Projektverantwortung: Stephan Rutz + Jesse Honsa
Projektteam: Kate Gannon, Karl Sippel

Beteiligte
Dr. Lüchinger + Meyer Bauingenieure, Andreas Gianoli
Energy Consultant, Prof. emerit. Dr.sc.nat. Bruno Keller
Schoch Reibenschuh AG, HVAC Consultant, Christian Schoch
GVZ-Rochat AG, Engineer, Heinz Simmler
Zeichenfabrik, Graphic Consultant, Roland Ryser

Jury Kommentar
The jury noted that this was «the most successful and deeply thought-out plan for achieving cross ventilation and light. There is interesting access to open space for individual units with seasonal covered porches. Southern exposure for the sunlight provides daylighting for retail space. This is a very imaginative plan and studiously designed so the building doesn’t need a heating or cooling system. The inventive plan results in a civilized building.»

With the correct amount of insulation, low-E glazing, flexible external sun-shading, and thermal mass in its structure, a building in San Francisco needs no mechanical heating or cooling systems.

The architectural problem of designing a zero-net energy is simply to maximize daylight, natural ventilation, and the quality of space.

A single volume on the southeast corner of the plot consolidates the housing with only two circulation cores, and reserves space for an uninterrupted, naturally-lit grocery store. Furthermore, it provides distance between the neighboring buildings and the tower’s south, east, and west faces, maximizing surface for solar PV cells on the
facade, which provide apartments, elevators, and the grocery with all its electric needs.

Voids are cut from the block, providing each apartment with a generous 2, 3 or even 4 sides of natural light, air, and views. This multiplication of facades gives a balanced lighting atmosphere which penetrates right through to the circulation core without overheating. One enters his/her apartment via a shaded private balcony.