependency on cars, streets become less congested, can be used for alternative purposes •Creation of transitory class

Following the economic recession in the late 2000’s, the financial district regains some of the same prominence it had during its heyday. Based off a service based market, not necessarily the production of goods, SF continues to be a hub for the country and the gateway to eastern Asia trade markets. Additionally, more financial district jobs are available, thus there are more people living and working in the same area. Higher market jobs occur in the financial district area, and similarly the land values in the area increase and primarily cater to people in these markets. People tend to live and work in the same area also due to the more efficient public transportation (DIRTS) knowing they can get to the periphery of the city fairly quickly and efficiently.

This scenario most closely replicates the current state of San Francisco with respect to economy and transit. The continuation of a financial services based economy will allow for the current condition of economical fluctuations and uncertainty to continue. The growth of this sector will continue to create two social classes: the upper and the lower. Those who rely on the financial sector will continue to earn gross sums of money, affording them the opportunity to live within the city center, where rents and mortgages climb to even less affordable points. The lower class will be forced to move to the outskirts where rents are more affordable, but housing conditions are less desirable.

In addition, these residents primarily occupy one area and have immediate access as well as disposable income to support bayside public parks and recreational space. The aristocratic class can take more advantage of parks and public spaces created through a wealthier tax base. This development can adhere to all users as more public money is available for adaptive reuse of many parts of SF, especially the derelict bayside piers. With less dependency on cars, streets become less congested and can be used for alternative purposes (public space and trade). The implication of DIRTS means that less cars and trucks occupy the streets, and these areas revert back to earlier uses of the street i.e. individual market places, recreation, and meeting places. Inversely, the middle class continues to diminish however the median income for the city rises. With a wealthier base of inhabitants within SF city limits, the average income raises. However, the middle class starts to disappear and move outward (south) and occupy areas formerly for lower class residents. The lower class is reduced to service and labor jobs. With the job market in SF becoming more stratified, these people make less money and occupy less desirable (for some) job markets. Lower class occupies the periphery of the city and takes advantage of an integrated regional transit system. Similar to the aristocrats, these people tend to take more advantage of DIRTS and can live further away from where they work where the cost of living is cheaper. They tend to commute into the city each day and leave after work. This reaction leads to the creation of a transitory class. With more and more people coming in and out the city, a transitory class is created. People bring their goods into SF and leave at a later date. Residents are citizens and aliens at the same time.

The move toward zero-impact personal transportation vehicles (ZIPTVs) will create a two-fold improvement over today’s San Francisco. The first, and most obvious, is the move of consumer vehicles from fossil fuels to more environmentally sustainable energies. These renewable energies could include electric, solar, or some yet to be developed source of energy. Though the move from fossil fuels in vehicles will lessen the impact on the environment, this will need to be combined with large-scale renewable energy production in order to fully take advantage of the environmental benefits. Another benefit of the introduction of ZIPTVs in San Francisco will be a lower cost form of transportation. With a mass produced vehicle that depends on lower cost fuels, citizens will be able to drive their vehicles more often and on longer trips. The downfall of this fact is San Franciscans becoming a more car-centric culture. Roadways will remain, expanding in some cases to attempt to accommodate higher traffic flows. Overall, this scenario closely replicates present day San Francisco. Citizens still rely on the financial sector as a main form of employment. They also maintain access to a personal vehicle, allowing them to travel at will. The city is divided into two main social classes, upper and lower, with housing varying accordingly. Affordable housing occurs on the fringes of the city, with the higher value, more desirable housing found close to the central business district.

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Coastal Energy

Proactive Coast

energy nodes •New electric zero emmission vehicle creates need for more infrastructure •Tourism boom due to low cost of transportation •San Francisco wants to clean up blighted docklands •New infrastructure and rejuvenation projects are creating jobs for low income workers •Housing demands are at an all time high •Workers commute adds to congestion •Tax increases make government larger and in need of facilities expansion

