American Institute of Architects San Francisco Chapter

ARCHITECTURAL TOURS

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HOME TOURS
This popular weekend showcases modernism at its finest.

San Francisco Living: Home Tours Weekend (2.5 LUs per day)
September 17–18, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
$60-$70 AIA Members | $75-$85 General Admission
Various San Francisco neighborhoods
www.aiasf.org/hometours

Sponsored by California Home + Design, CaesarStone, and Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders

Congo Street © MaK Studio

This popular weekend showcases modernism at its finest and features a wide variety of architectural styles, neighborhoods and distinctive San Francisco residences. Projects are showcased with the designer(s) via an open house format, and tour participants have the opportunity to see some of the city’s latest residential projects from the inside out, meet design teams, explore housing trends, and discover design solutions that inspire unique San Francisco living.

Participating firms include: Addison Strong Design Studio, Andy Rodgers Design Studio, Feldman Architecture, H+H Creative, John Lum Architecture, John Maniscalco Architecture, Kennerly Architecture and Planning, Kwan Henmi Architecture Planning in collaboration with Fougeron Architecture, MaK Studio, and Studio 12 Architecture.

Bike Home Tours
Bicycle tickets: $55 AIA Members | $70 General Admission

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

RELATED HOME TOURS EVENTS

The Architects' Forum (1.5 LUs)
September 15, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Free to Home Tours participants
$20 General Admission
BTicino, 111 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco

Supported by California Home + Design and BTicino

During this educational panel discussion, participants will learn more about the design and construction of each residence showcased during the weekend, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the unique relationship between architect and client, as they navigate the design process.

Electric Ink: Attracting Attention in the New World of Publishing
September 14, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
$35 General Admission. Lunch included.
Location: Chronicle Books Corporate Headquarters, 680 Second Street, San Francisco

Supported by California Home + Design

There have never been more ways and places to have your work published, yet it's increasingly difficult to find the right venue. Print or online? Blog or digital issue? Is it possible to be published on paper and online? This panel - moderated by Erin Feher, Executive Editor of California Home + Design and comprised of the editors everyone is targeting - will be sure to answer those questions and more. Join us as we navigate the ever-changing terrain of the new media world.
The conversation will take place at the corporate headquarters of Chronicle Books, housed in a historic 1920's building in South Beach. Renovated by Mark Cavagnero Associates, the office features new meeting rooms, a library and an open cafe area, and supports the organization's democratic values with ample communal space and areas for both private and collaborative work.

Confirmed panelists:
Erin Feher, Executive Editor, CH+D
Lydia Lee, California Editor, Architect's Newspaper
Julie Carlson, Editor-in-Chief, Remodelista
Bridget Watson Payne, Editor, Art + Design, Chronicle Books

A note on Public Transportation: because of a mid-day Giants game on the 14th, we advise you take public transportation to this event. Chronicle can be reached conveniently by the 3rd Street T Line Muni, the N Judah Muni, or the 10 Townsend.

HOME TOURS HEADQUARTERS & EVENTS AT THE HEADQUARTERS

Home Tours Headquarters
September 17–18, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
B&B Italia, 2211 Alameda Street, San Francisco
Sponsored by California Home + Design, B&B Italia, CaesarStone, and Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders

© Brandon McGanty

Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Design District, the 8,000 square foot B&B Italia showroom is the headquarters location of this year’s San Francisco Living: Home Tours. A world renowned industry leader of contemporary home and outdoor furnishings, B&B Italia collaborates with international designers creating modern, yet timeless, pieces of furniture that also reflect the history and achievements of Italian design. At the Home Tours headquarters, you can purchase Home Tours day-of tickets or pick up will-call tickets and learn more about B&B Italia’s unique products.

Working with an Architect
September 17–18, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
B&B Italia, 2211 Alameda Street, San Francisco

© William Sugitan

Whether imagining a new bathroom or a new home, talking to an architect is a great way to start the process. Members of AIA San Francisco’s Small Firms Committee invite you to stop by to discuss your ideas. No appointment necessary, drop ins welcome.

San Francisco Living Exhibition
September 17–18, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
B&B Italia, 2211 Alameda Street, San Francisco

© William Sugitan

Throughout the weekend, participants can learn more about the unique residences on the 2011 home tours in this exhibition showcasing the participating firms.

Cocktail Reception
September 17, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Free to Home Tours Participants | $10 General Admission
B&B Italia, 2211 Alameda Street, San Francisco

Supported by California Home + Design and B%B Italia

After enjoying the first day of the San Francisco Living: Home Tours weekend, join AIA San Francisco and California Home + Design for Saturday afternoon cocktails 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.

