KPF designs three-building San Jose office campus
By David Malone, Associate Editor
Platform 16, a 1,200,000-sf, three-building office campus, has recently broken ground in Downtown San Jose. The Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed project will be located on a 5.4-acre site adjacent to Google's planned transit village and Diridon Station, a major Bay Area transportation hub.
Platform 16 will include a main facade with three module orientations (center, left, and right) to create a sense of depth and texture by breaking down the building's scale and creating a shimmering effect in the sun's reflection. The low, horizontal mass recedes from the street as it steps up to create large terraces at every level. These terraces will provide significant outdoor space for tenants, while also bringing daylight deep into Platform 16's interiors. The bronze terrace facade will contrast with the main wall in materiality and scale.
Courtesy Plompmozes for KPF.
The project's combination of a high-performance facade, passive cooling systems, high efficiency lighting systems, and a solar PV roof covering 20% of the building have the building projected to outperform the AIA 2030 Commitment goal of 80% reduction against its baseline.
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Platform 16 will also provide immediate pedestrian access to the neighborhood and transit access to the Bay Area at large. On its south side, San Pedro Square will become a flexible public realm with access to the city's financial center, the SAP Center, and Diridon Station.
Other project features include various active pedestrian plazas, expansive floorplates, and 15-foot floor-to-floor heights.
The first phase of construction is slated for completion in 2023.
