Studio Gang has designed a mass timber addition to the California College of the Arts, responding to the needs of young artists and artisans while addressing environmental crises. The 82,305 SF exposed mass timber building provides spaces that support the school’s diverse community and focus.
The design, led by Founding Partner Jeanne Gang, aims to create a dynamic environment for art and design education while inspiring new forms of making through unexpected interactions between disciplines. “The design intends to create a dynamic environment for art and design education, while also inspiring new forms of making through unexpected interactions between disciplines,” said Jeanne Gang.
The building features a concrete lower level with indoor-outdoor workshops for physically intensive creative practices and large-scale fabrication. Two mass timber pavilions rise from the concrete level, housing the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts and defining the raised garden and courtyard. The pavilions utilize passive systems to lower energy use and embodied carbon, encouraging social interaction and exterior circulation.
The use of mass timber, stained in dark and natural tones, highlights the structural system, including a one-of-a-kind eccentric braced frame system. The building’s hybrid structure allows it to become the finish material, reducing the carbon footprint. Other passive design strategies, such as self-shading faรงades and night-flush ventilation, naturally cool the building, reducing the size and energy demand of mechanical systems.
The addition supports California College of the Arts’ commitment to creating a creative and enriching learning environment while enhancing its connection to San Francisco’s design and innovation district.
Project Team:
Client: California College of the Arts
Owner’s Representative: Dovetail Construction Project Management
Design Architect and Architect of Record: Studio Gang
Associate Architect: TEF Design
Sustainability Consultant: Atelier Ten
Structural Engineer and Acoustics Engineer: Arup
MEP/FP Engineer: MEYERS+
Landscape Architect: Surfacedesign, Inc.
Civil Engineer: Lotus Water
Lighting Designer: PritchardPeck
Wayfinding and Signage: Public Design
Code, Fire, and Life Safety Consultant: Coffman Engineers
Thermal and Waterproofing Consultant: Thornton Tomasetti
Dry Utility Consultant: Urban Design Consulting Engineers
General Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
Image Courtesy: worldarchitecture.org
