San Francisco Federal Building

San Francisco Federal Building
California Modernism
California Modernism
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California Modernism
The San Francisco Federal Building is a
building designed by the architectural firm
Morphosis. It is located at 90 7th Street
Introduction
San Francisco Federal Building
on the corner of Mission and 7th Streets
in South of Market, San Francisco, as a
replacement for the previous building at
450 Golden Gate Avenue. Thom Mayne of
Morphosis designed the building using a
concept of “resistance,” juxtaposing gray
concrete walls with custom, zig-zagged
9Wood wood ceilings. The building was
expected to be completed in 2005, but
construction issues and delays pushed the
project completion to 2007. The building
has 18 floors of office space and stands 234
feet (71 m) tall.
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California Modernism
Federal office building with offices for the
Department of Health and Human Services,
Social Security Administration, Department of State, Department of Labor, and
the Department of Agriculture. Additional
program includes a conference / community center, day care, fitness center, public
sky lobby, public plaza, and café.
About
San Francisco Federal Building
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California Modernism
A dramatic example of sustainable design
principles, the San Francisco Federal
Sustainability
San Francisco Federal Building
Building’s shape and orientation maximize natural airflow for cooling and
ventilation, and take advantage of natural daylight for the majority of the office
interior. These features, combined with
a number of other energy-saving elements, significantly reduce overall energy
consumption compared to conventional
commercial office buildings in the United
States.
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California Modernism
This image is protected by copyright and
other intellectual property rights under
international conventions. This image may
North Facade
San Francisco Federal Building
not be used or reproduced without seeking permission from Morphosis Architects
or the Photographer, Artist, or Institution
indicated in the image details provided.
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California Modernism
Climate Control
San Francisco Federal Building
The building is best understood as a hybrid
that includes different space conditioning
strategies appropriate for different locations in the building. The first five levels,
with high concentrations of people and
equipment, are fully air-conditioned. Above
the fifth floor, the windows automatically adjust, allowing fresh air directly into
the building for natural ventilation and
free cooling. The window system creates
a “living skin” that allows the building to
breathe. Breezes pass through openings
on the windward side and are vented out
through the leeward wall, with control
based on wind speed and direction.
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California Modernism
Lighting is typically the largest energy cost
for an office building, representing up to 40
percent of a facility’s total energy load. The
new San Francisco Federal Building’s lighting strategies improve the workplace and
are a critical facet of this project’s sustainable design. Approximately 85 percent of
Electrical
San Francisco Federal Building
the workspace is illuminated with natural
light.
Ambient light, the general illumination in
an office, comes from sunlight channeled
through the windows and reflected off
walls and ceilings to extend its reach with
minimum glare and intensity. With an average overall ceiling height in the tower of 13
feet, natural daylight will penetrate deep
into work spaces. Powered lights are also
provided to supplement the natural light.
Through simple sensors.
San Francisco Federal Building
Design by Pollick