san francisco

Architectural Ornament as Urban Texture: Part 3 – Heraldry and Emblems

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 Posted in Architecture | 3 Comments »

When we look at architectural ornament of heraldry and emblems, we see things associated with the aristocracy. Over time the aristocracy of business and commerce subsumed that of humans. Companies and corporations commissioned heraldic crests emblazoned on shields, which were displayed on the buildings they owned and occupied.

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Architectural Ornament as Urban Texture: Part 2 – Animals and Birds

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 Posted in Architecture | 4 Comments »

The animals commonly depicted on buildings exemplify desirable human character traits. They are the focus in this second installment of the series Architectural Ornament in San Francisco.

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Architectural Ornament as Urban Texture: Part 1 – Human Forms

Monday, June 27th, 2011 Posted in Architecture | 5 Comments »

Modernism replaced ornament with a different vocabulary of details involving straight lines, right angles, and clean edges. Still, since we admire buildings from the time when ornament was popular, revealing the meaning of decorative motifs would broaden our understanding and increase out pleasure in passing by them. They contribute to the urban texture of our cities.

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350 Mission Street

Thursday, April 29th, 2010 Posted in Architecture, Environmental | No Comments »

The 27-story office building designed by SOM’s Craig Hartman, is proposed for 350 Mission, a site adjacent to the future Transbay Terminal. The project epitomizes contemporary design aided by computerized tools and committed to energy conservation and environmental responsibility.

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BRIDGE Housing at 25

Thursday, December 17th, 2009 Posted in Architecture, Urban Planning | 7 Comments »

bridge-housing

The BRIDGE Housing Corporation, a non-profit company considered by many to be the state’s foremost developer of affordable housing, has built more than 13,000 housing units since its founding in 1983.

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Glen Park BART Station

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 Posted in Architecture | No Comments »

cover-shot

Considered the crown jewel of the BART system, the Glen Park station has withstood the test of time both aesthetically and physically.

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Salvation Army’s new Turk Street Center

Monday, June 29th, 2009 Posted in Architecture, Designer Activism | 11 Comments »

hcl-salvation-army

The Salvation Army’s Turk Street Center, designed by Herman Coliver Locus, is that rare building which both honors the context of an historic district and stands out as decidedly contemporary.

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Mission Bay and San Francisco’s Future

Thursday, April 30th, 2009 Posted in Architecture, Urban Planning | No Comments »

As southeastern San Francisco continues to change dramatically, how will its transformation affect the city as a whole?

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