San Francisco, California, USA
Located in the design district of San Francisco, Hooper Street designed by Surfacedesign, Pfau Long Architecture, and Forge Architecture is a functional, crafted, and contemporary narrow space between two tall buildings in San Francisco developed to tackle an aggressive stormwater management program as well as to serve the local community as a place of socializing.
The Hooper Street project has recently been awarded a 2022 American Architecture Award Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Over 50,000 square feet of active PDR (production, distribution, and repair) units bring a vibrant community of makers into the same campus, the first development of its kind.
Roll-up doors create seamless connections between the workshop spaces and the shared plaza that connects the two buildings—cultivating a communal atmosphere of exchange and engagement.
Stormwater run-off from the adjacent buildings is treated in a series of vegetated planters that animate the plaza.
Rather than hiding the infrastructure for treating runoff, the site is productive and showcases the performative functions of the landscape.
Planters are framed by a series of multi-scaled wood and concrete benches that allow for unexpected gatherings and open circulation through the site.
The concrete benches themselves are an innovative use of materials and construction methods—a sandwich of reclaimed sawn and polished concrete slabs that were salvaged from on-site paving prior to development.
A series of breaks in the linear planters keep the main plaza area permeable while framing lush perennial garden views from the interior workshops.
The planting within the gardens evokes the California riparian meadow ecology, creating a resilient stormwater landscape.
Grasses make up the foundation planting, with ornamental perennial drift accents showcasing seasonal interest.
The paving pattern further reinforces this with an ombré pattern that weaves organically through the garden, connecting workspaces across the site.
Individual benches and larger amphitheater spaces punctuate the gardens and allow for places to gather—a place for makers to engage with each other and the broader design community.
Project: Hooper Street
Architects/Landscape Architects: Surfacedesign, Inc.
Design Team: Roderick Wyllie, Nick Gotthardt, and Penelope Leggett
Collaborating Architects: Pfau Long Architecture and Forge Architecture
General Contractor: DPR Construction
Client: Kilroy Realty Corporation
Photographes: Marion Brenner