Tourist Rising

Coastal Energy

•Low lying coastline lost •Lost land used to create energy infrastructure nodes •Long term process •New projects created as coastline changes •New energy offsets value of lost land •Reduces pollution •Reduces cost of living As the sea level rises due to climate change the coastline of San Francisco will begin to change drastically. Much of the low lying land along the coast on the ocean side and the more importantly the bayside of the city will become submerged. Initially it may seem like the city is losing land, but much of the land that will lost is underutilized post industrial land along the coast. Also, the city will have the ability to now use the land for public purpose without having to purchase it. In doing this the city could then use this land to create a network of energy infrastructure nodes, groups of smaller scale alternative energy production stations, to help power the city. This process would take place over time as needed, since sea level rise happens slowly. Old buildings can b deconstructed as need and replace with new projects and infrastructure over a long period of time as the sea level rises. Doing this would help to offset the loss of the land, since it would now be producing energy for the city, intern reducing energy costs for the residents. So, now land that was either no producing any income for anyone is now helping to reduce energy costs for the city. Another impact of the energy cost reduction would be a reduction in the cost of living, which could rise due to the lost of land and this, would counteract that. The alternative energy production would also help to reduce peak energy loads, and since the city would be now primarily powered by this system it would reduce pollution in the city and dependence on other energy sources.

Proactive Coast

•Proactively develops shoreline and Renewable Energy •Provides opportunity to change aesthetics of port •Generates clean energy for weak power grid •Simultaneous planning allows time for Renewable Energy maturation While the water level rises from global climate change, the city of San Francisco and the Bay area could develop a massive system to help eliminate the threat of this eminent flood. The bay is expected to rise 1.4 meters by the year 2100. This projection could very well shift either direction according to the speed and amount of ice melt. San Francisco, like most of California also has an issue of stable power supply. Generation of electricity often does not meet the demands of the power hungry population. Both of these problems could be eleviated in the coordination of planning of eminent sea level rise while developing new Renewable Energy Infrastructure nodes. These REI’s could be placed along the shore where new development of sea barriers and infrastructures are developed to prevent the destructive possibilities of sea level rise in San Francisco. The E.I.N.’s could consist of Solar, Wind, and Geothermal energy stations, along with sea wave energy generation all within the city limits. These power generating technologies are still quite adolescent but with the coming of another 50 years, the city can plan to develop a new infrastructure that controls the forces of nature while the technology matures. These renewable energy sources are non-polluting and while in each array of these E.I.N.’s are not a powerful solution to replacing for example a coal powered power plant, a quantity of these could very well quell the peaks and limit the high strains on existing power facilities mostly fossil fuel (and highly polluting) powered. High costs all around.

Chronodapt

Whichever solution of creating infrastructure to prevent sea level rise it is crucial to keep consistent the current. 40% of bay is already taken to fill, committing more water area to fill, creates a negative effect for the local climate, so keeping the same amount of current fill is crucial. 10% more fill will have drastic effects.

Tourist Rising

•New electric zero emmission vehicle creates need for more infrastructure •Tourism boom due to low cost of transportation •San Francisco wants to clean up blighted docklands •New infrastructure and rejuvenation projects are creating jobs for low income workers •Housing demands are at an all time high •Workers commute adds to congestion •Tax increases make government larger and in need of facilities expansion With the advent of the fully electric zero emission vehicle the San Francisco landscape is changing. The city is the middle of a tourist boom do to the lowered costs of transportation. Many people are flocking to the city because of it’s historic richness, beautiful landscape, and temperate climate. Economically the city is flourishing. The need for more hotels, restaurants, and public space is growing constantly. The city is looking to take advantage of this increase in tourism and is under a lot of pressure to clean up its more blighted areas. The southern half of the ports which has been left abandoned and flooded by the gradual rise of the ocean level is the main focus. The city plans to begin a massive rejuvenation project, clearing out the old structures and infrastructure. The areas around the new coast line are being repurposed to serve the new demands of the city. Along with this major development along the coast the city is also building more and more infrastructure due to the increased congestion of motor vehicular traffic as well as repurposing old fossil fuel infrastructure. These major construction efforts are creating many jobs for lower to middle class workers. The need for affordable housing for these workers is obvious. While the population of low income employees increases in the city, the high living costs continue to elevate due to the increased demand due to population increase. Housing developments and tourist development are in direct competition, with tourist development being the most frequent victor. These unreasonable living costs and lack of housing force workers to commute from outside the city, adding to the daily traffic congestion. The cities efforts over the last 20 years in making San Francisco a much greener city has aided in attracting people to a cleaner more vibrant city. However, this has also resulted in increased taxing of citizens to fund these efforts, making living conditions for citizens much more difficult to afford. Local authorities are strained as well. The influx of tourists and people in general has created a demand for more police and fire services. Government has grown in San Francisco due to the increased tax revenue and the massive project list. Governmental facilities need expansion to be able to deal with the changing environment of the city.

