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Perkins&Will designs student housing for UC Law San Francisco using fluted aluminum panels

Courthouse Contemporary

Perkins&Will designs student housing for UC Law San Francisco using fluted aluminum panels

The new building is located in San Francisco's Civic Center. (Bruce Damonte)
Architect:
Perkins&Will
Location:
San Francisco
Completion Date:
2024

A new 656-unit student housing complex, known as the Academe at 198, has completed construction in Downtown San Francisco. Designed by Perkins&Will, the building will serve the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. It features a fluted aluminum cladding that references the surrounding Neoclassical courthouse architecture of San Francisco’s civic center.

To alleviate the burden of San Francisco’s high cost of living, the Academe at 198 will deliver affordable housing to students and faculty of UC Law. By creating additional student housing, the university hopes to better compete with similar institutions in lower-cost-of-living areas. In addition to housing, the new development contains common space, classrooms, courtrooms, as well as food and retail options.

cars driving by Academe at 198 designed by Perkins&Will
Students enter the building through a glazed lobby on the ground floor. (Bruce Damonte)

The Academe at 198 replaces Snodgrass Hall, a Brutalist academic building from the 1950s. Classroom space from the previous structure has been reapportioned to other buildings across UC Law’s campus, including facilities within the new building.

Two new moot courtrooms, appellate and trial, are contained within the building, as well as LexLab, a multi-purpose space intended to connect students with Bay-area tech firms.

from study spaces students can look out see municipal buildings of San Francisco
Offering views of San Francisco’s civic center, the building immerses students in the judicial and legal heart of the city. (Bruce Damonte)

When designing the building’s facade, architects at Perkins&Will initially considered using a glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) or glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) product, but ultimately settled on aluminum.

“[GFRC/GFRP] did not provide the same technical and aesthetic advantages as the aluminum and they were more costly options,” said Anders Carpenter, associate principal at Perkins&Will. “We wanted an exterior finish that had a satin finish so that there would be a subtle sheen while also allowing the look of the panels to change throughout the day depending on the position of the sun—the aluminum provided this effect.”

close-up view of facade featuring fluted aluminum cladding
The Academe at 198 features an extruded aluminum facade that references the classical ornamentation of San Francisco’s civic architecture. (Bruce Damonte)

Specifically, the fluted facade was modeled after the articulation of classical column orders.

“We took the idea of the fluted column profile and flattened it into a facade pattern, which we then made more irregular and textural by varying the spacing and frequency of the flute ribs,” added Carpenter.

The coloration of the aluminum panels mimics that of 100 McAllister, a historic, art deco apartment building located on the opposite end of the block from the Academe at 198.

outside space with vegetation and seating
A central courtyard offers a respite from urban life through vegetation, sunlight, and fresh air. (Bruce Damonte)

A courtyard was situated at the center of the building. Here the aluminum panels were colored blue and organized in a gradation—rising from light to dark—that makes the courtyard itself seem brighter. The panels in the courtyard feature a slightly scalloped relief across their surface, albeit with less depth than those on the exterior of the building.

the dorm rooms are mostly studios with a small kitchen and closet and space for a bed and desk
The Academe at 198 primarily features studio apartments designated for graduate students. (Bruce Damonte)

The Academe at 198 has achieved LEED Gold certification through the use of low-e coated glazing, a thermally broken exterior envelope, and heavy insulation. In combination, these measures produce a high R-value envelope. In addition, the interior of the building features passive temperature controls such as operable windows and ceiling fans, as well as all-electric HVAC systems that have been optimized to operate only during periods of peak demand.

the street where Academe at 198 designed by Perkins&Will is located
The building’s beige panels blend in with the surrounding architecture. (Bruce Damonte)

The completion of the Academe at 198 may signal the beginning of a new period of investment in downtown San Francisco. Last year, San Francisco Mayor London Breed publicly invited the University of California to consider developing a downtown campus in the city. Breed sees the expansion of higher education into the neighborhood as a potential solution to disinvestment in downtown following the COVID-19 pandemic, and large retail and office vacancies.

Currently, Perkins&Will is also involved in a renovation of 100 McAllister, working to convert the historic structure into student housing for UC Law students.

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