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
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 31, 2014
Removable flood prevention system installed in one of New York City's largest office buildings
EKO Flood Protection created a flood prevention solution for one of New York City's largest office buildings, 55 Water Street, that can be put up in 8 hours by a crew of 30 people.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 25, 2014
World's tallest towers: Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill discuss designing Burj Khalifa, Kingdom Tower
The design duo discusses the founding of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects and the design of the next world's tallest, Kingdom Tower, which will top the Burj Khalifa by as much as a kilometer.
| Mar 24, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's S.C. Johnson Research Tower to open to the public—32 years after closing
The 14-story tower, one of only two Wright-designed high-rises to be built, has been off limits to the public since its construction in 1950.
| Mar 21, 2014
Forget wood skyscrapers - Check out these stunning bamboo high-rise concepts [slideshow]
The Singapore Bamboo Skyscraper competition invited design teams to explore the possibilities of using bamboo as the dominant material in a high-rise project for the Singapore skyline.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 20, 2014
D.C. breaks ground on $2B mega waterfront development [slideshow]
When complete, the Wharf will feature approximately 3 million sf of new residential, office, hotel, retail, cultural, and public uses, including waterfront parks, promenades, piers, and docks.
| Mar 17, 2014
Rem Koolhaas explains China's plans for its 'ghost cities'
China's goal, according to Koolhaas, is to de-incentivize migration into already overcrowded cities.
| Mar 13, 2014
Austria's tallest tower shimmers with striking 'folded façade' [slideshow]
The 58-story DC Tower 1 is the first of two high-rises designed by Dominique Perrault Architecture for Vienna's skyline.
