Blended-use redevelopment of former Dogpatch Energy Station in San Francisco breaks floor, that includes Foster + Companions-designed buildings | Information
The mixed-use Potrero Power Station project, a waterfront urban development in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, officially broke ground.
This project is located in a historic industrial area and provides for the revitalization of the decommissioned Potrero power plant, which was first built at the end of the 19th century. This development will open up much of the city’s central waterfront for the first time in 150 years. A new 29-acre mixed-use neighborhood with supposedly sustainable features will be created, accommodating 2,600 residents, 1.6 million square feet of work space, 100,000 square feet of storefronts and seven acres of green space. These include restaurants, hotels, cafes and childcare facilities, among others.
The development reportedly delivers over $ 860 million in community benefits, including hundreds of affordable housing, heritage protection, public infrastructure, and the expansion of Dogpatch’s streetscape. The original structures of the power plant will be preserved, including station A, the chimney structure and the power plant block 3, which was one of the oldest power plants still in operation in California at the time the plant was closed. The neighborhood will also prioritize active and public transportation, and all buildings are expected to meet or exceed LEED Gold standards.
In the heart of the area, Foster + Partners designed two residential mixed-use buildings with affordable residential units.
Armstrong Yakubu, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners, said: “This project is a unique opportunity to revitalize a former industrial district and to breathe new life into this part of San Francisco. Our proposals will deliver much-needed homes guided by a people, sustainability and community-borne design approach rooted in the site’s rich history. It is our goal to give Dogpatch an ideal urban framework in order to create a lively, healthy and integrative living and working community of the 21st century. “
Inspired by the traditional courtyards and alleys of the district, the buildings are grouped around a central, ground-level open space, lined with local shops and local supplies. Pedestrian and cycle paths lead through these spaces and create new connections with the environment. The lower floors of the buildings house several common social rooms and co-working areas, which are a focus of activity throughout the day.
The design is based on a series of interconnected two-story elements within a modular organizational grid that allows both spatial and programmatic flexibility. The buildings combine to form a dynamic arrangement of step blocks. In addition, the apartments have been carefully designed to maximize fresh air, natural light and access to the leafy terraces throughout the property. The new district park is visually and physically connected to the garden roof terraces with a view of the water.
The Potrero Power Station mixed-use project was unanimously approved by the San Francisco Planning Commission and the city’s board of directors early last year. Developer Associate Capital bought the property for $ 86 million in 2016, and Perkins and Will oversaw the development master plan. The project will be built in six phases and has an estimated duration of 16 years.