City on the Edge: A Sail Along San Francisco’s Changing Waterfront (2 LUs)
SOLD OUT
September 2, 4:00 - 6:30 pm
$40 AIA Members | $50 General Admission
Tour start point: Port of San Francisco, Pier 1, The Embarcadero, San Francisco

© Port of San Francisco

Over the last thirty years, as the City’s downtown grew towards the water’s edge, new uses have established themselves in previously industrial areas along the Embarcadero. Today, the Port of San Francisco oversees a myriad of maritime, commercial and public activities. Join Dan Hodapp, Senior Waterfront Planner of the Port of San Francisco, and Bonnie Fisher, principal of Roma Design Group, to see how San Francisco’s historic northern waterfront is being transformed into a series of connected public places and public spaces. Following a presentation at the Port of San Francisco, participants will board the Ruby and sail along the waterfront to further understand the evolution of our City’s shore.

Tour led by Dan Hodapp of the Port of San Francisco and Bonnie Fisher of Roma Design Group.

Building Community:
Partnerships in Public Design (2 LUs)
September 7, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
$20 AIA Members | $30 General Admission
Tour start point: The Hayes Valley Clubhouse
(Corner of Hayes and Buchanan Streets, San Francisco)

© Ken Gutmaker

A gathering space for the residents and youth of this inner city neighborhood, the Hayes Valley Playground and Clubhouse was revitalized through an extensive and novel community outreach process. Working together with a broad coalition of public organizations, nonprofit groups, private donors, business partners and local residents, the Trust for Public Land helped coordinate the successful completion of the Hayes Valley Playground. The project includes a new 2,500 square foot clubhouse with living roof, denim insulation and solar panels. Designed by WRNS in connection with Public Architecture’s 1% Program, the new site also features drought tolerant landscaping, innovative play structures and an outdoor fitness area, stage and public garden. Reopened in June, the park is already well integrated into the neighborhood.

Tour led by Brian Millman of WRNS, Alejandra Chiesa of the Trust for Public Land, Jake Gilchrist of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and Jim Warshell of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association.

EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park: Green Buildings Embodying Environmental Justice Inside and Out (2 SDs)
September 16, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
$20 AIA Members | $30 General Admission
Tour start point: 32 Jennings Street (cross street is Cargo Way)

© Literacy for Environmental Justice

Located in the industrial area of Bayview Hunters Point, the EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park is the first environmental education facility in southeast San Francisco and the city’s first 100 percent “off-the-grid” building. Featuring an on-site wastewater treatment system, rainwater storage, a living roof, an off-grid solar array, and a range of environmentally-friendly land management solutions, the EcoCenter stands as a working model of the potential of sustainable design. The tour will highlight how green systems are used as an educational tool for Literacy for Environmental Justice’s youth programming and how environmental justice issues in Bayview Hunters Point informed the design and decision-making of this community resource.

Tour led by Tracy Zhu of Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ), Toby Long, AIA of Toby Long Design and other key members of the design, contracting and installation teams.

City College of San Francisco North Beach, Chinatown Campus (2 LUs)
September 21, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Hard Hat tour | $20 AIA Members only
Tour start point: Lend Lease Field Office, Colombo Building, 620 Washington Street, San Francisco

Sponsored by EHDD Architecture and Lend Lease

© EHDD Architecture

The new CCSF North Beach, Chinatown campus, due for completion in Spring 2012, comprises two buildings in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. One is a 14 story vertical campus with a varied academic program including science labs, classrooms, faculty offices, and library. The other is a four story building which incorporates a new auditorium, culinary program, and café. The complex design program includes a unitized curtain wall, light shelf façade, and glass mural artwork.

Tour led by Andrew Sohn, AIA and Jennifer Devlin, AIA of EHDD Architecture.

Behind the Scenes at the Marine Mammal Center (2 LUs)
September 24, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
$20 AIA Members | $30 General Admission
Tour start point: 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito

© David Wakely

The Marine Mammal Center is a nonprofit veterinary research hospital and educational center dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of ill and injured marine mammals. In 2009, the center opened a new facility in its original location in the Marin Headlands, a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The transformation offers vastly improved resources to care for and study marine mammals, a more collaborative work environment for staff and volunteers, and public exhibits and hospital viewing that tell the story of the Center’s work–all in a green-inspired facility.

Tour led by Tad Costerison, AIA of Noll and Tam Architects and The Marine Mammal Center’s Life Support and Facilities staff.

(Re)discover the New Bay Bridge (2 HSWs)
September 27, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
$65 AIA Members | $75 General Admission
Tour start point: Gate E, ~~Gate B~~, Ferry Building, San Francisco (just South of the Ferry Building)
Image of GATE E Location

Decades in the making, the rising of the East Span of the Bay Bridge draws awe and wonder. This guided boat tour allows participants a unique view of the construction progress to date. Participants will learn about the process of designing a signature bridge in a highly sensitive ecological environment, focusing on the design competition, design process, and relationship between designers and the Design Advisory Panel.

Tour led by Donald MacDonald, FAIA of Donald MacDonald Architects, Jeffrey Heller, FAIA of Heller Manus and Jordona Jackson of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Seismic Safety Projects.

