American Institute of Architects San Francisco Chapter

ARCHITECTURAL TOURS

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HOME TOURS
This popular weekend showcases modernism at its finest.

ON SALE NOW!

San Francisco Living: Home Tours Weekend (2.5 LUs per day)
September 11–12, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
$60-$70 AIA Members | $75-$85 Nonmembers
Various San Francisco neighborhoods
www.aiasf.org/hometours

Sponsored by Dwell, 7x7, City CarShare, Malcolm Davis Architecture, Room & Board, San Francisco Bike Coalition

Oriental Warehouse © Bruce Damonte

The popular San Francisco Living: Home Tours features a wide variety of architectural styles, neighborhoods and distinctive San Francisco residences. Participating firms include A + D: Architecture + Design, Edmonds + Lee Architects, Interstice Architects, Kuth / Ranieri Architects, Nick Noyes Architecture, Nilus Designs, Solutions, Zack | de Vito, and others.

Bike Home Tours
$60 AIA/SFBC Members | $70 Nonmembers.

We recommend biking the Home Tours weekend. Bicyclists must purchase day-of tickets at the Home Tours Headquarters and must show up with their bicycle in order to receive the discount.

RELATED WEEKEND EVENTS

The Architect’s Forum (1.5 LUs)
September 9, 6:30 pm
Free to Home Tours Participants | $20 Nonparticipants
Autodesk Gallery, One Market, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Sponsored by Dwell and Autodesk

Mission Residence © Cesar Rubio

During this educational panel and cocktail reception, tour participants will learn more about the design, construction and overall costs related to the homes showcased during the weekend.

Lunch with the Editors of Dwell
September 10, 12:00 pm
$50 General Admission. Lunch included.
All proceeds benefit the Center for Architecture + Design.
Location: Miele - Sobel Design Building, 680 8th Street, Suite 169-C, San Francisco

Sponsored by Dwell

This is an exciting opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the award-winning design magazine. Meet your favorite editors and hear the back-story behind the articles and homes featured in the publication.

HOME TOURS HEADQUARTERS & EVENTS AT THE HEADQUARTERS

Home Tours Headquarters
September 11–12, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Stable, 2128 Folsom Street, San Francisco

Sponsored by GFDS Engineers

© Bruce Damonte

Built on what was once the site of the mayor’s carriage house in the 1800s, this year’s Home Tours Headquarters, Stable, maintains the unique character of its original structure with updated modern elements. Revived by Malcolm Davis Architecture, the building is now home to Malcolm’s architectural practice, several small business offices and an apartment. The old carriage space below is a storefront for Stable Café, Mission Creek Kitchen and a gallery space, The Stable Salon.

At the Home Tours Headquarters, you can purchase day-of tickets or pick up will-call tickets, tour the new Stable Café and collective spaces.

Talk to an Architect
September 11–12, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Stable, 2128 Folsom Street, San Francisco

© William Sugitan

Hosted by the AIA San Francisco Small Business Committee, these complimentary discussions offer home tours participants one-on-one conversations with local architects who can shed light on the industry, the benefits of working with an architect, and the design process. You are encouraged to bring questions about project ideas, how to work with an architect, or general architectural topics.

San Francisco Living Exhibition
September 11–12, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Stable, 2128 Folsom Street, San Francisco

© William Sugitan

Throughout the weekend, participants can learn more about the unique residences on the 2010 home tours in this exhibition showcasing the participating firms.

Cocktail Reception
September 11, 4:00 pm
Free to Home Tours Participants
Stable, 2128 Folsom Street, San Francisco

Sponsored by Dwell

© Melanie McGraw

After enjoying the first day of the San Francisco Living: Home Tours weekend, join AIA San Francisco and Dwell for Saturday afternoon cocktails, music and conversation.

BEHIND THE SCENES TOURS
Immerse yourself in an array of San Francisco’s hidden gems—everything from historic buildings and emerging neighborhoods to glimpses of the city beneath the city.

San Francisco’s Old Mint (2 HSWs)
September 3, 11:00 am
$20 AIA Members | $30 Nonmembers
Tour start point: 88 Fifth Street, San Francisco

Sponsored by the Mint Project with Arup, HOK and Page & Turnbull

San Francisco’s Old Mint was built in 1874 and is one of the most important National Historic Landmarks in our region. It withstood the 1906 earthquake and played an important role in San Francisco’s recovery and growth until the 1930s. For decades it has sat idle and in desperate need of restoration and repurposing. The Mint Project will create a major new museum to tell the stories of the people who have shaped San Francisco and the Bay Area and to explore their continuing influence on our community, our nation and the world. The restoration of the Mint provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate sustainable design in a public setting and be a model for the conversion of existing buildings and historic landmark structures.

Tour led by Deborah Frieden of the Mint Project, Cole Roberts of Arup, Paul Woolford of HOK and Carolyn Kiernat of Page & Turnbull.

