planning landscape architecture urban design
TECH DECK
LOCATION / Mountain View, CA CLIENT / The Minkoff Group TYPE / Living Roof SIZE / 21,500 sq ft ROLE / Lead Landscape Architect STATUS / Built
TEAM / BRICK architect NIBBI BROTHERS contractor AWARDS / 2016 Cities Alive Award of Excellence 2015 ASLA-NCC Honor Award
Designed for a global information technology company, the Tech Deck in Mountain View, CA employs a large shade structure, a custom paving system, walls, decks, a bocce ball court, planting, and green roof systems to create a new paradigm for infill workplaces in Silicon Valley that enable collaboration, social interaction, and ecological performance.
The elegance of the design is its ability to engage the panorama by creating a sense of approaching the edge without cluttering the view with clumsy devises.
This high performance landscape sits in a magnificent panorama of Silicon Valley, the Bay, and Moffat Air Base.
Sixty feet in the air, social spaces and building systems are merged with the horticultural conditions of diverse and dynamic planting compositions to manage 100% of the site’s storm water, create habitats for birds and pollinating insects, and contribute to the LEED Platinum objective for the project.
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LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS / GREEN ROOF SYSTEMS 1
Low Concrete Seat Wall
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Low Concrete Seat Wall
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Wood Deck on Pedestals
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Concrete Seat / Planter Wall
Precast Concrete Paver Plaza on High Density Foam & Pedestals
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Sedum (Extensive Green Roof)
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Stone & Sedum Tree Base
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Concrete Stairs
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Partial Shade Mix
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BUILDING ELEMENTS
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Bocce Ball Court
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Roof Projection / Aluminum
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Cement Screen
Intensive / Shade Mix Stone & Sedum
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Perforated Metal Screen
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Swale / Drain Location
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Solar Panels (building roof)
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Intensive / Lawn Screen H Roof Intensive Mix Intensive / Shade Mix / Shade A Lobby Projection / Aluminum Stair A I Cement I Cement Screen Cement Screen / Shade Mix A J Perforated B Stair StoneIntensive & Sedum Stone & Sedum Space Event Space Perforated Metal Screen C Event I Screen J Metal (Lagerstroemia Stone/ & Sedum Concrete Seat Wall ‘Nachez’) t Wall C Event Space Extensive Grasses D VestibuleD Vestibule J Perforated Metal Screen Extensive / Grasses K ElevatorsK Elevators Seat Wall E Stair B E Stair 15 Lawn (Intensive) ve) Concrete Extensive / Grasses D Vestibule B Extensive / Sedum Extensive / Sedum K Elevators Mechanical Shaft L Mechanical L Shaft
Lawn 16 Low Concrete Seat Wall e Seat Wall(Intensive)
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Nachez Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Nachez’)
BUILDING ELEMENTS BUILDING ELEMENTS Bocce Ball Court Bocce Ball Court ELEMENTS Bocce Ball Court Intensive / Lawn H Roof/ Aluminum H Roof Projection A Lobby A BUILDING Projection / Aluminum Intensive / Lawn Lobby
Sedum 13 B Nachez Crape(Extensive) Myrtle e Myrtle Lagerstroemia ‘Nachez’) ia ‘Nachez’) Nachez Crape Myrtle C 14
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Extensive Shade Structure/ Sedum Overhead Shade Structure Overhead
Mechanical Penthouse N Solar M Solar Panels (building roof) Panels (building roof)
ShadeGlass Structure Overhead Full-length Opening Full-length Glass Opening
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Full-length Glass Opening
INDIA BASIN
LOCATION / San Francisco, CA CLIENT / Build Inc TYPE / Mixed-Use & Waterfront Park SIZE / 27 acres ROLE / Lead Landscape Architect STATUS / Entitlement
TEAM / SOM architecture GEHL STUDIO public realm SHERWOOD water systems A10 district sustainability
India Basin is a post industrial waterfront in a high tech city. It was formed by industry, economics, land speculation, and war. Bionic is the lead landscape architect for its transformation from a feral and forgotten place to a new expansion of the city enabled with a super-natural landscape designed for the future.
of landscapes. A system of pond and wetland infrastructure retains and aerates 100% of the site’s stormwater and blackwater to irrigate the park, habitats, and for reuse in the development. Excess water is sold to adjacent properties for district-scale sustainability.
Through both large scale waterfront planning and site specific sensitivity, the urban design will reorganize physical, ecological, and infrastructural relationships of the site to SF Bay and the city. A new compact urban village will host a 12.8-acre waterfront public park with over 1,000 residential units as well as commercial and community institutions. Soil is retained on-site for net zero off-haul, soil remediation, and to create a maze-like sequence
A shared public way and dedicated bike lane emphasize a pedestrianoriented public realm. And Bay Bridge Steel reuse is part of the site’s distinct sculpture program. A suite of living shoreline pilot projects and devices will test strategies for shoreline protection, wave attenuation, habitat creation, and upland habitat migration for an adaptive and resilient shoreline, and as a precedent for other Bay waterfront sites.
