633 Folsom

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The reuse of 633 Folsom, a commercial\nbuilding in San Francisco, is a story centered on the reduction of embodied and\noperational carbon and the reanimation of a vital urban corridor. When a very\nrare full-building vacancy approached, the owner and original developer of the\n1967 building turned to the design team for a renovation that would address the\ndemands of a modern workforce and the rapidly evolving neighborhood. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The Swig Company, 633 Folsom\u2019s owner,\nsought a new design that focused on the well-being of its occupants and access\nto daylight, critical components of future occupancy. Building performance and\naesthetics also needed to support the surrounding neighborhood\u2019s increasingly\npedestrian qualities. In the end, the project resonated with the leadership of\nAsana, a popular work management platform, which leased the entire building for\nits headquarters."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The black glass that adorned the\noriginal building lent it a foreboding feeling along the sidewalk and\nthroughout the interiors. 633 Folsom\u2019s new facade stands in stark opposition,\nconceived to respond to the built and natural environment with sunshades of\nvarying depths running along it. The shades\u2019 final geometry and orientation,\noptimized through the team\u2019s rigorous computational modeling, give the building\nits unique identity and an interior workplace with significantly more daylight.\nInside, its occupants can collaborate with the blinds open for additional hours\ndue to the building\u2019s shading capacity. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The shades are composed of\nfiber-reinforced polymer, which offers flexibility in form and low weight.\nThroughout the day, the shades also catch the shifting value of light, engaging\nboth occupants and passersby. Inside, they go largely unnoticed, while from the\noutside they create a bold urban expression on an otherwise unremarkable city\nblock."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In multiple meetings during the\nproject\u2019s conceptual development, several community groups offered input on ways\nthe building\u2019s additional floors could preserve light and air for residential\nbuildings to the east. Though the building is privately owned, its publicly\noccupied landscape helps animate the edge of Folsom Street, where sculptural\nwork by California-based artist Sam Falls is integrated into its terraced\nforms."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Among San Francisco\u2019s many new glass\noffice buildings, 633 Folsom\u2019s exterior brings new materiality and texture to\nthe street and pedestrian experience. The building\u2019s reinvention also\ndemonstrates how careful architecture can expand an existing structure without\ndiminishing its context and how developers can build sustainability within their\nsocial responsibilities. "]]]]}