A New Neighborhood in a National Park (2 SDs)
September 17, 11:00 am
$20 AIA SF Members | $30 Nonmembers
Tour start point: 1801 Wedemeyer Street, San Francisco
(Enter the Presidio at 15th Avenue and Lake Street.)

Sponsored by Perkins + Will and Forest City

Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Richmond neighborhood in the Presidio National Park, the historic Public Health Service District has been transformed into San Francisco’s newest and most environmentally forward neighborhood. This behindthe- scenes tour will examine the layers of history and ecological systems that informed the neighborhood’s planning and landscape design, and will look at how innovative sustainable site features, biking and hiking trails, overlooks and interpretive elements were integrated into a National Historic Landmark district. The tour will visit historic and new buildings, including the main historic building, now remade as The Presidio Landmark, a LEED Gold multifamily residential building with 154 apartments offering residents a unique combination of history, natural beauty and breathtaking views of the city, ocean and park and a new LEED Platinum townhouse building that features state-of-theart environmental control and display systems.

Tour led by Andrew Wolfram of Perkins + Will and Elliot Sun of The Presidio Landmark/Forest City.

Oliver Ranch (1.5 LUs) SOLD OUT!
September 17, 4:00 pm
$75 AIA Members | $100 Nonmembers
Tour includes shuttle service and lite snacks.
Complete details will be provided upon ticket purchase.
Tour limited and expected to sell out.
All proceeds benefit the Center for Architecture + Design.

© Alex Fradkin

Located in the heart of Sonoma County, 70 miles north of San Francisco, and known internationally for its wineries and scenic pleasures, the Oliver Ranch is home to 18 remarkable site-specific installations; the most recent of which is Ann Hamilton’s The Tower where commissioned dance, poetry, theatre, and music performances take place. The picturesque, 100-acre property was originally bought by Steve and Nancy Oliver in 1981 to graze a few extra sheep—or, as Steve Oliver says, “My daughter’s 4-H project gone bad.” The ranch’s evolution from exiled sheep quarters to world-renowned sculpture ranch was gradual and organic, a natural convergence of the Olivers’ longstanding passion for art and deep connection to the land.

Artists and architects represented at the Oliver Ranch include, Andy Goldsworthy, Ann Hamilton, Jim Jennings, Dennis Leon, Jim Melchert, Bruce Nauman, Martin Puryear, David Rabinowitch, Fred Sandback, and Richard Serra, among others.

Tour length is 2-3 hours and covers 2.5 miles. Due to the nature of the site, the tour is not ADA accessible.

Modern Architecture Hill Climb: Bicycle Ride (2 LUs)
September 18, 11:00 am
$55 AIA SF/SFBC Members | $75 Nonmembers (Includes $45 SFBC Membership)
Tour start point: Justin Herman Plaza (Next to Vaillancourt Fountain), San Francisco

Sponsored by David Baker + Partners, Architects

© David Baker + Partners, Architects

Gear up and join architects David Baker and Robin Levitt and planner Rob Bregoff for a guided ride past some of the city’s most spectacular post-earthquake homes. The tour will focus on notable modern residential architecture outside of San Francisco’s downtown core and will cover 15 miles, including steep hills. It will look at works by Second Bay Area Tradition architects and contemporaries, including buildings by Richard Neutra, William Wurster, Gardner Dailey, Henry Hill, and Anshen + Allen. Part of a rich architectural tradition, these buildings are also a feature of our everyday landscape. Viewing these houses through the focused lens of local architects and planners, our daily city becomes a richer, more revealed place.

Total tour time is four hours. Ride will cover 15 miles, including hilly terrain. Riders must provide their own bicycle (low gearing recommended), lock, and sufficient water, and must wear comfortable clothing with layers and a helmet. Riders will be provided with a route map, a reflective limited-edition laminated spoke card for their bicycle wheel, a souvenir T-shirt and a small snack. The tour will stop for lunch: Please bring your own lunch or cash for an inexpensive lunch purchase.

Tour led by architects David Baker, FAIA, and Robin Levitt and planner Rob Bregoff.

Run the Rise (1 LU)
September 19, 9:00 am
$20 AIA Members | $30 Nonmembers
Tour start point: AIA San Francisco, 130 Sutter Street, San Francisco
Run 6 miles long. Pace 12-minute mile. Total running time 75 minutes.

© Bruce Damonte

Grab your running shoes for a time traveler run that visits the past, present and future shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. Starting in the financial district, the run will head south along the Mission Creek Watershed, a natural predictor of the line of the 2030 flood plain. You will explore places where the water below reaches the sidewalk above, where canals are lined with house boats, all the while listening for the red winged black birds that are always there—a sign that the wetlands are closer than you might expect. Passing the sites of future and present pump stations, the run will trace the trajectory of Mission Creek, passing through marshlands now buried in asphalt and the sheltered valley near the fresh water of Laguna Dolores, before arriving at Mission Dolores, the head of the creek.

Tour led by Donna Schumacher of X: architecture/ART.

