Commonwealth Club

An adaptive reuse lends new life to a San Francisco institution’s headquarters while preserving its historic façade.

Integrated Value
Strategic engineering made use of the existing structural foundation by minimizing new building loads.

The Commonwealth Club, well respected as a center for public discourse and debate, needed a new headquarters—the adaptive resuse of the club’s existing building accommodated an auditorium with 299 seats; a 135–person multipurpose room; a library lounge; prefunction reception space; roof garden; and publicly accessible roof terrace.

Adaptive reuse of a San Francisco institution

The plan for adaptive reuse included new steel framing at the second floor to replace the original wood floor; and the addition of a new steel-framed third floor and roof deck to the existing structure. Strategic engineering made use of the existing structural foundation by minimizing new building loads, while preserving the historic Steuart Street façade.

Structural work also included a comprehensive seismic upgrade in accordance with current code, a prominent entry canopy integrated with the new glass curtain wall, and an architecturally exposed steel stair connecting the main lobby on the first floor to the second floor.