Park Valencia at Santana Row Nearing Completion
The new Park Valencia at Santana Row is nearing completion and is now open to the public. This newly designed space provides a fun environment for all to enjoy while visiting the vibrant Santana Row District in San Jose. The playful and engaging atmosphere is made complete with large concrete chameleon sculptures, brought to life by Scientific Art Studio, based in Richmond, California. Read more about the design of the project here!
826 Valencia – Tenderloin Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
May 19th, 2016 marked the opening of the new 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center. This is the second location for the nonprofit, whose original location is at 826 Valencia in the Mission Neighborhood. The organization will bring tutoring, writing, and publishing programs to thousands of children in the Tenderloin neighborhood. The design and construction of the space features design and construction contributions from INTERSTICE, MKThink, Gensler, Jonas Kellner, Valerie Veronin, BCCI Construction Company, BBDO San Francisco, and Office.
IA was there to partake in the celebrations along with the other firms and representatives from the Mayor Ed Lee’s office, Supervisor Jane Kim, 826 Valencia Co-founders Dave Eggers and Ninive Caligari, 826 Executive Director Bita Nazarian, and hosts of other friends, supporters, and family of this incredible organization.
The 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center is located at 180 Golden Gate Avenue, formerly the home of Big Boy Market, at an intersection known for drug trafficking. “We’re excited to be joining a neighborhood with a strong network of community partners and a great need for free services, and to help the students of the Tenderloin amplify their voices through writing in a beautiful space that fosters creativity,” says 826 Valencia’s Executive Director, Bita Nazarian.
The center is fronted by King Carl’s Emporium, a nod to the beloved Pirate Supply Store at the Valencia St. location. At the Emporium, the pirate store’s original puffer fish, Carl, sells supplies for explorers as well as the wares he gathered on worldly travels. The store also sells student-written publications and serves as a gateway for the community to learn about 826 Valencia’s work. All proceeds benefit the free programs within. The Writing Lab behind the store is full of wondrous details dreamed up by the students and community members, like an indoor tree house and a magical wall of doors, that activate the imagination.
You can visit our project page to learn more about INTERSTICE’s involvement in the project, and see the SF Chronicle’s write up, “Kids and Writing and a Royal Puffer Fish in the Tenderloin“.
A crowd begins to gather for the opening of the new 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center
Awesome Octopus Mural by the wonderful team at Office
IA Principal Andrew Dunbar waiting with crowd for the ribbon cutting ceremony to begin
IA designer John Tuthill in a crown, awaiting the grand opening
King Carl’s Emporium
The Fog Bank, where you can deposit and withdraw fog instead of money.
INTERSTICE gets its own lock box in the fog bank!
826 Executive Director Bita Nazarian, presenting INTERSTICE Principals Andrew and Zoee with a thank you gift during the program
IA designers John and Steven having too much fun on the bearcycle
Point Pacific Apartments in Bayview reaches Completion!
The Pacific Point Apartments, located in the Hunters Point Shipyard in Bayview, is now complete! In partnership with David Baker Architects, INTERSTICE Architects served as the associate architect and landscape architect for the project. The apartment complex, which is the first 100% affordable housing development in the new Hunters View Shipyard Hilltop development was designed for families and features 60 rental units ranging from one-to three-bedrooms.
You can learn more about the project on our Project Page, but check out some of the latest images, courtesy of David Baker Architects, below.
Selecting Big Trees!
With our Park Valencia project about to start construction, the hunt for the perfect, mature trees began last week. Searching high and low, from Farmington to Los Angeles, the selected trees will be a signature part of IA’s design for centrally located park. In the heart of Santana Row in San Jose, Park Valencia will serve as a public open space for the busy shopping district. The rejuvenated park is a playful, highly programmed and richly colored space for visitors and patrons of the many businesses – providing new seating areas, kiosks, a play area, a performance stage, vendor amenities, and unique sculptures. Learn more about the project by visiting the project page.
At Valley Crest Tree in Los Angeles, picking trees
Existing Park Valencia
IA Staff Volunteer at GLIDE in Tenderloin
INTERSTICE took a break from the office to volunteer at GLIDE – a nonprofit located in the Tenderloin whose mission is to create a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization. For one afternoon, IA traded CAD files and trace paper for serving spoons and aprons. The experience was humbling, rewarding, and eye-opening experience for all of us. If you are looking to support a great organization with incredible, hard-working people who work every day to make their neighborhood better, please check out the volunteering opportunities at GLIDE.
INTERSTICE prides itself on being inextricably linked to the neighborhood we occupy. Our office is being situated just a few blocks from GLIDE made it all the more important to us. Currently we are working with the wonderful literacy organization 826 Valencia on their new Tenderloin Center [ http://www.intersticearchitects.com/?project=826-valencia-tenderloin-center ], as well as the Lower Polk Neighborhood Organization on the Alleyways Master Plan. These are projects that aim to positively activate the neighborhood through placemaking, creating welcoming spaces for residents and visitors alike.
