2014 AIA/CAE Conference

Congratulations to our Marketing Coordinator, Elaine Chan, for winning the 2014 AIA/CAE Conference Scholarship to Barcelona!

We just know that you'll be bringing back a wealth of knowledge...and plenty of Amatller Chocolates + Crema Catalana Liquor.

Sipping mimosas and representing Kwan Henmi at the Opening Ceremony in Mies Pavillion. Cheers!

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A Word from Bob Maje, FAIA, on the Conference:

The conference opens at one of the iconic buildings of the era of modern architecture, The Barcelona Pavilion, which is Mies van der Rohe’s masterpiece and will set the tone for this conference. Our speaker that evening is a well known expert in Architectural Design and the Catalonian culture, Josep Maria Montaner. Monday we will be concentrating on a number of
sites within the city of Barcelona; on Tuesday we extend our tours to the surrounding region; and on Wednesday our conference concludes with a return to the heart of Barcelona and Gaudi’s masterpiece The Sagrada Familia. We will see educational facilities of all types and
be hosted by some amazing architects, educators, and policy makers from the region.

We have the good fortune of being hosted at each site by some of the leading architects of not only of the Catalonian region, but of the entire European continent, and will have the
opportunity to engage and interact with educational experts, teachers, and in some very special cases, students. Experts in cutting edge issues in sustainability, one from the United States and one from Germany, will offer their insights into the latest aspects of this important area of educational design, and we have invited a speaker from the previous London conference who will update us on his exciting and innovative work designing educational environments for students with special needs, including those on the Autism Spectrum.

The Catalonian region is rich in culture, and on the world stage has some of the most exciting examples of teaching and learning environments, particularly those related to early childhood education; the value of design and the apparent synergy between teaching, learning, and
school design is evident. Design competitions have often been used to promote and push the boundaries, resulting in some of the most progressive examples of the impact of design and architecture on learning.

KH Delivers 2558 Vida Presentation at AIASF

American Institute of Architects, San Francisco

Sustainable Multifamily Housing Models for San Francisco: Session 3

This series showcases several new mixed use residential developments undertaken by developers who have forged a multi-project collaborative relationship with their architectural firms. These developer/architect partnerships are tackling large and complex sites, and adopting sustainable approaches to their work, while responding to neighborhood context and meeting specific market housing needs through site and building design innovations.

This series is organized and moderated by Tom Jones, Director of Cal Poly's San Francisco Urban Program. The series is co-sponsored by Cal Poly State University College of Architecture and Environmental Design, AIASF, SPUR, and the Urban Land Institute.

Kwan Henmi's 2558 Mission Project --

The market-rate component of the project will be:

o   114 residential units

o   18 Jr. 1-bed units,  45 1-bed units &  51 2-bed units

o   About 15K sf of retail fronting on Mission

o   80 parking spaces in mechanized stackers (2 retail & 1 car share) on 1 level

o   88+ bicycle spaces (plus 5 retail) (41 required)

o   Primary Residential Entry and parking entrance on Bartlett

Building Urban Design:

o   The Design strives to be part of the urban, cultural and contemporary context.

o   Cultural influences. Specifically, the design of the street façades take inspiration from weaving and craftsmanship, creating shapes that undulate through the urban fabric. This expression also incorporates the vibrant color that we see specifically in the Mission and in Latin culture more broadly.

o   Given the scale of Mission & Bartlett Streets, both of which are narrow; oblique views of the building are one’s primary way of experiencing the form.  The design specifically carters to these views by accenting color as the building forms undulate. 

o   We feel that contemporary design expression is complimentary to the Art Deco Theater, helping bring animation and vitality to this area of the Mission

o   As one gets closer to the building (and in elevation this starts to disappear ).  A more vertical residential rhythm appears, echoing the Marquee and the prevalent street rhythm. The setbacks on the upper two floors further reinforce this verticality, which also serves to break up the width of the Mission St. Façade. The building is set back a bay from the marquee intentionally to enhance the prominence of the marquee.  The Marquee also maintains prominence as it is projects over the sidewalk, which our project does not.

o   The expression & form is echoed on the Bartlett street side.  The scale is lower, but the overall building expression is coherent.