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3RD STREET FLASHLIGHT
LOCATION / San Francisco, CA CLIENT / SF Museum of Craft & Design TYPE / Public space
SIZE / 700 sq ft ROLE / Landscape Architect STATUS / Built
On a busy transit corridor, this public space provides an extension to the adjacent museum, refuge for pedestrians, light to activate the sidewalk, and a visual art installation for drivers. The street side engages the dynamic urban landscape of the streetscape with a faceted wall that changes color with the shifting perspective of viewers in passing cars and trains.
The sidewalk side that faces the museum is a gift to the community. It offers a range of comfortable social spaces and seating experiences for individuals and groups. Area lighting mounted on masts projects patterns of light on the adjacent building façade and provides lighting for the parklet to extend its use and presence into the evening.
PITTSBURGH GATEWAY
LOCATION / Pittsburgh, PA CLIENT / Western Pennsylvania Conservancy TYPE / Streetscape SIZE / 4.5 acres
ROLE / Landscape Architect STATUS / Design Development AWARDS / 2010 Pittsburgh Gateway Winner
After winning a national design competition, Bionic was commissioned to redesign this iconic entry to the city of Pittsburgh, which links the Fort Pitt Bridge to the heart of the cultural district and Point State Park.
The urban design integrates vehicles with a complex mix of contemporary urban systems and programs including class 1 bike lanes, storm water treatment, pedestrian safety, trees and soils, snow removal, custom lighting and furnishings, and a public sculpture garden.
trash & recycle receptacle
consolidated newspaper stand
transit shelter
seating
bike rack
street light
FORT MASON CENTER
LOCATION / San Francisco, CA CLIENT / Fort Mason Center TYPE / Historic Campus SIZE / 13 acres ROLE / Landscape Architect
STATUS / Schematic Design TEAM / WEST8 urban design JENSEN architect AWARDS / 2013 Fort Mason Design Competition Winner
Bionic with West8 won the international design competition and developed the master plan and implementation strategy for the public realm of the historic Fort Mason campus on the northern waterfront of San Francisco, CA. Bionic is leading the design and construction for the waterfront and public realm.
Francisco Waterfront. It is defined by constraints and regulatory complexity. The design for the public realm uses the paved surfaces and historic rail track system as infrastructure for arts and culture programming and public access. Seating islands, floating pontoons, vehicle barriers, platforms, and fire pits form a family of mobile site elements designed to create comfort and amenities for visitors. Designed for the specifications of the house fork lift, the pieces can be deployed throughout the site to create a wide range of configurations, event spaces, and circulation patterns. This strategy creates a contemporary urban waterfront destination while remaining sensitive to the historic resource.
Fort Mason Center is an arts and culture complex in a National Park. Bionic in collaboration with West 8 won the international design competition Bionic is leading the design and construction to transform it’s parking lot into a lively and exciting public realm. The former industrial military site is a national historic district that sits in a prime location on the San
URBAN SPRING
LOCATION / San Francisco, CA TYPE / Garden SIZE / 1250 sq ft ROLE / Landscape Architect STATUS / Built
AWARDS / 2013 ASLA Professional Honor Award 2013 James Rose Center Award 2012 NCC ASLA Honor Award 2012 Suburbia Transformed 2.0 Award
Springs and streams used to be common in San Francisco. They emerged from the hills and ultimately drained to the Bay. Today most are put into pipes and routed to the city storm sewers.
stair stringers, Ipe wood off cuts for decking, soil from the foundation excavation to create a level play lawn. A crane built into the house and garden moves materials and supplies in and out of the site.
The spring that emerges from the foundation of this residence provides 100 gallons of water per day. Devices for capturing, moving, and using the water structure the garden and enable unique plant collections to survive on the shady site. Stairs, decks, and a small lawn provide circulation around the garden above the moist clay soils. A mix of California native plants and exotic species are planted in drifts and adapted to the various micro climates of the urban site. Many of the materials were salvaged from the renovation of the interior of the residence- steel C channels for the
This project challenges the widespread convention of suppressing urban water systems in favor of the wide array of common justificationssafety, mosquitoes, costs, progress, maintenance, etc. Like many cities, San Francisco has paved and piped its hydrology away, along with the benefits that it could offer an ever growing and densifying city. While it is a small site, and a relatively small amount of water, this project demonstrates the life enabling possibilities of inventive design in combination with urban waters.
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Planting and Ground Cover
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Upper Deck
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Water Box
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Neighbor Gate
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Sango Kaku Japanese Maple
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Crane (Above)
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Steel Retaining Walls
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Concrete Retaining Wall
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Blue Bamboo
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Stairs
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Lower Runnel
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Wetland Deck
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Vine Maple
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Spring Basin
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Iris Wetland Planting
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Mini Deck, Typ.
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Boardwalk
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Headwall
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Black Mexican Pebble, Typ.
