MATCHSTICK TOWER

MATCHSTICK TOWER EXPLORES HOW A SLENDER MASS TIMBER TOWER COULD RISE FROM AN EXISTING TWO STORY INDUSTRIAL BUILDING ON TEHAMA STREET IN SAN FRANCISCO. THE PROPOSAL RETAINS THE PRIMARY FAÇADE OF THE OLDER BUILDING WHILE REORGANIZING ITS INTERIOR AND INTRODUCING A NEW VERTICAL STRUCTURE ABOVE IT.

THE PROGRAM COMBINES OFFICES ON THE UPPER FLOORS WITH A THEATER, AUDITORIUM, CAFE, AND CABARET VENUE BELOW. THESE PUBLIC PROGRAMS EXTEND ACTIVITY INTO THE ADJACENT ALLEY AND TRANSFORM THE EXISTING BUILDING INTO A MORE ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD DESTINATION.

A CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER CORE AND FLOOR PANELS ARE COMBINED WITH MASS TIMBER PERIMETER COLUMNS AND BEAMS. REPEATED CUSTOM STEEL CONNECTORS OFFSET THE COLUMNS AND BEAMS FROM ONE ANOTHER, ALLOWING THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM TO CREATE A LAYERED RHYTHM ACROSS THE FAÇADE. TRANSPARENT GLAZING REVEALS THE TIMBER STRUCTURE AND ALLOWS THE TOWER TO PRODUCE A WARM GLOW WHEN ILLUMINATED AT NIGHT.

THE NARROW AND DEEP SITE REQUIRED THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM TO SUPPORT OPEN INTERIOR SPACES WITHIN A SLENDER BUILDING PROFILE. CONCEPTUAL STUDIES EXPLORED THE POTENTIAL OF CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER AND MASS TIMBER TO ACCOMMODATE SEISMIC FORCES, A PROJECTING FRONT VOLUME, AND GENEROUS COLUMN FREE AREAS.

TEHAMA STREET ALSO PLACES SIGNIFICANT LIMITS ON TRANSPORTATION AND CONSTRUCTION ACCESS. CRANES, TRAILERS, MATERIALS, AND INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS WOULD NEED TO ENTER, MANEUVER, AND OPERATE WITHIN THE NARROW STREET AND CONFINED SITE. COMPONENT DIMENSIONS AND ASSEMBLY STUDIES THEREFORE CONSIDERED BOTH THE STRUCTURAL AMBITION OF THE TOWER AND THE PRACTICAL SPACE REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION.

RENDERINGS, DRAWINGS, FEASIBILITY STUDIES, MATERIAL RESEARCH, PHYSICAL MODELS, AND CONNECTION PROTOTYPES WERE USED TO TEST THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TIMBER STRUCTURE, REPEATED STEEL CONNECTORS, GLAZING, AND EXISTING BUILDING. THE PROJECT DEMONSTRATES HOW COMPONENT DEVELOPMENT AND PREFABRICATION CAN INFORM BOTH THE STRUCTURAL IDENTITY AND ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION OF A TALL BUILDING.