Introduction The 21- acre Orange Memorial Park is the most important public recreation venue for the citizens of South San Francisco and is the context for this new recreation building which is encircled by soccer, picnic, basketball and other outdoor amenities. The 6,400 s.f. building’s most significant element is an airy, light-filled, Activity Pavilion for cultural, recreational, celebratory, and educational activities. While the wood finishes, exposed wood roof trusses and colors add warmth to this important room, the large expanses of glass walls and doors provide strong view and circulation connections to the park. The recreation building is conceived as a focal point of the park and an icon for the community. Towards that goal, a juxtaposition of two distinct rectangular masses was created – one large, light and largely transparent, housing the Activity Pavilion, with abundant fenestration in concert with red and yellow cedar, and another mass that is by contrast a smaller, nearly solid box of basalt stone. The interior use of cedar specifically, in the Activity Pavilion creates a dynamic and inviting environment for a central meeting place for the community. Moreover, the horizontality of the building is accentuated by the roof of the Pavilion whose paired glu-lam wood trusses, span the 60‘ room; these trusses cantilever beyond the enclosed footprint to provide covered outdoor patio areas and the truss top chord and sunshade framing extend further.
The designers wanted the environmental features of the project to lend strong architectural expression to the building. Most important in this regard are the siting of the project with regard to solar orientation, the deep overhangs and sunshades, and the abundant sun-protected fenestration that provided natural day-lighting and views
Sustainable Design This project’s energy performance is 16.2% better than what is mandated by California’s stringent energy efficiency code standard. This qualified the city as the owner to receive a rebate of thousands of dollars from PG&E.
The Activity Pavilion is served by four, high efficiency roof top AC units, with air side economizers and CO2 sensors for improved indoor air quality. A modular approach allows selective use of units to match center program needs. Fabric ductwork “socks” distributes air with continuous perforated air slots providing a draft free airflow environment. Ductless split systems serve each office and provide control by individual occupants.
Low-emitting materials – paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants with low VOC, and plywood and fiberboard with no added formaldehyde – minimize indoor air contaminants. The polished concrete slab serves as the finished floor surface, thus reducing material use, and resulting in a floor that is highly durable, easy to maintain, and of VOC-free emissions. A high percentage of fly-ash is specified for the foundation concrete; other material choices with high recycled content include recycled glass countertops and aluminum.
The buildings were sited to preserve an existing Magnolia tree grove. The roof has a cool coating to reduce the heat island effect. Bio-swales treat run-off from the patios and ball courts.
