arquitectonica’s high-rise features multi-layered alucobond façade

designed by arquitectonica, the olume residential building in san francisco, utilizes five alucobond plus aluminum composite materials (ACM) to form a unique cube-like metal façade. located in the mission district, the 12-story community high-rise, which was officially opened in march 2016, has become a recognizable landmark for the area. its use of custom earth-toned colors of ACM has helped give it a resounding and spectacular multi-layered exterior.

the residential high-rise is situated in the mission district
all images © daniel lunghi photography

‘we were asked to re-think the exterior,’ said architect ilon keilson, who shared project management duties with architect leon cheng, AIA, both of arquitectonica. ‘this building is located on a prominent corner (mission and 10th streets). we were asked to create a more vibrant landmark. … we needed to maximize square footage for the client while also creating depth in the elevation to get a sense of relief.’

‘the aesthetic of relief is often tricky to successfully incorporate in sales-driven projects. doing so has a direct correlation with sellable square footage in the interiors, so we began playing with the exterior skin to maximize the perception of depth and movement without impacting sellable area.’ added leon cheng.

the building’s glazing set is back 2 inches to 8 inches from the metal panels.

arcquitectonica’s resulting façade design appears as an abstract composition of various colored metal cubes. by using alucobond plus ACM and setting them at five different depths, the shades of red, influenced by the californian city’s golden gate bridge and 49ers american football team, are beautifully accentuated, diversified and dynamic. totaling 40,700 square feet of 4mm ACM, the olume building is clad in ‘cajun clay’, ‘burnt russet’, ‘baked clay’, pumice stone’, and ‘baked terracotta’ metallic tones.

the façade utilizes five different tones of ACM

‘from a thematic standpoint, we wanted to introduce dynamism through depth. we wanted to reflect diversity in the neighborhood and in residential buildings.’ said cheng. ‘we wanted to take the idea of redness but turn it more toward earth tones so there wasn’t an immediate brightness to the building all around.’

its red shades associate the building with the city’s golden gate bridge

underneath its now notorious façade, the residential complex consists of 121 luxury rental units, which are offered as studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments. as well it features a 4,000 square-foot rooftop deck that offers views over mission bay and downtown, an entertainment area, fitness center and dog run. furthermore, the community high-rise provides a second-level garden area of 6,000 square-feet of usable, open green space.

however, the earthy tones ensures that the exterior is not considered too bright

alucobond, manufactured by 3A composites, seeks to bring a superior metal panel image to projects. since being developed 40 years ago, its materials form a prominent feature in a large number of attractive, distinctive architectural constructions world-wide, and as such, it was exclusively specified for the olume residential building.

it features a 4,000 square-foot rooftop deck that provides views over mission bay and downtown

‘alucobond is certainly the standard – if not the gold standard – of aluminum composite material,’ said cheng. ‘beyond its name recognition, it was recommended in partnership with our contractors. alucobond was selected for its product characteristics of flatness and light weight.’

‘another product might have limited our design opportunities,’ added cheng. ‘we didn’t want a product that would produce more noise and be distracting.’

3A composites with alucobond, are exhibiting at greenbuild, los angeles convention center, from october 5th to 6th. at booth number 835, they will be showcasing their aluminum composite materials and recyclable materials, among many more innovations.

the olume residential building at night time

project info:

project name: olume residential building
project location: san fransisco, california
alucobond materials: alucobond® plus five custom colors; cajun clay, burnt russet, baked clay, pumice stone and baked terracotta.
architect: arquitectonica
fabricator: keith panel systems co. ltd.
installers: pacific erectors
general c0ntractor: build group, inc.