INTERSTICE Architects

Rendered View from Across Parking Lot

INTERSTICE Architects presented plans for the Amy’s Drive Thru Restaurant to the Planning Commission of Corte Madera. The project was met with overwhelming support, receiving a unanimous recommendation for the Town Council’s approval, which took place in early June.

http://www.townofcortemadera.org/677/Amys-Drive-Thru

http://www.marinij.com/general-news/20180509/amys-wins-key-approval-for-corte-madera-drive-thru-plan

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/05/04/amys-kitchen-petaluma-marin-drive-through-dennys.html

Sustainability Features

Wood Model – Entry View

Wood Model – Highway View

Recently, INTERSTICE switched up their usual routine by getting outside and getting involved. They headed due north to work with Golden Gate Parks National Conservancy on a habitat restoration project in The Presidio. The project was located at Wherry Corridor, a narrow section of natural habitat threading between man-made structures. For the past 15+ years, the Golden Gate Parks National Conservancy has been nurturing this area back to a healthy landscape filled with native flora and fauna. INTERSTICE assisted with watering and weeding new growth and removing invasive plant species. Not their first volunteering project in the Presidio, INTERSTICE once again enjoyed the opportunity to improve their local habitat.

PARK(ing) Day 2017 – Mirror Mylar Forest-Field: Pedestrian Safety Along the Polk Corridor

For Park(ing) day 2017, INTERSTICE Architects created an interactive Park(ing) Day installation on Polk Street at Hemlock Alley.  Visitors experienced the wind-activated Mirrored Mylar Forest to explore questions of pedestrian safety and share their experiences of being a San Francisco pedestrian. Which spaces are prioritized for pedestrians?  Where is there room for improvement?

Recording individual experiences as a pedestrian, cyclist or driver, the public was asked to register their information directly onto the installation surface.  An enlarged a map of the Polk Street Corridor [built from data collected from the California Highway Patrol & highlighting pedestrian-related traffic incidents] created the “ground” for discussion.  This interactive pedestrian Park(ing) map evolved throughout the day as a palimpsest that visitors could walk through – orienting themselves within the parking space, the neighborhood, and the city streets.

The installation was inspired by the Polk Streetscape Improvements recently underway and INTERSTICE’s collaboration as part of an initiative to enrich The Lower Polk Alleyways District.  The new Lower Polk Alleyways Vision Plan (LPADVP) recently adopted by the Lower Polk Neighbors, proposes a future vision for the 12 blocks of alleyways located within the boundaries of the Lower Polk Neighborhood.  INTERSTICE Architects guided this community-driven process which has resulted in a unique community-initiated set of strategies and guidelines designed to understand these alleyways, not as singular back-streets or isolated funding opportunities, but instead to consider them as a whole – as a District.

We paid our fabricator a visit to see the progress being made on the prototype for our Alleycat Bench – a dynamic bench that folds down for general public use, and folds up and locks after hours. Check out some of the images from our visit!

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!

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

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.

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

On Friday, September 18^th, 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 9^th 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.

YOU ARE INVITED!

Please join INTERSTICE Architects in celebrating PARK(ing) Day 2015 this Friday, September 18^th.  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 9^th 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