City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission
REGULAR CIVIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE

Monday, April 15, 2002


MEETING LOCATION

3:00 p.m.

Suite 70, Conference Room

25 Van Ness Ave.

San Francisco 94102


Explanatory documents are available for public inspection and copying at the Arts Commission office, 25 Van Ness Ave, Ste 240, during regular business hours.



Minutes

The meeting commenced at 3:10 p.m.

  1. Role Call:

    Commissioners present: William Meyer, Rod Freebairn-Smith, Barbara Stauffacher-Solomon, Andrea Cochran

    Commissioners absent: Stanlee Gatti

    Staff present: Richard Newirth, Nancy Gonchar, Jill Manton, Rommel Taylor

  2. 525 Golden Gate Ave.
    Phase 2

    Edgar Lopez, Project Manager, DPW-BOA, introduced the project and project team.

    Kristina Feller, KMD-Stevens, briefly revisits the previous design schemes and the design process.

    Commissioner Meyer explains that she should focus her presentation on design changes, if any, that have occurred since the Phase 1 approval.

    Ms. Feller explained that the revisions made by the design team focused on the southern facade and on refining the integration of the art pieces.

    David Hobstetter presented the revisions to the southern facade. He explained that the changes to the overall massing related to the architectural precedents at the civic center.

    Ryan Stevens explained that there were three primary massing strategies that related the proposed design to its context. The first was the "shoulder" which defines the articulation of the south eastern corner of the facade. The second was the "profile" which defines the curvature along the southern facade. The third was the "benches" which defines the vertical massing along the southern facade. Mr. Ryan continued to explain that these architectural strategies were used to visually connect the new building with the civic center in general and its neighbor immediately to the east.

    Myles Stevens briefly reviewed the proposed public art proposals by Ned Kahn and Anna Murch. He explained that Mr. Kahn's piece would be located inside the thermal chimney on the southern facade. The piece will be a kinetic sculpture that responds to the flow of warm are through the thermal chimney. Mr. Stevens introduced Ms Murch to describe her public art proposal

    Anna Murch explained that her idea was inspired by the diverse natural geology in the San Francisco Bay Area. She continued to explain that light, texture and color would be used to reveal the complex geological history of San Francisco. The piece would be narrative, told as one ascended the building. Ms. Murch explained that the the physical quality of the piece was still being conceived and the location will be in the campanile along the northern facade.

    Mr. Stevens added that both art pieces have and educational aspect to them. Mr. Kahn's piece reveals in a dynamic way the sustainable design idea of the thermal chimney and Ms. Murch's idea speaks about the environment that these sustainable strategies seek to protect.

    Commissioner Stauffacher-Solomon commented that she would like Ms. Murch's piece to have a tactile quality and not just be visual.

    Commissioner Meyer asked about the profile of the vertical element along the southeast facade.

    Ryan Stevens responded that it was part of the thermal chimney and that the form also aided in diverting severe wind.

    Commissioner Rod Freebairn-Smith asked if there would be a graphical interface that would help visitors understand Ms. Murch's art piece.

    Mr. Stevens responded that the Department of the Environment will probably have a permanent exhibition about the building that will include descriptions of the art pieces.

    Commissioner Cochran commented that the design was satisfactory.

    Commissioner Rod Freebairn-Smith commented that he was in support of the overall design proposal.

    Commissioner Stauffacher-Solomon commented that she was very pleased with Ms. Murch's proposal in particular and the architectural design in general.

    Commissioner Meyer commented that he is in support of most of the design proposal however still does not agree with the slant of the roof along the northern facade.

    Motion: Freebairn-Smith
    Vote:

    Yes- Rod Freebairn-Smith, Barbara Stauffacher-Solomon, Andrea Cochran
    No- William Meyer

  3. Discussion of City Wide Building Security Issues

    Rommel Taylor presented a overview of the meeting on April 11, 2002 with Stephen Shotweld and various city agency representatives.

  4. Adjournment

    Meeting was adjourned at 5:30 p.m.