Oceanside Treatment Plant and Master Plan (2 LUs)
September 24, 1:00 pm
$30 AIA Members | $40 Nonmembers
Tour start point: 3500 Great Highway, San Francisco

Sponsored by Green Design Furniture

© SFPUC

This comprehensive tour led by Karen Hurst and Tommy Moala explores the various phases of wastewater treatment at this state-of-the-art facility located near the San Francisco Zoo. Following the tour, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Engineer, Karen Kubick, will give a brief overview of the Wastewater Master Plan process used to upgrade the aging citywide facilities.

Tour is a companion program of the Water for a Sustainable City exhibition, on display through October 29 in the AIA San Francisco | Center for Architecture + Design Gallery. See Exhibitions page for details.

FOOD TOURS
Celebrate San Francisco’s culinary richness by embarking on unique tasting experiences throughout the city with local experts and designers.

Click here to read about the Food Tours.

WALKING TOURS
On these weekly tours, explore San Francisco as only a pedestrian can– with all of your senses.

The Urban Imagination: Transient Passages through Varied Ambiances (2 LUs)
September 7, 3:00–5:00 pm
$15 AIA Members | $25 Nonmembers
Tour start point: Ferry Building, One Ferry Building, San Francisco

Although San Francisco is regarded as one of the most walkable cities in the country, miles upon miles are devoted solely to the automobile and the pedestrian is relegated to the edge of the street. There is a hidden network of pedestrian centric paths throughout the city and especially in the downtown area where cars are not allowed or cannot possibly go. This program will explore those paths and how they contribute to and improve the public realm. These paths drift through buildings, climb stairs, explore alleys and are open to interpretation and chance. The Urban Imagination tour invites you to explore and discover new passages.

Tour led by Matthew Baker of Architecture for Humanity, San Francisco Chapter.

Pavement to Parks: The Evolution of Public Space (2 LUs)
September 14, 3:00–5:00 pm
$15 AIA Members | $25 Nonmembers
Tour start point: 23rd & Harrison Street Park (Southeast Corner), San Francisco

This tour, showcasing examples of the city’s best pocket parks, pedestrian alleyways and one of the newest Pavement to Parks projects, highlights the growing efforts to take back city streets for public use. It begins at 23rd & Harrison Street, the site of a thriving pocket park designed by local architect Jane Martin, principal of Shift Design Studio and founder of Plant*SF. The walk continues to the home office of Urban Interstice Gallery, former studio of Interstice Architects, where principals Andrew Dunbar and Zoee Astrakhan have staged the exhibition “Public Networks of Urban Access,” which showcases the emerging network of pedestrian access and pedestrian-centered environments that have been designed, built and improved upon in the last two decades in San Francisco. The tour concludes at the new Guerrero Park, one of the latest Pavement to Park’s projects where Jane Martin designed a contemporary interpretation of a sylvan landscape—connecting to the history in San Francisco by use of trees felled from the 1870s initial planting of Golden Gate Park—to create a botanical garden of 60 climate-adapted and native species.

Tour led by Jane Martin of Shift Design Studio and Andrew Dunbar and Zoee Astrakhan of Interstice Architects.

Alleyways of San Francisco: A Pedestrian Experience (2 LUs)
September 21, 3:00–5:00 pm
$15 AIA Members | $25 Nonmembers
Tour start point: Gold Alley (corner of Montgomery Street) in Jackson Square, San Francisco

Walk off the beaten path in San Francisco’s retail and financial districts to explore the history of the small and often overlooked—but not anonymous—alleys. Once providing alternate transportation and utilities they have become privatized and vacated as targets of redevelopment, they are now once again becoming a focus of pedestrian improvements. Layered with colorful history, they are as relevant today as they were in the past, supporting upscale shopping and outdoor dining. Find out how and what San Francisco is doing to redesign alleys as places for people, giving pedestrians priority and accommodating outdoor dining, furniture and landscaping to encourage and reutilize these hidden gems to augment civic life.

Tour led by David Winslow of Linden Living Alley.

San Francisco Soundscapes (2 LUs)
September 28, 3:00–5:00 pm
$15 AIA Members | $25 Nonmembers
Tour start point: Shen Milsom & Wilke, 33 New Montgomery St., 10th Floor, San Francisco

Sponsored by Shen Milsom & Wilke LLC, LogiSon, and Wenger Corporation

The term “soundscape” is similar to “landscape”, but deals with the auditory senses. One’s perspective of a city’s soundscape is in part dependent on the listener’s viewpoint and how aware they are to the sounds around them. Sounds emanate from people, animals, mechanical and industrial equipment, and transportation systems. Some sounds are pleasant and useful; some sounds are noisy and detrimental. Where and how do we achieve privacy and freedom from distracting noises? How can we manage to achieve a level of calm and quiet within the hectic din of the city’s soundscape environment? On this walk, you will experience the sights and sounds of downtown San Francisco as you never have before.

Tour led by Dennis Paoletti, FAIA, FASA, of Shen Milsom & Wilke.

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