1450 Owens

1450 Owens occupies the last buildable commercial development parcel
within the Mission Bay redevelopment neighborhood on San Francisco’s
east side. The site is located at the western edge of the district adjacent to
the I-280 viaduct and Caltrain commuter rail line.
The building’s form responds to the dynamics surrounding the site, the
constraints of the parcel shape and buildable area, and the inherent
prominence and visibility this location offers. Maximizing the particular site
shape, the design evolved from an earlier twelve story tall version (after
input from neighborhood and stakeholder groups) to the ultimate seven-
story built form. Through the design process, a strategy emerged of
‘carving out’ four corner atriums and a double-height entrance lobby within.
The massing forms a shifted stack of two-story and three-story blocks, with
east and west facades further articulated by building-width balconies and
subtle inflections at the corner atria’s inside edges. The façade’s rich
texture and pattern define the building’s expression with a curtain wall
system employing a gradient rhythm of shading fins and reveal panels. Key
metal façade elements are powder-coated in a mica paint that subtly shifts
tone and hue with the light of day. A locally-made, precast GFRC entry
portal announces entry from the landscaped plaza at the corner of Owens
Street and Nelson Rising Lane.
While the project brief demanded a responsively designed building
demonstrating architectural design excellence wherever possible, equal
attention was given to sustainable building strategies and the experience of
the occupants, from lobby to upper workspace floors.