SOMA Grand

With San Francisco’s population boom and compact layout, building in the city is as challenging as meeting the demand. The SOMA Grand needed to overcome this challenge while also ensuring that it was aligned with concerns from the neighborhood community. Developed to be a high-rise luxury residential building, the design combines unique architectural aesthetics with amenities of a boutique hotel.

Our team presented different solutions for the client’s challenges, that could be accomplished through a series of community meetings.  One of the key issues was integrating parking into the design. We worked with the community and the authorities to allow above-ground parking by deftly creating the illusion of a residential facade down to ground level, thus obscuring the garage. The four above ground parking levels integrate more than 250 colorful patterned ceramic panels created by Bay Area artist Dorothy Lenehan to complete the garage enclosure and provide a significant contribution of public art to the neighborhood.

Both at the garden level and in the interiors, undulating elements contrast with the orthogonal massing of the tower. In the garden, curving stone walls and plantings mix with flexible seating arrangements to accommodate quiet rest or any size event. A boutique hotel consultant advised on the interiors, which were designed by our team. Sinuous curves and hotel-like furnishings characterize the lobby and other public spaces.

Furthering the contextual theme, SOMA Grand is now firmly a part of the revitalization of SoMa. Other luxury developments have followed SOMA Grand’s lead and are rising nearby, adding needed housing to this increasingly popular neighborhood.