Chronodapt

•Use one for the other, mutually beneficial •Planning is simultaneous do development •Population density goes up •Creates further gentrification •Cost of living goes up •Regional mass transit becomes necessary With the adaptation of massive infrastructure development on San Francisco’s coastline, the city has preserved its physical boundaries despite the threat of rising tides. Alternative transport energy sources allow cleaner air for the city and serve as a beacon of sustainability. The acts of developing a new coastline and implementing new sources of power allow for the system of development to be conceived synergistically with modern delivery methods of the energy. This minimizes development costs as the infrastructure has no need of repurposing or redesign. The shoreline is converted into neo-energy production facilities that utilize new and upcoming technologies as a means of production. Originally, these facilities supply the energy needed to run the local coastline, but as the technologies become commodity the facilities begin to pool their way into more central locations of San Francisco. As all of this is happening, local existing power supply facilities such as the Mirant power plant that were once questionable in their methods are updated to provide a newer/cleaner energy source to the coastline. The quality of the air increases as emissions are no longer necessary in power production. Power plants no longer require millions of gallons of water and therefore no longer dump heated discharge into the bay. As a result, the ecosystem of the bay improves and wildlife flourishes. These new conditions combined with the current amount of green space make San Francisco a cleaner and more eco-friendly place to live. San Francisco’s improvements draw a young, creative and educated population. For this reason the cities local universities become premier institutions for research. Developers along the coast become confident in their plots of land, so land values increase and local businesses prosper. With this prosperity comes an even larger population density. Following trends of progression as well as a need to accommodate the growing population, mass transit is developed regionally to accommodate commuters. Even though these progressions have taken place the city struggles to proclaim an identity between eco-friendly community and overbearing metropolis. Socially, the interests of the wealthy are at odds with the impoverished and middle classes and the city becomes more gentrified. These social classes are forced to move even further onto the periphery of the city as the cost of living skyrockets.

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rising currents proposal by Architecture Research Office situated on the battery point of manhattan island

1000 ft

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site future

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conceptual site circa 2020 fingers of program space reach out into the bay while at the same time the bay waters are brought into the city fabric. This intermingling of features creates an enlived mix of water-based recreation, work, and living

fingers of land raise up to meet the sea creating inhabitable sea barrier

conceptual site circa 2100 following massive sea leavel rise as sea levels rise water is allowed to flood areas of the site, while the tips of the fingers, which raise up at the water level are left as islands of use, visual markers of the effect of water on our lives and our society.

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project future

remaining islands become bastians of a new society and means of living. As individual islands they are their own sufficient communities providing energy, agriculture areas and living and working places, as well as being surrounded by almost unlimited recreational opportunities. As a network piece connected back into the city fabric, the islands promote a greater focus and use of the water as a tool and an integral part of the character of the city, but also something that should be respected and cared for.

Vertical Studio: Surrounding San Francisco

Future Scenario Planning

eco vehicle

regional transit

Creative (urban)Forces

Scenario Two

creative economy financial economy •Trend to small-scale creative upstarts. •Competition from affordable communities stealing creative force. •Incubator zones foster creative startups. •Transportation hubs to create fabric of creative centers. •Regional / national transportation allow SF to sell as a hub in the small-scale creative market. •High connection to related creative industries, exposure, and marketing.

Scenario Three

Scenario Four

Creative (urban)Forces

Scenario Two

Scenario Three

Scenario Four

•Continued trend towards small-scale creative upstarts. •SF recognizes competition from emerging, affordable communities stealing its creative entrepreneurs. •Creation of incubator zones to foster creative startup companies. •Zones focused around transportation and connection hubs to create a fabric of local creative centers around the city. •Expansive regional and national transportation connections allow San Francisco to sell itself as a central hub in the small-scale creative market. •Zones allow high connection to other related creative industries as well as a stage to expose and market locally designed, developed, and manufactured products.