826 Valencia – Tenderloin Center Undergoing Construction
Construction is under way on the 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center. Located on the corner of Leavenworth and Golden Gate in the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, INTERSTICE Architects, along with an energetic team of contractors, suppliers, and other professionals is working with 826 Valencia to create their new space, supporting under-resourced students in developing their creative and expository writing skills and help teachers to inspire their students to write.
The large, two story brick building was built in 1908 and has lived many lives from carriage workshop, movie film storage and distribution, and popcorn maker and supplier. IA is in charge of completely overhauling the façade, systems and interiors of the ground floor corner. Read more about the project on the INTERSTICE Architects project page.
Recent construction updates include the completion of the electric rough ins, and the installation of the heating and cooling system. The contractors have also added additional columns and beams to the space to make it structurally safer, though the landlord claimed that the building survived the ’89 earthquake without damage. Stay tuned for more construction updates on the project, which is slated for completion in early 2016.
Photos courtesy of 826 Valencia // Jonas Kellner
IA Balloon Design at AIA San Francisco NEXT Gala
This year at the 2015 AIA SF Next Conference, INTERSTICE teamed up with the AIA to transform the SF County Fair Building for the NEXT Conference gala and AIA SF Annual Meeting. In collaboration with Studio VARA, IA deployed various sized balloons ranging from 24 inches to eight foot diameter weather balloons; and an array of lighting elements from theatre lighting, and projectors to strings of mini-LEDs; to bring the Hall of Flowers at Golden Gate Park up to party speed, with vivid color and gargantuan spheres for a festive evening of eating, drinking, and general shenanigans. Extensive balloon testing was conducted at the INTERSTICE office prior to the event, where the intermittent popping of balloons managed to keep all on their toes.
Bay Area Impact Challenge #Vote826
Today we’re asking for you to invest in this exciting project by voting and helping us spread the word to as many voters as possible in this short time frame. Voting is global, so please engage your networks in every corner of the world!
FIRST:
Vote: https://impactchallenge.withgoogle.com/bayarea2015/charity/826valencia. You can also visit and share vote826.wordpress.com for the latest news about the campaign.
THANKS FOR DOING THAT! NOW YOU CAN DO THIS:
Share your reason for supporting us on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram with the hashtag #vote826. You can also spread the word to friends, family & colleagues via email, other social networks, word-of-mouth, texts, carrier pigeons, any and everything to get more votes for 826 Valencia. Here’s a post you can copy, paste, and customize:
I #vote826 because (insert reasons why you think writing skills and our Tenderloin expansion are important here) g.co/bayareachallenge
WHY YOUR VOTE MATTERS
After 13 years of successful programs in the Mission, the doors of our second writing and tutoring center at 180 Golden Gate Avenue are set to open in January 2016. We intend to serve 2,000 students, grow our volunteer force by the hundreds, and provide a safe and magical space for under-resourced kids in the Tenderloin and throughout San Francisco. The Google Impact Challenge grant will help us to:
- engage students in essential writing programming that builds skills and creative self-expression
- positively leverage the resources of the larger community to improve young people’s lives
- outfit our center with technology that supports learning and amplifies students’ voices
- work collaboratively with neighborhood partners to transform a crime-ridden corner into a haven for creativity and wonder.
Sounds good, right? Any questions? Feel free to ask.THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
We couldn’t do it without you. Consider this your chance to advocate for the student voices we have yet to hear in the Tenderloin!Quick links:
vote826valencia.wordpress.com
g.co/bayareachallenge
https://impactchallenge.withgoogle.com/bayarea2015/charity/826valencia
PARK(ing) Day 2015 at INTERSTICE
On Friday, September 18th, the parking spot outside of the INTERSTICE office on Sutter Street in San Francisco was dominated by the presence of inflatable dancing tube men, or “Air Dancers” in celebration of Parking Day.
These Air Dancers were quite simply, the most hilarious, exuberant objects conceivable and brought joy, laughter, and awe to those who encountered them. INTERSTICE laid out a large area of turf and bright yellow chairs between the Air Dancers for passersby to share in some laughs and respite along the busy street.
IA has established a tradition of participating in the PARK(ing) Day festivities, 2015 being our 9th year celebrating the event. Sharing in PARK(ing) Day’s call to action for more urban public spaces, this year’s installation demonstrates the joy that can come from such environments. Check out our previous post for a history of IA’s Park(ing) Day celebrations.
INTERSTICE Architects PARK(ing) Day 2015 – This Friday, September 18th!
YOU ARE INVITED!
Please join INTERSTICE Architects in celebrating PARK(ing) Day 2015 this Friday, September 18th. As a hybridized architecture and landscape architecture firm, much of our work is steeped in the creation and design of public spaces and how they improve the urban condition; and we are proud yet again to share in PARK(ing) Day’s call attention to the need for more urban open space. Now in our 9th year participating in the festivities, we’d like to reflect on IA’s past PARK(ing) Day contributions.
Our PARK(ing)Day network page: http://my.parkingday.org/profile/INTERSTICEArchitects
Parking Day 2013
Parking Day 2012
Parking Day 2011
Parking Day 2010
Parking Day 2009
Parking Day 2008
Parking Day 2007
Parking Day 2006