Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1972

Aqua-Loggia, ocean pavilion and research facility. Yeosu Harbor, South Korea
We based this design on the structure of the H20 molecule. A fluid envelope rests upon three raised entry mounds, to elevate the harborside facility above annual ocean surges from tsunami and coastal storms.

Aqua-Loggia, bird's-eye view
The "molecular" shape cradles a small seaside amphitheater with a floating stage for aquatic presentations and public performances. A rooftop viewing deck overlooks the bay and miltiple docks dedicated to marine research vessels.

Aqua-Loggia, exhibition hall
A multi-level, three-chambered exhibition and research hall protected by lateral-line photovoltaic sunshades that control solar exposure and interior daylighting. The design simulates the spatial environment of a water molecule while providing expansive views of the harbor and flexibility for mounting exhibits.

Hollis Street Project, adaptive reuse of a former factory into hi-tech offices and laboratories. Emeryville, CA

A former 80,000-square-foot truck assembly plant and warehouse, amplified by an additional 45,000 square feet of mezzanine levels and transformed into super-efficient, adaptable multi-tenant, hi-tech and startup company office spaces. Deeply mullioned, self-shading cedar windows were built and installed on site, with unit street-front entry cut-outs marked by free-form fabric canopies.

Auto Showroom and Repair Facility. Albany, CA
An exercise in geometric simplicity and economical construction, this design uses modular off-the-shelf metal building components typical of industrial and agricultural structures. Overhanging eaves and exterior sunshades protect a glass box showroom. Tempertature-controlled louvers channel night air to passively cool thermal mass at the concrete floors.

Senator Alquist State Office Building. San Jose, CA
Our design combines passive strategies for cooling and heating with social "territories" and common areas to create a new type of energy-efficient work space. The design pulls together 25 California state agencies and offices under one roof, organized around a checkerboard of nine distinct interior courtyards. With rooftop skylight clerestories carrying photovoltaic panels and supported by seismic "ladders," 90 percent of the space receives natural light. Cooling loads plummet as a result of reduced electric lighting usage, exterior cedar sunshades, retractable courtyard canopies, and self-shading overhands. Mechanical cooling is reduced through nighttime ventilation across the plenums and through rock-bed storage.

Tzintzantzun Headquarters. Berkeley, CA. 
New warehouse with retail space and offices for a crafts importer. Simple wood frame construction with metal wall panels for exterior cladding and a basic membrane roof, enhanced by the introduction of curved aluminum guard rail bands at the balcony and a translucent plastic panel canopy over the entrance, supported by an asymmetrical truss. Cross ventilation and daylighting contribute passive strategies to its energy conservation performance.

Railroad Spur Blocks. Emeryville, CA
A new micro-community of five lofts on what was previously thought to be an unbuildable lot adjacent to a busy commercial railroad spur. The tracks have since been replaced with a public greenway providing a major recreational amenity, and a west-facing courtyard catches the end-of-the-day sun.

Essex on Lake Merritt, multi-family tower. Oakland, CA
First new residential high-rise construction in Oakland in 35 years. Designed in collaboration with AI and Architecture International, the 20-story concrete, concierge tower enjoys expansive views of the Lake, East Bay Hills, and San Francisco Bay.

Equinox House, private residence renovation. Tiburon, CA
So named for its expansive scope of sunrise to sunset at each equinox, a large Mediterranean style villa was transformed into a modern retreat optimizing views as works of art.

Equinox House, living room interior
A series of double-glazed window panels, each with motorized, interior, retractable, aluminum blinds, are tilted to enhance sun-shading and reduce interior nighttime reflections, in the manner of an airport control tower. A warm and serene environment for enjoying views that sweep from UC Berkeley to the Golden Gate Bridge to Mount Tamalpais in Marin.

Equinox House, granite slab fountain
A ten-by-six-foot horizontal fountain, tilted slightly to pour water across a set of shallow troughs carved into the stone. The travel path of the water always offers an angle to the sun for delivering liquid reflections onto the living room ceiling at all times of day.

Equinox House, cylindrical fireplace in entry foyer
A frosted glass fireplace enclosing an angular natural gas heating element greets the visitor upon entry. The fireplace also serves as the centerpiece to the curvilinear steel and frosted-glass bookcases of the library, placed a few steps above the living room level. The unique 360-degree design thus serves the occupants of three rooms.

XYZ House, new custom hillside house. Oakland, CA
Rebuilding after the Oakland Hills Fire of 1991, we abstracted a new house concept into a type of Cartesian outcropping. A flat, cantilevered roof and deck overhangs shade the glass. An interior multi-floor aluminum clad pod holds all the water-supplied rooms (kitchen, bathrooms, laundry), while exterior seismic bracing angles across the main window facade to support the decks and roof above.

Stinson Beach House. Stinson Beach, CA
Laid out along a north-south axis at one of the narrow lots in SeaDrift, the Matrix house follows a formal plaid floor-plan pattern to create two living space wings off an entry cylinder of curved glass windows and doors. Transparency from front to back provides views of both the canal and the lagoon.

Stinson Beach House. Stinson Beach, CA
Laid out along a north-south axis at one of the narrow lots in SeaDrift, the Matrix house follows a formal plaid floor-plan pattern to create two living space wings off an entry cylinder of curved glass windows and doors. Transparency from front to back provides views of both the canal and the lagoon.