A trend has recently been emerging in San Francisco. Centered around Silicon Valley and the south bay area, the tech boom of the late nineties/early millennium solidified San Francisco’s position as an environment for creative entrepreneurs. However, San Francisco has recently found competition in its position as a high-tech, creative leader. As the costs to live in the bay area have continued to skyrocket, emerging communities around the country, and especially in the Midwest such as Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa; with their lower costs of living have begun attracting creative and high-tech businesses. Large tech companies like Google have begun looking to the Midwest to expand, and with the large companies will follow the small, young startups. In an effort to retain this young, creative, educated community, San Francisco begins adopting measures to retain and enhance its position. Recognizing Silicon Valleys’ attraction for large high-tech companies, San Francisco itself focuses on the small-scale, creative start ups looking to squeeze into less prosperous neighborhoods. As a tool of urban renewal, S.F. turns these past-their-prime neighborhoods into special economic zones, ‘creative startup incubators,’ across the city with lower rent and tax breaks for young, educated entrepreneurs. An initial investment by the city is made on an aging transportation infrastructure. ‘Community centers’ are formed in these incubator zones around existing and expanded transportation lines, providing small-scale, local creative think-tanks, as well as wider scale connection with other related upstarts and larger-scale investors. These local zones provide not only creative ‘juices’ but also a stage to expose as well as market these highlydesigned products. This young, educated, environmentally conscious and politically active new group of entrepreneurs takes urban renewal into their own hands. Actively concerned with the betterment of the neighborhoods they live and work in, they slowly, through a serious of small, micro-investments are reviving and rejuvenating areas of the city with have long sat unnoticed. These forgotten areas quickly become the most educated, environmentally sustainable parts of the city through the use of small-scale private investment and an accepting city government.

Vertical Studio: Surrounding San Francisco

Future Scenario Planning

creative economy

eco vehicle

regional transit

Scenario Five

Scenario Two

financial economy •Trend to small-scale creative upstarts. •Competition from affordable communities stealing creative force. •Incubator zones foster creative startups. •Transportation hubs to create fabric of creative centers. •Regional / national transportation allow SF to sell as a hub in the small-scale creative market. •High connection to related creative industries, exposure, and marketing.

Scenario Three

Scenario Four

Scenario Five

Scenario Six

Scenario Seven

Scenario Eight

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site visit notes

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condition a ocean coast beach

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coastal characteristics

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condition b city center renovated wharfs

condition c project site unused industrial port

b a

streetview

coast profile

typical sections

sections not to scale

2000 ft

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site analysis

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site topographic map - 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122; intervals

site water drainage and tidal flows

percieved key existing buildings / facilities

at+t park

mission creek

ferry terminal

mission bay campus california academy of the arts

primary tidal movements

ship repair wharfs dogpatch neighborhood

muni terminal / servicing islais creek pier 80 (working pier) pier 86 (working pier)

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site feedback

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_current site accessibility is poor or non-existant. hard edge of site provides little recreational benefit and makes ‘finding’ the water difficult. Current site conditions require making a ‘journey’ to get to the waters edge, risking safety, legality, and dryness.

_salt marshes provide a natural, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing alternative to the normal hard water edge.

_in an interesting move, nature has capitalized on the man-made barriers of the site, growing on fences like trestles. While creating an interesting visual contrast, this only compounds accessibility problems.

_salt marshes occur naturally in lowland saltwater areas, and were found historically all around bay area. Consisting of short water plants, marsh lands help filter and purify waters by removing pollutants.

_unlike the west part of city with has direct beach access, eastern edge of city is underutilized and provides poor public and recreation use.

