After six years of RFPs deliberation, the San Francisco Planning Commission approved the construction of the Transbay Tower won by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architecture and partner, Hines. The Transbay Joint Powers Authority, a public entity that permits the development of new transits and buildings in the city of San Francisco, sponsored a competition to build and fund a transit that would replace the old Transbay Transit on Mission St in 2007. What led to Pelli Clarke Pelli & Hines triumph was there highly incorporated design that focuses on sustainability, neighborhood improvement, and economic viability.
The Transbay Tower design will be the tallest building in San Francisco, standing 1,070 ft. tall and covering 1.4 million sq. ft. There are many features and details the new building will comprise of such as the obelisk shape, a comprehensive water recycling system, high efficiency air-handlers that emphasize fresh air intake and much more. But the main highlight of the Transbay Tower has been the design of the skin, in which the building will be covered by glass windows that are held together by a lattice of pearlescent white metal, giving the view from the inside a beautiful glint at all times, even on cloudy gray weathers that San Francisco is known for. As well, these windows are high performance, low-emissivity glass, which will reduce the building’s cooling load and potentially result in 15% energy savings. The Transbay Tower is expected to opened by 2017.
AAA windows is ecstatic about the new construction taking place in San Francisco and supports eco-friendly buildings including energy efficient window replacement and encourage developers to be more sustainable.
By: Paul Doh