Heatherwick Studio has created a new conceptual vision for San Francisco’s Piers 30-32, opening up this part of the Bay for the first time in over 36 years.
Dubbed The Cove, the resilient design responds to the threats posed by climate change by generating solar-powered energy, incorporating low-carbon materials, restoring coastal processes, and enhancing habitats for fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, and wildlife. The Cove will be smaller than the original pier footprint and have less bay fill.
The Cove will be a contemporary destination that celebrates the classic California coast and the history of Embarcadero. A mixed-use workplace campus with a central five-acre ecological park will be included. The publicly accessible park is a natural experience reminiscent of the California coastal headlands and bluffs. A pedestrian-friendly journey through the park winds through a multi-use plaza, a rolling softscape of native terpene-laden trees and dune grasses, floating wetlands, an oval boardwalk, and moves onward to to a promontory overlooking the bay.
The idea of creating a new waterfront ecological park and community hub was developed between Earthprise, Heatherwick Studio, and a team of experienced local waterfront and biodiversity specialists.
Related Stories
| Apr 19, 2011
Is a building sustainable if it kills birds?
Migratory birds were flying into the windows and falling, dead or injured, to the foot of the LEED-Platinum FBI building in Chicago. The FBI building isn't the only LEED-certified structure to cause problems for migratory birds, however. Some of the more than 33,000 LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. use large amounts of glass to bring in natural light and save on energy—and all that glass can confuse birds.
| Apr 19, 2011
Philadelphia opens massive, LEED-Silver recycling center
The 60,000-square-foot single-stream material recovery facility (MRF) in Philadelphia will process around 20,000 tons of newspaper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, and plastic every month, and will simplify the collection of recyclable materials and increase recycling rates by 50%.
| Apr 19, 2011
AIA announces top 10 green Projects for 2011
The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment announced its Top 10 Green Projects for 2011. Among the winners: Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., and the Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, British Columbia.
| Apr 19, 2011
BMW dealers driving up sustainable construction in NYC
BMW North America will invest $60 million in two green dealerships in Manhattan. The new stores, which are being designed to cut energy use by 25%, reflect the auto company’s effort to reposition itself as environmentally conscious.
| Apr 19, 2011
15 mind-blowing skyscrapers
Our friends at Inhabitat have rounded up 15 incredible buildings—from underground cities to vertical farms to bio-fuel power plants and skyscrapers.
| Apr 19, 2011
Help the editors choose the next BD+C White Paper topic
The editors of Building Design+Construction want your input on the topic (or topics) we should tackle for our 2012 green building White Paper. Send us your ideas today.
| Apr 14, 2011
U.S. embassies on a mission to green the world's buildings
The U.S. is putting greater emphasis on greening its worldwide portfolio of embassies. The U.S. State Department-affiliated League of Green Embassies already has 70 U.S. embassies undergoing efforts to reduce their environmental impact, and the organization plans to increase that number to more than 100 by the end of the year.
| Apr 14, 2011
USGBC debuts LEED for Healthcare
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduces its latest green building rating system, LEED for Healthcare. The rating system guides the design and construction of both new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings, and can be applied to inpatient, outpatient and licensed long-term care facilities, medical offices, assisted living facilities and medical education and research centers.
| Apr 13, 2011
Danfoss Chairman of the Board Joins Clinton Global Initiative
Danfoss, a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency electronic and mechanical components and controls for air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration and motion systems, today announced that Jorgen M. Clausen, Chairman of the Board, has received and accepted a membership from former President Bill Clinton to join the Clinton Global Initiative.