Tour suitable for 12 years and older (Must have a ticket and be accompanied by adult.)
Boat provided by Red and White Fleet.

Pier 24: The Art of Transformation (1 HSW)
September 29, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
$20 AIA Members | $30 General Admission
Tour start point: Pier 24, The Embarcadero, San Francisco
SOLD OUT

An innovative adaptive reuse of a dilapidated, long-abandoned historic warehouse for public use, Pier 24 is part of the ongoing reinvention and transformation of the city’s outmoded port infrastructure. Converted into an “active storage” and display space, Pier 24 is currently the largest space of its kind dedicated to photography in the United States. Uncover the history, challenges and rehabilitation efforts behind Pier 24’s renovation during this guided tour of the revived space. The Pilara Foundation will also introduce the photography collection, explain why they chose the site, and describe the building’s current uses.

Tour led by Mike Buhler of San Francisco Architectural Heritage, Jay Turnbull, FAIA and Elisa Skaggs, Assoc. AIA of Page and Turnbull, Chris McCall of the Pilara Foundation and Simon Snellgrove of Waterfront Partners.

FOOD TOURS

tour, talk, taste
Food and design in the City

Celebrate San Francisco’s diverse design talent and culinary richness as we explore the intersection of design, craft and the local food movement with local experts and designers.

Click here to read about the programs of these featured restaurants.
Bar Agricole: Craft top to Bottom: Art, Building and Food (2 LUs), September 10
Local: Mission Eatery - Promoting Community through Food, September 25
Twenty Five Lusk: Raw + Refined (2 LUs), September 27
POSTPONED: Farina: Assembling a Culinary Heritage (2 LUs), September 30

WALKING TOURS
On these weekly tours, use all your senses to explore San Francisco’s pedestrian streets – as well as their evolution and tradition – as only a pedestrian can.

Then and Now - Pier 70 (1 HSW)
SOLD OUT!
September 9, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
$20 AIA Members | $30 General Admission
Tour start point: Corner of 20th & Illinois Streets

Sponsored by Plant Construction Co.

Join us for an intimate look at San Francisco’s industrial past as we explore Pier 70. This tour will look at the site’s history as a shipyard, its importance in the development of steel shipbuilding in the United States, as well as its role in two World Wars. Preservation and future reuse of what one authority called “one of the most intact 19th century industrial complexes west of the Mississippi River” will also be discussed.

Tour led by Nancy Goldenberg of Carey & Co. and neighborhood historian Ralph Wilson.

Dogpatch Neighborhood Walk (1 LU)
September 9, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Free, registration required.
Tour start point: Outside of Dogpatch Saloon, 2496 3rd Street, San Francisco
SOLD OUT

Designated as a San Francisco Historic District, the Dogpatch is a colorful new neighborhood with important ties to many of the city’s past commercial industries. Join neighborhood historian Natalie Wisniewski and architect E.B. Min for a tour that highlights the historic working class cottages and industrial age relics to the current proliferation of ultra-modern lofts. Together we will explore the past and present of this surprising, eclectic neighborhood in transition.

Tour led by E.B. Min, AIA of Min | Day and neighborhood historian Natalie Wisniewski of SF City Guides.

Tour given in partnership with San Francisco City Guides, providing free walking tours of San Francisco every day of the year (www.sfcityguides.org).

Redefining SOMA (2 LUs)
September 13, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
$20 AIA Members | $30 General Admission
Tour start point: 101 Second Street, San Francisco

© John King

Join San Francisco Chronicle Urban Design Critic John King on an exploration of downtown’s most interesting new landscape: the blocks between Yerba Buena Garden and the Embarcadero. It’s where office towers have sprouted and where art students smoke cigarettes outside historic buildings, where alleys are embracing cultural life and where the new Transbay Terminal is taking shape. This tour will include highlights and lowlights, and includes stops at several buildings featured in King’s new book from Heyday, “Cityscapes: San Francisco and Its Buildings.”

Tour led by John King of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Acoustic Wayfinding for the Blind (2 MCE/HSWs)
September 20, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
$40 AIA Members | $50 General Admission
Tour start point: Arup, 560 Mission Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco

Sponsored by ARUP

To successfully navigate around the city and through buildings, the blind and visuallyimpaired largely rely on the recognition of particular sounds or soundscapes which can be associated with a site or location within a building. Christopher Downey, an architect who lost his sight in 2008, will lead a tour detailing the experience of how the blind navigate streets and buildings and explain the challenges they encounter. Joshua Cushner of Arup will lead a discussion on key design principles and concepts used to create acoustic markers in buildings and outdoor environments. Attendees will then be grouped in teams to develop plans and strategies for implementing an Acoustic Wayfinding system for a particular building. The evening concludes with a discussion to share findings, generate ideas, analyze potential barriers and assess acoustic wayfindings’ overall relationship to universal design principles.

Program led by Christopher Downey, AIA and Joshua Cushner of Arup.

Need more information? Contact us here.