A front porch for the College of Engineering Engineering has been a core academic focus at the University of California, Berkeley, since the institution’s founding in 1868. Over the course of nearly 160 years, Berkeley engineers have helped build California’s infrastructure, established numerous disciplines, and launched world-class research institutes and programs. Today, the campus’s “Engineering … Continued
Shaping a sense of community This 460-meter mixed-use complex is located at the heart of the new central business district in Suzhou, China. Its three interconnected towers integrate apartments, office space, and retail into a mixed-use community. The tower will become a new landmark in Suzhou—a modern expression of the city’s enduring values and quality … Continued
A long-range vision for Toronto’s waterfront Located minutes from downtown Toronto, the Port Lands is a stretch of former industrial waterfront that has been identified as a key area for urban regeneration. The Port Lands Planning Framework, established in 2017, sets out a vision for the area’s transformation into a place that will benefit all … Continued
A center for community life Since 1989, the American Buddhist Cultural Society (ABCS) Temple, a modest, single-story facility on San Francisco’s Van Ness Avenue, has been a center of spiritual education, cultural exchange, charity and community life. The new six-story temple will support ABCS’s programming, and accommodate its growing role as a focal point for … Continued
A multifunctional campus hub Located along the eastern edge and within the center of the Kuwait University campus, the Student Activities and Athletic Facilities (SAAF) encompass a broad range of functions to serve the university’s sports and recreational programs. The facilities include an indoor tennis center stadium, an outdoor stadium, additional outdoor sports facilities, a … Continued
One bay, six communities The design framework establishes six unique waterfront communities that create a cohesive and integrated urban and ecological system. By preserving natural assets and habitats, enhancing existing villages, incubating new high-tech industries, and fostering dynamic mixed-use tourism clusters, each community contributes to achieving the goal of balanced environmental, social, and economic development. … Continued
Reshaping Lower Manhattan When Chase National Bank and the Bank of Manhattan merged in 1955, the newly-formed Chase Manhattan Bank had a workforce of 8,700 people spread across different offices throughout New York City. The company’s Executive Vice President for Planning and Development, David Rockefeller, and SOM put forth a forward-looking vision for its future … Continued
Turning the workplace inside out Located in Xuhui, one of Shanghai’s premiere arts and innovation districts, a new workplace for Alibaba’s Shanghai campus turns the typical headquarters “inside out” to showcase the multinational company’s talent, collaboration, and creativity. The new headquarters greatly expands the company’s Shanghai campus, and is located adjacent to a building for … Continued
Demonstrating civic leadership through design When San Mateo County leaders approached SOM to design a new county headquarters, they had ambitious sustainability goals. Climate leadership is needed now more than ever, and this county on the San Francisco Peninsula is particularly vulnerable to the perils of climate change, including wildfire, drought, and sea-level rise. County … Continued
With more than 80 properties worldwide, The Ritz-Carlton has long been a leader in the luxury hotel market. SOM has designed several projects for the venerable company, including this 250-room, five-star hotel in booming Beijing. A curved tower with an eye-catching glass façade, the building rises from a prominent site within Beijing Finance Street, a … Continued