Introducing a 24/7 neighborhood Austin, Texas, has endeavored to revitalize the North Austin neighborhood into a mixed-use district that boosts the city’s vitality. Situated within this emerging commercial and entertainment district and adjacent to a new CapMetro light rail station, Verde Square is an entirely new mixed-use development directly adjacent to Q2 Stadium—the city’s largest … Continued
Scaling up student housing The new San Benito Student Housing development will introduce apartment-style residences and an inclusive new hub for student life at the northwest corner of campus, all connected to the surrounding natural landscape. The first in a two-phase effort to substantially increase the number of student residences on campus by 2029, San … 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
Giving new purpose to a modernist gem In 1971, SOM, Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons, and consulting architect Pietro Belluschi collaborated to design 345 Montgomery, the flagship banking hall for Bank of America. Situated on a sloped site in San Francisco’s financial district, the building shares a plaza with 555 California Street, originally designed as the … Continued
Creating an equitable campus The New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s (NJPAC) commitment to downtown Newark is central to its mission. Originally proposed in SOM’s master plan, the center was designed to create a hub of activity in the heart of the city and revitalize the surrounding neighborhoods. More than 35 years later, NJPAC, Center Street … Continued
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
Investing in the future of mobility Los Angeles has an extensive public transportation network with the third-highest ridership in the nation. However, only about a quarter of LA’s 8,000 bus stops currently provide any shade or shelter—an increasingly urgent concern in a warming climate. A new initiative by StreetsLA, a division of the city’s Department … 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
Seizing an opportunity Philadelphia’s William H. Gray III 30th Street Station is the third-busiest Amtrak station in the country, houses direct connections to SEPTA and NJ Transit, and is a nexus for dozens of local and regional bus, subway, and trolley routes serving tens of thousands of people each day. Perched on the western bank … Continued
The Hong Kong International Airport is a vital transportation hub, serving as a main gateway to both Hong Kong and China. With this in mind, the airport authority set out to explore the potential for commercial development for an expansive stretch of land around the airport. SOM devised a master plan for a new “Airport … Continued