It's Official! Our Las Positas College | Science Building achieved LEED GOLD certification.

This new 25,000sf facility includes new laboratories, support spaces, and classrooms. 

Click below to learn more about the LEED rating systems.

http://www.usgbc.org/leed/rating-systems

Our Arterra building is featured in the SF Gate's "Top 10 Towers"

Arterra was California's first LEED SIlver residential high rise community.

Arterra combines the design of a healthy building, sustainability, aesthetics and good business, with the goal to enhance quality of life for residents.  While receiving critical praise, the project is a vibrant, affordable, environmentally responsible contribution to the re-envisioned neighborhood of Mission Bay.

Located just a block from AT&T ballpark, on a brownfield parcel, the project provides 269 high quality, modestly priced condo residences, designed to attract first time buyers. The project combines high-rise, mid-rise, and low-rise unit sections, breaking the massing and optimizing views for residents. Bold use of color and varied massing contribute a vibrant and complementary presence to streetscape and skyline, scaled with consideration to surroundings, views and solar angles. Deeply recessed windows alternate with accents of orange set in a deep blue field, mixed with gleaming white facades, providing a graceful rhythm and cohesion while responding to the varied urban contexts.

Arterra has been identified as one of "10 Towers that define San Francisco's skyline" by John King and the San Francisco Chronicle.  Click the link below to read the article and vote for your favorites among some of the city's most exceptional sky-scrapers.

http://blog.sfgate.com/johnking/2014/02/21/10-towers-that-define-san-franciscos-skyline/#20779101=4

Westfield Cargo Facility Goes Under Construction

New Cargo Facility at San Francisco International Airport

  Monday, June 17, 2013

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Kwan Henmi has held a long and lasting partnership with the San Francisco International Airport, having assisted the airport's facility and operations team on multiple campus upgrade projects over the past decade.  These projects include design and construction of stations for SFO's passenger commuter system, Airtrain completed in 2000, the design and construction of the Westfield Employee Parking Garage completed in 2004, and most recently the Administrative Building 575 completed in 2010.  KH also assisted SOM on the development of the new International Terminal in 2000, specifically the development of the arrivals terminal. 

This history of project experience at the San Francisco International Airport extends back to founder Sylvia Kwan's early experiences working on airport projects as a new hire for Gensler in 1978.  Her early career opportunity to research and understand this complex transportation type led to Sylvia's interest in ultimately developing Kwan Henmi's transportation design team as a leading company in the Bay Area.  Kwan Henmi has a continued to build a portfolio that includes diverse projects for numerous Bay Area transportation agencies, and continues to excels in this market as a leading architectural design firm.  

In partnership with McCarthy Builders, the new Westfield Cargo Facility  has led the design effort of a modern, state-of-the-art cargo facility that will house new airport cargo services tenants.  This project has been designed with the intent to bring a modern edge to the standard principles of a large box space, merging color, light, and materials to enhance the user experience.  The team started demolition of the prior cargo facility that occupied the site in early June, and will be moving into the first phase of the project during July. The project completion date is anticipated for early summer of 2014.

Kwan Henmi at AIA Convention 2013

General Colin Powell speaks as the closing keynote at AIA Convention 2013 in Denver

During June, the American Institute of Architects hosted their annual conference in Denver, Colorado.  The Convention took place over a series of several days bringing together 16,000+ architects from the US and international countries.  Participants listened to keynote speakers, including former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, and Architecture for Humanity co-founder Cameron Sinclair, while also participating in a series of workshop and seminars focused on building architects as leaders within their communities.

Kwan Henmi participated, sending founders Sylvia Kwan, Denis Henmi, and Marketing Manager Je'Nen Chastain.  All three have served in different leadership positions with the organization, including Sylvia's term on the AIA national board of directors in 1996, and Je'Nen's term on the AIA national board of directors in 2010. 

Key highlights of the conferences program included... 

Denis Henmi is serving as a member of the 2014 Convention planning committee, and participated in meetings to discuss the next conference's programming and speakers.