_Current problems at site with sitting water, poor man-made water filtration and underutilized waterways could be improved through the use of marsh lands.

accessibility

salt marshes

_bioswales, like salt marshes, are used for water filtration and remediation, keeping water from running of to unproductive uses. _bioswales occur on land, and are smaller in scale than marsh lands, thereby becoming a tool with which to puncture into neighborhoods on a street level. _bioswales could be used to direct residents from surrounding neighborhoods to the waterfront site.

bioswales

rising currents

growing water

_rising currents project provides a good precedent looking at the effect of sea level rise in the context of a dense city center. _recreational programmed space which have added uses of environmental protection and imporvement is a major focus for site concept. _transformation of streets into green parkways while still retaining previous function

_the growing water project in Chicago serves as a critical precedent for water remediation and reuse. While differing in that it occurs on a freshwater water source, certain principles and engineering could be pulled out. _transformation of boulevards into ‘eco-machines’ concept could easily be transferred to san francisco site. As well as the principles of pulling the waterfront / recreation into the city fabric.

oysters _oysters have a long history in san francisco and the bay area. _oysters can actually be used as a natural water filtration system, helping to remove chemicals and pollutants from the water. While not edible during this purification process, once the water level is brought to a healthy level the oysters would be edible and would provide an existing infrastructure for a reenergized oyster farming industry in the area.

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penninsulas pulled out from transit stops

urban concept

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building masses become urban terrain

connected back to landmark views

yerba beuna island

trans-bay terminal

port of oakland

1/2 mile radius

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birds-eye view

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section a scale 1” = 200’

section b scale 1” = 200’

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schematic sections

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masterplan

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zoning key single-family res. existing multi-family res. existing retail + commercial existing industrial + light manufacturing existing institutional + public facilities existing recreational + open space

scale 1â&#x20AC;? = 300â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

ferry terminal

drydock ferry terminal arts center

muni service center

marina

dogpatch neigborhood

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landscape plan

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section b

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scale 1â&#x20AC;? = 300â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

section a

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concept development sketches

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concept development sketches

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site model

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concept models

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master plan axonometric view

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master plan

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IS LA IS EK

E CR

DOGPATCH NEIGHBORHOOD

UCSF MISSION BAY CAMPUS AT&T PARK (SF GIANTS)

ISLAIS CREEK

MUNI SERVICE CENTER

MARINA

PIER 70 CULTURAL CENTER

SF DRY DOCK

EXISTING COASTLINE

N 1000 ft

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land use

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IS LA IS EK

E CR

DOGPATCH NEIGHBORHOOD

UCSF MISSION BAY CAMPUS AT&T PARK (SF GIANTS)

ISLAIS CREEK

MUNI SERVICE CENTER

MARINA

PIER 70 CULTURAL CENTER

SF DRY DOCK

EXISTING COASTLINE

N 1000 ft

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blue greenway

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BRACKISH MARSHLAND

A continuous waterfront boardwalk / park space wraps the hard edge of the city, continuing the ‘blue-greenway’ of san francisco. The green ribbon provides pedestrian and bike paths along with recreatioin areas. The ribbon oftens the edge of the city through the use of water-purifying marsh lands and beach fronts. Green ribbon expands out in areas to provide additional program space for parks, fields, beaches, docks, among other uses.

BRACKISH MARSHLAND

BRACKISH MARSHLAND BRACKISH MARSHLAND

BRACKISH MARSHLAND BOAT LAUNCH

WATERFRONT PARKLAND

BRACKISH MARSHLAND

BEACHFRONT

BRACKISH MARSHLAND

FERRY LANDING

FERRY LANDING FERRY LANDING FERRY LANDING BEACHFRONT BEACHFRONT

WATERFRONT PARKLAND

BEACHFRONT

WATERFRONT PARKLAND

N 1000 ft

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localized neighborhoods

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Each waterfront structure plugs into existing preserved warehouse and post-industrial buildings. Each site is planned with focus and direction towards these repurposed sites. These buildings are repurposed as cultural centers for each localized neighborhood and serve as the heart and center of each community while providing an overall connection across the site as a whole.

ISLAIS CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD

ISLAIS POINT

UCSF MISSION BAY CAMPUS

DOGPATCH NEIGHBORHOOD

GAS TANK DISTRICT

DOCKLANDS DISTRICT

MARINA DISTRICT

PIER 50 CULTURAL DISTRICT

STADIUM POINT

N 1000 ft

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local and regional connections

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The proposed waterfront structures plug into existing and proposed transit connections. Transit systems include automobiles, water-based transit, public mass transit, and pedestrian access. These systems provide access into the city as well as the wider bay area region and beyond.

