Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), a San Francisco-based utility company, approached us to serve as design consultants for their new substation in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. PG&E has a rich history of promoting civic-minded architecture, as seen in projects like the Larkin and Embarcadero substations. In this case, the company aims to revive that tradition by collaborating with designers and master planners to regenerate the Hunters Point area, a site that once housed a military base. The location is part of a larger development plan that includes multiple parks and trails.The client requested that the substation incorporate both public and semi-private spaces, including a plaza and community gardens. PG&E’s goal was not only to modernize its infrastructure but also to strengthen community ties through the project. The resulting design features a series of stacked masses, developed with the help of computational fluid dynamics to optimize thermal efficiency while simultaneously creating a sculptural form that contributes to the community’s identity. Additionally, the structure is specified to be built using rammed earth, giving it a warm, approachable presence that the community can easily embrace. The use of rammed earth also symbolizes how the success of any public building relies on drawing from and making the best use of local resources.
