On the site of a former military base in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, a new three-story substation will house critical electrical infrastructure to replace an existing substation across the street. The new substation will improve the reliability and resilience of the electrical grid “and foster a tighter-knit community,” according to a press statement.
But the Hunters Point Substation will do more than meet the utility’s practical needs. Designed by San Francisco’s TEF Design and Mexico City’s Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, the project also will provide public amenities designed through community engagement—part of an urban architecture trend of designing public utility structures with community amenities.
The project is part of a larger development that includes several planned parks and trails. The 30,000-square-foot building is positioned to support efficient utility configuration as well as to create an outdoor plaza that will serve the surrounding neighborhood. The building team used computational fluid dynamics to develop the building’s stacked-bars form, achieving maximum thermal efficiency.
The building’s form is also intended to create a distinctive landmark. Its concrete façade, which will involve a precast concrete process, is meant to suggest rammed earth. A pattern of geometric shapes continues throughout the project, including the plaza pavers and façade perforations.
The Hunters Point Substation aims to be net-zero, achieving Zero Energy Certification by the International Living Future Institute. Its energy strategies include photovoltaics, natural ventilation, and efficient building systems. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2023.
On the Building Team:
Owner: PG&E
Architect of record: TEF Design
Design architect: Tatiana Bilbao Estudio
Landscape: Creo Landscape Architecture
Mechanical/electrical: MHC Engineers, Inc. and ACG Engineer Inc.
Civil engineer: BKF Engineers
Structural engineer: Forell Elsesser Engineers, Inc.
![Hunters Point Substation collage ext 2](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hunters%20Point%20Substation%20collage%20ext%202.jpg)
![Hunters Point Substation model 1](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hunters%20Point%20Substation%20model%201.jpg)
![Hunters Point Substation model 2](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hunters%20Point%20Substation%20model%202.jpg)
![Hunters Point Substation model 3](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hunters%20Point%20Substation%20model%203.jpg)
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Nov 4, 2016
Rail Park breaks ground in Philadelphia
The project is finally moving forward after nine years in the making.
Urban Planning | Oct 27, 2016
Paris plans to transform the right bank of the river Seine into car-free pedestrian zone
Drivers are worried the move will cause an increase in traffic congestion.
Urban Planning | Oct 27, 2016
The lawsuit blocking the construction of Pier 55 has been thrown out
Construction on the $130 million project can now proceed as planned.
Urban Planning | Oct 20, 2016
Despite troubled development, Masdar City forges ahead
The detailed master plan for Phase 2 of Masdar City has been unveiled by CBT.
Urban Planning | Oct 14, 2016
Architecture firm proposes a ‘Border City’ between the United States and Mexico
The city would be situated around New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua.
Urban Planning | Oct 3, 2016
A pedestrian bridge linking two of Nashville’s highest-profile neighborhoods is making progress
The project has stalled since being proposed two years ago by former Mayor Karl Dean.
Urban Planning | Sep 20, 2016
Can redesigning crosswalks make cities safer?
A proposal from Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects redesigns San Francisco’s crosswalks to make them more park-like, changing the way cars and pedestrians interact.
Steel Buildings | Sep 15, 2016
New York’s Hudson Yards to feature 16-story staircase sculpture
The installation is designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick and will be the centerpiece of the $200 million plaza project
Urban Planning | Sep 12, 2016
An Atlanta business group proposes a ‘floating’ park over a busy highway
The half-mile thoroughfare would connect to surrounding streets and companies.
Sustainability | Sep 7, 2016
New plans call for hundreds of thousands of British homes to be heated by factory machines
An expansion of ‘heat networks’ is viewed as a possible means for Britain to accomplish its goal of slashing carbon emissions by 2050.