by Zerofootprint

These five outstanding recladding projects received Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards in the first year of this innovative awards program. —Editor

355 11th Street, San Francisco

Category: Small/ Medium Commercial; also Overall Winner
Location: San Francisco, California
Developer/ Owner: Matarozzi/ Pelsinger Builders
Architects/ Engineers: Aidlin Darling Architects, Simain & Associates, CB Engineers
Date Constructed: 2009

355 11th Street, San Francisco, was built in 1912 as a warehouse for a local brewery. By 2008, the building had become derelict and an eyesore, but was protected from demolition because of its historical significance.

When green building contractor Matarozzi/ Pelsinger bought the building to develop as its new headquarters, it aimed to make the building a showcase for its commitment to sustainability and its proficiency in modern building techniques. Given the generic utilitarian design and construction of the original warehouse — corrugated sheet metal nailed to a timber frame — a successful refurbishment would be applicable to tens of thousands of similar old buildings in cities around the world.

The designers, Aidlin Darling Architects, faced a challenge in reconciling the new owner's requirements of ample light and air with the City's planning constraints that stipulated no new windows and insisted that any replacement of the outer corrugated sheeting had to be "in kind" to maintain the industrial character of the building. Their solution was to fit the building with a new facade perforated with fields of small holes that allow light and air to pass through while screening out direct sunlight.

Behind this new skin, they set opening windows to allow controlled cross-ventilation of the interior. The gap between the outer facade and the inner construction acts as an insulating buffer. A green roof is planted with drought-resistant native or adapted plant species for filtering stormwater, insulating the building and decreasing the urban heat-island effect.   >>>

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A perforated metal shading system covers the upper-floor glazing of 355 11th Street in San Francisco. This solution allowed Aidlin Darling Design to meet the client's need for access to air and daylight while satisfying city planning requirements for the 1912 building, which is part of a National Register-listed brewery. Photo: Matthew Millman Extra Large Image SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE Prior to its 2008 renovation, the historic building at 355 11th Street in San Francisco, California, had suffered deterioration. Photo: © 2010 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.