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.
See Also: A resort with a giant artificial wave basin is being planned for southern California
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.
Courtesy Plompmozes for KPF.
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.
Courtesy KPF.
Courtesy Byencore for KPF.
Courtesy Byencore for KPF.
Courtesy Byencore for KPF.
Courtesy Byencore for KPF.
Courtesy Byencore for KPF.
Courtesy Plompmozes for KPF.
Related Stories
| Jun 18, 2014
Study shows walkable urbanism has positive economic impact
Walkable communities have a higher GDP, greater wealth, and higher percentages of college grads, according to a new study by George Washington University.
| Jun 18, 2014
Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components
The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.
| Jun 17, 2014
World's tallest pair of towers to serve as 'environmental catalyst' for China
The Phoenix Towers are expected to reach 1 km, the same height as Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's Kingdom Tower, but would set a record for multiple towers in one development.
| Jun 16, 2014
6 U.S. cities at the forefront of innovation districts
A new Brookings Institution study records the emergence of “competitive places that are also cool spaces.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects' design selected for new UCSC facility
The planned site is a natural landscape among redwood trees with views over Monterey Bay, a site that the architects have called “one of the most beautiful they have ever worked on.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 11, 2014
Bill signing signals approval to revitalize New Orleans’ convention center corridor
A plan to revitalize New Orleans' Convention Center moves forward after Louisiana governor signs bill.
| Jun 11, 2014
5 ways Herman Miller's new office concept rethinks the traditional workplace
Today's technologies allow us to work anywhere. So why come to an office at all? Herman Miller has an answer.
| Jun 10, 2014
Built-in balcony: New skylight windows can fold out to create a patio
Roof window manufacturer Fakro offers a skylight window system that quickly converts into an open-air balcony.
| Jun 9, 2014
Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program
The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.