16th STREET

MARIPOSA STREET

20th STREET

23th STREET

MARIN STREET

MISSOURI STREET

Multiple means of transit and connections will provide a density of people coming and going, working, playing, and shopping in order to provide a strong local character and sense of active community. T

4th

R ST

INDIANA STREET

CAR / TRUCK

MUNI T-LINE

3rd STREET

LOCAL PEDESTRIAN

ILLINOIS STREET (PEDESTRIAN ONLY)

PARKING / SERVICE ACCESS (BELOW)

FERRY / WATER TAXI

TO: SAN FRAN + NORTH BAY TO: SAN MATEO

TO: OAKLAND

TO: SAN JOSE

1000 ft

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massing parameters massing parameters

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+144 building mass lowers towards south to provide efficient solar exposure

building mass raises out to views and higher land value at water

multi-family housing

+96

office shopping pedestrian plaza

-15

parking / service

+36

building mass lowers towards existing, re-purposed cultural hubs HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS

*note: 1 story = 12 ft floor to floor

PROGRAM LAYERING

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localized access corridors

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OPTION 1

OPTION 2

localized connections create SLICED CORRIDORS through building masses creating corridors back to ‘creative community center’

localized connections create TUNNELS through building masses creating corridors back to ‘creative community center’

-split large building masses

-alow potential for ground floor access scheme

-experienced like alleyway ALTERNATIVELY: corridors across landscape plinth become pathways and connecting landscape tissue betweet buildings alowing cross-site connection but also directing occupants towards the ‘creative community center’

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housing typology parameters

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A typical house size averages 20’ by 60’ and 3 stories A typical block size of about 200’ by 350’ allows for about 21 individual housing units

In a typical multi-family apartment housing, the facade is treated as solid face to preserve the integrity of the total building

UNRESPONSIVE

SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING TYPOLOGY: ‘PAINTED LADY’ ROWHOUSES The Victorian-era ‘Painted Ladies’ like the well known houses on Russian Hill represent the prototypical image of San Francisco. Found in many styles, though rarely modern, and built in various income brackets the 3-story narrow rowhouses have been copied across the city and represent the predominant and desired living condition in San Francisco. While they provide desired qualities of living, such as adjacencies to neighbors, street life and individual privacy, the height restricted row houses have not been adapable to a higher density, multi-family development, the kind of development which would allow land-exhausted San Francisco to continue to expand

In order to increase housing density on site, the block could be stacked vertically 3-high,Iallowing for 63 units on the same block

A commerical / retail plinth is inserted on the base of the vertical ‘block’ created a total community of living, working, shopping

However, if the project is considered not as a massive apartment block but rather a vertical san francisco housing block, each unit could be adjusted to create a variety of new opportunities for social and living spaces, including balconys, walk-outs and shading

Removal of units which do not fit into the 3-unit San Francisco typology are deleted which allows for communal social space vertically throughout the building, continuing the sense of a ‘block’ community into the multi-family structure

ENGAGING

SOCIAL

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housing axonometric

UNIT 1 MASTER BED

KITCHEN / GREAT ROOM

SECONDARY BED

UNIT 2 MASTER BED

KITCHEN / GREAT ROOM

SECONDARY BED

UNIT 3 MASTER BED

KITCHEN / GREAT ROOM

SECONDARY BED

SCALE: 1/8” = 1’

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unit circulation

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UNIT DISTRIBUTION

INTERIOR CIRCULATION CORRIDORS

sky garden

level 3

level 2

level 1

Circulation is focused around wide street-like corridors along an interior facing courtyard. The corridors provide access from residences to sky gardens within the building as well as to stair and elevator towers to provide access to the groundplane plaza Three main levels of circulation serve the building, however these split and begin to shift position as the building mass transitions lower. Corridors shift down as well to provide access to the middle level of each residence

Distribution of 3-stacked apartment / condo units around the building mass provides 61 sellable units of similar but varying size and view conditions to provide a wide range of rental prices. Sky gardens and circulation corridors provide a community feel to the development.

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final presentation model

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design development sketches