Hybrid design approach

Info & Images: courtesy v2com newswire

Photography: Bruce Damonte photography

Read Time: 2 mins

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Terry.Terry Architects refurbish a century-old graphic/product design office maximizing street views and engaging with the hoi-polloi…

Housed in the Jackson square historic district, San Francisco, the client brief demanded retaining the existing perimeter brick structure and the original part of the front façade, while renovating the existing interior structure.

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Respecting the historic fabric of the building that had been gutted in a 1906 earthquake and fire, the new design involved peeling away the partitions and interior walls to reveal the existing perimeter brick walls that now form a characteristic and charismatic backdrop for the main office area.  A new storey added above straddles the existing structure and provides an informal conference area that is adjacent to the kitchen and outdoor deck space for informal gatherings echoing a bit of the past. 

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The front façade is anointed with a steel ribbon surround to create a large bay window and entry shroud, forming a looking glass with the work place and the eventful street life. Likewise, a series of steel moment frames are used for the primary structure throughout the building to seismically brace the existing brick walls and to collect the additional loads of the new second storey. 

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The roof plane and roof deck are peeled back slightly from the perimeter walls to create skylight openings, allowing natural light to spill into the core of the building. The main office space and conference areas are located on the first floor, additional office space and archive/exhibit space on the second floor.  

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Most of the existing structure is retained and renovated rather than demolished. The original masonry walls at the lower floor provides thermal mass and absorbs heat energy during the day, keeping the interior comfortable, and helping to maintain a moderate, baseline temperature for cooler evenings. Since the structure is located in a relatively dense urban area, the masonry walls also add protection against fire. The new addition is designed with deep overhangs on the south side to maximize the benefits of indirect natural lighting and reduce the need for electric lighting.