San Francisco, California, USA

Bridging San Francisco’s financial center with the newly developed Mission Bay neighborhood, the 4th & Harrison Mixed-use Development, designed by HOK for Boston Properties, Inc., represents a significant investment at the heart of the city’s South of Market district (SoMA).

4th and Harrison Mixed-Use Development was recently awarded with a 2020 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

The project includes 770,000 square feet of Class A office space, 36,000 sqft of retail, childcare, and production-distribution-repair space, and 16,700 sqft of public open space targeting LEED Platinum certification.

The 15-story development was designed to complement the SoMa neighborhood’s urban character while acknowledging its context and history.

Rather than erecting a single monolithic tower characteristic of downtown office buildings, the design was inspired by the intrinsic geometries of the built and natural environments, resulting in an elegant, sculpted volume that reduces the apparent mass from the street through the sky plane.

On both small and large scales, the articulation of the building creates a cascading effect reminiscent of falling leaves.

Similarly, the building’s facade enclosure stacks vertically and pulsates horizontally, recalling the furrows and grooves, as well the textures and tinctures of the bark of California live oak trees. The metal panel facade blends seven copper and eight zinc tones highlighted by a gradient color shift from the ground up.

The design team used parametric design tools to create a pulsating rhythm of expansion and contraction with different panel sizes and colors.

Furthermore, the glazing, metal panels, and reliefs arrayed across the individual facades are environmentally responsive to solar orientations.

Offering an unrivaled workspace to recruit and retain top talent, the design features large floor plates that give occupants access to abundant daylight and stunning views of the city and the San Francisco Bay. Amenities include five roof decks, on-site child care, and street-level micro-retail.

The location will be served by two future stations along San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)’s new Central Subway expansion, establishing a complete community through inviting and accessible urban streets, green roofs, and public spaces.

The development also includes two large, privately owned, publicly accessible open spaces (POPOS) with artwork at street level, as part of the city’s 1% Art Program, which requires developers to integrate public art in all new buildings equal to at least one percent of the total construction cost. This art will enhance the building’s inviting urban streetscape, outdoor rooms, and open spaces.

Moreover, the developer will contribute a 15,000 sqft portion of the site to the City of San Francisco for the future development of a 144-unit affordable housing project.

Construction of the development is expected to proceed in two phases, the first of which will take place in late 2020. The second phase will include the construction of an adjacent, eight-story-tall residential building dedicated entirely to affordable housing.

Overall, the project creates a vibrant and dynamic mixed-use and work environment that serves as a model for sustainable growth.

Project: 4th and Harrison Mixed-Use Development
Architects: HOK
Client: Boston Properties, Inc.
Photographers: Steel Blue LLC.