San Francisco has one of the most rapidly changing skylines, with today’s mass of towers unimaginable just twenty years ago. John King, urban design critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, includes the SCB-designed Solaire in his recent list of the best high rises built in the city since 2000. “[C]ities need good buildings at every scale and by that standard, Solaire stands tall,” states King. “A few big moves break up the scale, such as the stack of three-story communal terraces that run up the side of the tower that faces the bay. The façade of opaque white glass has a foggy, San Francisco-appropriate sheen. …If…high-rise [SoMa] eventually develops a neighborly feel, Solaire will be a key part of the reason why.” 

Constructed in 2016, the 23-story Solaire introduced a new paradigm for urban living in the city, one focused on community-building and sustainable design. The LEED Gold building leverages San Francisco’s mild winters, dry summers, and low-humidity to meet its cooling needs through natural ventilation, rather than conventional mechanical systems. 

Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle.