Blueprint Awards 2019 Winners Announced!
Best Interior Project - Work
Winner: Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects, US
Uber Advanced Technologies Group R&D Center, San Francisco, US
Judges’ Comments
‘A sensitive regeneration project that almost makes the original structure look untouched – a better version of itself.’ Tina Norden
‘Shows respect for the existing architecture and smart budget use.’ Fernanda Marques
The Research and Development Center for Uber Advanced Technologies Group is housed within San Francisco’s historic Pier 70. The centre’s four massive buildings, constructed between 1885 and 1937 for ship repair, now extend the site’s transportation legacy into the 21st century.
The design team worked closely with the Port of San Francisco, US National Park Service, and California’s State Historic Preservation Office to adapt these historic structures. The design approach uses a (new) building-withinan-( old) building concept to preserve the historic perimeter walls, while retaining the lofty volumes of the industrially scaled spaces.
A major challenge in high seismic zones is the structural deficiency of old buildings. The new retrofit system is designed to resist a 500-year-recurrence seismic event; steel columns and braces are strategically located along the existing building structure to minimise visual impact. New concrete mezzanines both increase floorspace and brace the historic brick walls at mid-height. Meanwhile, full-height walls have upper portions sheathed in clear, multi-wall polycarbonate. The spatial character of the cavernous industrial buildings has been preserved, including the original facades and suspended cranes. Conference rooms and other programmed functions are free-standing elements within the large volumes; lab, shop and kitchen spaces are located under mezzanines, allowing for sound isolation, temperature control and dust containment.
Highly Commended
SYN Architects, China
Mafengwo Travel Network – Global Headquarters Phase II, Beijing, China
Commended
DAGA Architects, China
Grinding Factory 5Lmeet, Beijing, China
Finalists
AD Architecture, China
AD Architecture Office, Shantou, China
Ben Adams Architects, UK
TOG Scott House, Waterloo Station, London, UK
Daniel Moreno Flores with Uribe & Schwarzkopf, Ecuador
Impaqto, Quito, Ecuador
Gensler, UK
Hyundai Card’s Pixel Factory, Seoul, South Korea
Intercon, Spain
Dewan New Offices, Dubai, UAE
Kris Lin International Design, China
The Park, Shanghai, China
MoreySmith, UK
dunhill Global HQ, London, UK
RA-DA, US
GFP Real Estate, New York City, US
Spacelab, UK
Boden Head Office, London, UK
Squire & Partners, UK
x+why, London, UK
Surman Weston, UK
Replica House Studios, London, UK
