Twin Peaks, San Francisco, CA

Our site conditions and resultant site strategy were strongly Influenced by the topographical conditions of the site. The extreme change in elevation greatly affects the experiential qualities of the site; producing views, creating wind and sun microclimates, and affecting the site's accessibility. Urban Stitch takes on the role of literally connecting neighborhoods by intervening to connect the grid as it meets the hill.





Site Analysis

To understand how Urban Stitch could best serve the community we looked at the demographics of the site and the city as a whole for context. We found our site is surrounded by many San Francisco schools and has an average of 200 children per census tract in the Miraloma and Glen Park neighborhoods. We also found a large percentage of the neighborhood is homeowner occupied.

These profiles lead to the development of: A geology museum to showcase the franciscan chert and teach the natural history of San Francisco to school kids. The Home Learning Center to demonstrate ecologically conscious renovations to update the aging housing stock and an annex of the San Francisco Building Department to facilitate experimentation with new building systems.



Site Plan & Programmatic Distribution
Urban Stitch connects Miraloma and Glen Park with both a staircase for direct travel and a winding ramp. The program of neighborhood services is stretched along the stair creating an active corridor between the two neighborhoods. The ramp offers a slower accent and draws into the landscape.

Module Systems


Skin as Shading Strategy: Integrated PV







Comprehensive Building Design Studio

The design process took on another layer of information as my partner and I moved from schematic design into developing the techtonic and material details.

We utilized a process of translations between formal concepts and technical considerations to informed the final scheme.





Solar Hot Water Roof & Interior Skin Detail


Cantilever Anchor


Dual Skin: Curtain Wall & Storefront Detail


Partner
Charlotte Hofstetter

Faculty
Peter Anderson
Oblio Jenkins