Building 12

2024 Design Awards Honor Recipient

Built in 1941, Historic Building 12 was transformed into the beacon of the future Pier 70 site and the heart and soul of the neighborhood. The renovation of Building 12 was envisioned as a vibrant community gathering and event space that is integral and connected to the landscape and overall site offering spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and the city. The design of Building 12 welcomes visitors to the grand market hall via three colossal red portals and fully operable window walls along key facades to provide maximum porosity between the interior market hall and the surrounding pedestrian plazas and streets. While the ground floor and new mezzanine are open to the public, the new second level will house artisan and maker studios and the former Mold Loft on the upper floor is designed for workplace. Building 12 is intended to be a celebration of local making that engages the public in the act of manufacturing.

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Exceptional adaptive reuse of a building: the use of the structure, the beautiful execution, the interior spaces. The jury admires the elevation of an old industrial building with new uses that are really very beautiful. The tactic for this architect, which is an appropriate one, was to do no harm to what you find.

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Measure 1: Design for Integration

To adapt to projected 100-year sea-level rise and to ensure the future resilience of this project, the historic 120,000 gsf Building 12 and the adjacent Building 15 frame were lifted 10’-0” above current ground level. Landscaped site work and the surrounding streets were brought up to the new first-floor level of Building 12 with a new parking area installed beneath the lifted first floor. This effort involved 19 months of planning and 14 months of construction, and included temporary steel bracing, over 1 mile of steel cable bracing and 136 hydraulic jacks. The building was lifted in 6-inch increments until achieving the full 10′ height. An additional project challenge came with translating this steel shed structure into a high-performing building with modern uses. Using THERM analysis to develop the wall assembly along with radiant floor heating in the market hall, a new high-performing curtain wall system, all-electric HVAC, all LED lighting and low-flow fixtures we were able to exceed today’s efficiency expectations for historic renovations. By adaptively reusing Building 12 and providing smart and sustainable upgrades we have diverted waste from landfills and increased the lifespan of this historic resource while preserving a local sense of place.

Measure 2: Design for Equitable Communities

As the first public building to open on Pier 70 neighborhood, Building 12 has been called the heart and soul of the new neighborhood. As a Maker’s Market Hall and Maker Space, Building 12 will serve the community as a thriving creative hub that provides a venue for the very local act of making. The scale of the main hall along with the public program provides space for a number of different types of events to occur that welcome the community and encourage people to mingle and interact– to share thoughts and ideas through the art of making.

Measure 3: Design for Ecosystems

While landscape design was not part of the project scope, we did work with the Pier 70 horizontal team to strategically open up the facade at ground level to engage with the surrounding site. The new Building 12 is envisioned as an extension of the city street and surrounding parks. At the main approaches to the building, we designed massive red entry portals with huge 20′ tall folding doors that announce the main entrances to the Market Hall. We also provided secondary window wall openings on the three main facades, essentially letting the outside in and vice versa.

Measure 4: Design for Water

The deisgn team planned for a variety of uses in the Market Hall, including aerial dance and other performances, large public and private events, and typical daily use. To support these different functions, the furniture is designed to be mobile so that it can easily be stowed away for large events. Areas at the 1st and 2nd levels have been designed to accommodate PDR, retail or office uses and services have been provided to support those different functions. In key areas within the 1st level tenant spaces, we increased the structural capacity to support mezzanines, if needed by the tenants.

Measure 5: Design for Economy

Textured concrete, tile, and steel screens on the ground level can hold up to the challenges of the urban site, while providing visual interest through color, scale, and texture. The locally sourced tile—in colors inspired by the neighborhood’s heritage—is a durable material that doesn’t fade and is easy to clean and graffiti- and water-resistant. The premium tile material is used judiciously, while the majority of the building is clad in economical, and highly durable fiber-cement siding.

Measure 6: Design for Energy

Building 12 is operationally all electric, setting a precedent for decarbonized historic building renovations. Heat pumps provide heating hot water to a radiant slab, which combined with natural ventilation and the R-17 wall assembly (well beyond what is required for a historic retrofit) keeps the space comfortable year round while using very little energy. The same heat pumps provide heating to the second floor maker’s spaces, while the third floor offices are designed to be heated and cooled by a variable refrigerant flow system. By eliminate fossil fuels for heating and procuring 100% renewable energy this project is operationally carbon-free.

Measure 7: Design for Well-Being

In this project, we prioritized health and wellness for indoor air quality and thermal comfort. Carbon filters can be used in the mechanical system during wildfires. The building is naturally ventillated when possible. We also have a decentralized HVAC system, which allows for better thermal comfort and control based on the need of the different uses and spaces in the project.

Measure 8: Design for Resources

This project reused about 90% of the existing structural steel and corrugated siding. Where time had damaged the exterior siding beyond our ability to reuse it, we salvaged similar corrugated siding from other buildings on the Pier 70 that were slated for demolition. This siding was stored, catalogued and eventually used on Building 12. To avoid a patchwork appearance, care was taken to locate salvaged siding panels to match the weathering of the adjacent panels on Building 12. The existing secondary structure is wood. Here too we reused all wood that wasn’t damaged beyond repair.

Measure 9: Design for Change

To address sea level rise the entire 120,000 gsf Building 12 along with Building 15 were lifted 10′ to allow for the changes in the extreme tide at the building site. Working closely with an expert team of engineers and lifting contractors,the design and construction documentation phases involved a constant negotiation between the constraints and tolerances needed for the building lift and the desire to maintain the historic integrity of the building alongside our new and precise architectural interventions. All levels are also designed for maximum flexibility with strategically located services that allow for many different future tenant demising configurations.

Measure 10: Design for Discovery

The majority of the space has not yet been leased, but portions are owner occupied. After occupancy, members of the architecture and engineering teams conducted site walks with the owner to assess the success of design and engineering efforts. Additionally the design team created the Tenant Design Guidelines for future tenants to communicate which LEED points were achieved and how the building can assist in their pursuit of LEED ID+C Certification. Our new design element — the floating mezzanine, the grand stair, the 2nd level catwalks– invite visitors to engage with and explore Building 12 from different vantage points.