Monthly Archives: February 2012

SFMTA Central Subway Chinatown Station

Construction for this new station will require the deepest building excavation ever in the City of San Francisco in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhood.

 

Customized Solution

  • The new, 100,000 s.f. Chinatown Subway Station will extend Muni-light rail service from South of Market to Chinatown. The station includes a mined cavern with a platform for trains, as well as the concrete station structure that extends 100 feet below ground. The project includes retail at the street level and is being designed for future rooftop vertical development opportunities.
  • Perhaps the greatest challenge was minimizing obstruction to traffic above during all phases of construction. The fast construction schedule also required a complicated design solution with a bottom-up construction approach.
  • Underground construction required minimizing ground settlement in order to maintain the foundations of numerous existing historic structures above despite the massive volume of the excavation.
  • For current construction updates, please visit the Central Subway Chinatown Blog.

Santa Clara University Leavey Events Center

A university arena that was intended to be utilized for both sports and events/conferences required a deep understanding of the project.

 

Customized Solution

  • The SCU arena is primarily used for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams but is also utilized for conferences and other large events. The project included the renovation of the existing building shell structure including a new roof and window walls. Also included was a major expansion of a new, 50,000 s.f., three-story space for offices. New fixed bleachers, executive suites, locker rooms, and conference rooms were among other architectural improvements.
  • The second phase was highlighted by a complete reconstruction of the east side of the building which created athletic department offices, a weight room, an academic center, team rooms, a video control room, new upper-level seating, and a suite that overlooks the court – a 43,000 s.f. addition spanning four-stories of the University’s 28-year-old sports complex.

Santa Clara University Harrington Learning Center, Sobrato Technology Center, & Orradre Library

This new 194,000 s.f. academic facility was designed for students and staff to collaborate, learn, and teach in this innovative, intellectual heart of the Santa Clara campus.

 

Customized Solution

  •  The 4-story learning center is steel framed with a combination of eccentric and concentric braced frames for seismic protection.
  • The project contains an Informational Commons space, Technology Center, cafe, and state-of-the-art library with an ASRS book retrieval system capable of storing 1,000,000 volumes on special shelving.
  • The library building is situated in the heart of the campus and its’ terra cotta, travertine, and limestone exterior complement the surrounding campus buildings, many of which are historic.
  • High and open 14′ ceilings provide ample natural lighting, while the length of the building horizontally tiers and protrudes at 90-degree angles to provide dynamic space for reading, meetings, computer labs, editing rooms, and exhibit space.