A New “Swiss House” Brings Switzerland to San Fran, by TEF Design

Pier 17, a designated National Historic Landmark is the new home to a “Swiss House” overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The new hub, designed by TEF Design, brings Swiss government, education, business and innovation partners into one space. Photo: Bruce Damonte

Entities both private and public trying to establish a presence in a region outside their natural domain must strike a delicate balance between honoring the local culture while staying true to their core values. Using design to help achieve this balance is a smart investment.

A new project in San Francisco is doing just that. Pier 17, a designated National Historic Landmark located adjacent to the San Francisco Exploratorium is the new home to a “Swiss House” overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The new hub, designed by TEF Design, brings Swiss government, education, business and innovation partners together in one space.

At the crux of this project are several separate entities that share a few common core goals:

>Promote collaboration and foster synergy between four anchor Swiss agencies

>Provide a public face to the Bay Area that showcases Swiss creativity and innovation

>Create highly flexible spaces on a modest budget that can accommodate an array of simultaneous activities

>Comply with the highest standards for historic preservation

The “Swiss House” provides a 25,373 square foot workspace for the Swiss Consulate, Swissnex and Swiss Tourism, exhibition and gallery spaces, meeting spaces, a visa passport office, and flexible, short-term coworking spaces to incubate start-ups.

In preparing Pier 17 with electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other structural updates, the design team spent a majority of the project’s already modest budget on shell and core improvements.

“Swiss House” on Pier 17, with views of San Francisco and the Bay. Photo: Bruce Damonte

“The pier needed a lot of updates – it was very raw building when we started,” said Andrew Wolfram, principal at TEF Design. “The Pier is completely over water, so all of the plumbing has to get pumped, and we had to put those systems in place. Even with acoustical and lighting treatments, we needed to find solutions that worked and made the space more comfortable for its occupants, but that were economical, too.”

TEF Design’s adaptive reuse of an existing warehouse, originally built for the North Pacific Steamship Company, focused on maintaining the open, industrial character of the pier, with its high ceilings and exposed structural elements. TEF replaced loading dock doors with glass curtainwall to allow daylight to flood the interior and provide dramatic waterfront views.

The “Swiss House” provides a 25,373 square foot workspace for the Swiss Consulate, Swissnex and Swiss Tourism, exhibition and gallery spaces, meeting spaces, a visa passport office, and flexible, short-term coworking spaces to incubate start-ups. Photo: Bret Jana

Flexibility was a key priority for the Swiss clients. “They sponsor startups and research projects and other things like that all the time, so the space needed to be inviting and flexible – a space that welcomes incubating together,” said Mr. Wolfram.

The project’s inclusion of coworking and meeting spaces reflects the nonconformist creativity Switzerland shares with California – finding common ground between the local region and Swiss culture while setting a tone of collaborative flexibility moving through the space.

The workspace serves as a platform for Swiss design – plenty of Vitra furniture, along with lighting elements and floorcovering, were selected with Swiss preferences in mind. Photo: Bret Janak

Movable walls and furniture, in tandem with large sliding doors, and lighting controls and other systems all support various spatial configurations, so that the space could roll easily from a big performance event one night into a hackathon the next day.

“Open work and meeting areas face water views, with one and two-story pavilion-like rooms that divide the main workspace into distinct work and collaboration zones. Service spaces are organized in a solid spine, accessed by a drive aisle that runs the length of the pier.”

And at the end of the pier, a multipurpose space features an operable, vertically folding glass wall, providing an aperture to spectacular bay views and a space for events to flow outside, directly onto the pier apron and water’s edge. Photo: Bruce Damonte

And at the end of the pier, a multipurpose space features an operable, vertically folding glass wall, providing an “aperture to spectacular bay views and a space for events to flow outside, directly onto the pier apron and water’s edge.”

TEF Design used cost effective, flexible and durable materials and finishes, including plywood, concrete and steel, as well economically friendly furnishings and other interior treatments.

The workspace also serves as a platform for Swiss design – plenty of Vitra furniture, along with lighting elements and floorcovering, were selected with Swiss preferences in mind.

TEF replaced loading dock doors with glass curtainwall to allow daylight to flood the interior and show dramatic waterfront views. Photo: Bret Janak

The participating Swiss entities share many back-of-house functions while maintaining separate public spaces. In supporting all the entities using the space, the building needed to speak to the differing priorities of each. Where Swissnex, an expanding outreach organization, wanted a heightened connection between them and the public, the Swiss Consulate needed to focus on putting the proper security measures in place.

TEF Design incorporated sustainability features and wellbeing amenities into the building as well.

“Open work and meeting areas face water views, with one and two-story pavilion-like rooms that divide the main workspace into distinct work and collaboration zones.” Photo: Bret Janak

“Large potted plantings, ample daylight and furniture focused on human and ergonomic factors reinforce health and environmental priorities,” noted the project description. “Sustainability features also include highly efficient mechanical systems that include heat recovery, bicycle parking, showers, and a curtain wall system that includes View Dynamic glass, which adapts automatically to exterior light conditions to reduce energy consumption.”

Photo: Bret Janak

The View Dynamic glass product can be customized so that each panel can be individually controlled to cut down on glare.

As our buildings continue to move toward integrating separate groups of people and purposes more closely together, designers must find ways to accomplish it elegantly. By designing a space that blends Swiss design and cultural values, differing spatial needs, and the local culture of the San Francisco Bay Area, TEF Design created a bridge that their Swiss clients can use to further their disparate goals.