LOCATION / Mountain View, CA CLIENT / LinkedIn TYPE / Workplace
LINKEDIN CAMPUS
SIZE / 5 acres ROLE / Lead Landscape Architect STATUS / Construction
NVIDIA HEAD QUARTERS
LOCATION / Sunnyvale, CA CLIENT / NVIDIA TYPE / Workplace
SIZE / 2.5 acres ROLE / Landscape Architect
The exterior space at NVIDIA is an inspiring work place environment designed to stimulate collaboration. The design is hyper rational and based on an intelligent framework of strategies for the allocation of resource investments in the landscape. 5 systems address the environmental factors and the anticipated site program: landform, circulation, drainage, “sound wall,” and structures. A range of micro-climates and planting conditions result to further enhance environmental comfort, create delightful spaces, display seasonality, provide habitats to bird and insect species, and treat storm water.
scales—from spaces for one chair in the shade of a flowering tree, to groups of 2, 4, or 8. In the plaza, hundreds can gather in a sunny spot for lunch or a barbecue. The domes provide yet a different sense of comfort in the park as they cast patterns, create shade, and cool the temperature.
To create a diverse range of spaces for refuge and socializing, the fractal geometry of the site and its elements are artfully arrayed at a variety of
The life of the park is further animated by programs and memorable spaces. A café and bar, gardens, a plaza, an iconic water feature, and sheltered spaces will stimulate regular use and amenities, and offer the flexibility to host a variety of events, gatherings, and attractions. Heating, lighting, misters, and sound work together to extend the usefulness and comfort of the park throughout the year and at different times of the day.
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SOLAR TERRAIN
LOCATION / San Francisco, CA CLIENT / Museum of Craft & Design TYPE / Installation
SIZE / 350 sq ft ROLE / Landscape Architect STATUS / Built
Existing: small museum facing a busy street, old and new, iron fence, hand rail, concrete walkway, ivy covered wall, dwarf Japanese maple tree, permanent sculpture
technological, architectural, and landscape components.
The existing museum entry most resembles a Japanese garden, but creates significant issues with identity and visibility for the museum because it’s set-back off the street creates a small shaded urban space. In turn, Solar Terrain is an invention for this unique condition—a light for the shaded entry space, an icon for the museum, and an off-grid solution to the urban condition that merges
Solar panels on the roof of the building collect available sun light throughout the day to activate electroluminescent wires. The wires travel down the facade of the museum to the garden where they are supported by a field of rods. As a field, the rods create the elevations of a glowing compact terrain that undulates in response to the existing features of the garden. The wires terminate at the existing wrought iron fence from which they take their tight spacing—4.25”.
LOCATION / Sacramento, CA CLIENT / Sacramento Municipal Utilities District TYPE / infrastructure
SIZE / 2 miles ROLE / Landscape Architect STATUS / Ongoing
Mather Field Air Base & Open Space Mather Field Road Site
Rail Corridor = Urban Wildlife Corridor
SACRAMENTO SOLAR HIGHWAYS
Bionic was commissioned by Republic Solar Highways LLC to design the site of a Solar Array for the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District. The installation utilized 24 concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) units with dual axis sun tracking technology. Bionic correlated the space and technical requirements of the solar units with the habitat and nesting requirements of the California Quail.
Laser based motion sensor and surveillance equipment eliminated the typical requirement for a perimeter fence allowing free movement for the quail along an adjacent rail corridor. The resulting site plan created optimized conditions for resident quail habitat and secure high performance local power generation.
LOCATION / Malibu, CA CLIENT / California Coastal Conservancy Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority
TYPE / Coastal Access SIZE / 150 sq ft - 15 miles ROLE / Landscape Architect STATUS / On-going
SITE 1 Las Tunas - Harner/Gilmartin 3’ wide
SITE 2 Las Tunas - MRCA
SITE 3 Las Flores - Lent 6’ wide
MALIBU COASTAL ACCESS
SITE 4 Wayne 6’ wide
In California, the coastline is public. In Malibu, the convergence of extreme wealth and extreme beauty confront this law in the form of a continuous wall of development along the coastline that excludes the public. There is public access, but it is subversively undermined by a range of tactics, from misinformation through signage to protracted litigation. Bionic was commissioned by the California Coastal Conservancy to analyze 15 miles of the coastal access system in Malibu, CA. Analysis of the scale, program, circulation, pedestrian access, and maintenance of the access points was used to inform the functions of new access projects and to provide a strategic view for additional access points to the system.
While they are stout constructions designed to endure the forecful dynamics of the pacific ocean, each site is also a place, humanized with adaptations for comfort, safety, wayfinding, and heightened sensory experience.
SITE 5 Carbon - La Costa
Designed to meet the state mandates for sea level rise, the access system will assure long term public access to the ocean throuh specialized invention for the sites extreme physical conditions and coastal processes.
SITE 6 Escondida - Geoffrey’s 10’ wide
SITE 7 Escondida - Clark 10’ wide
SITE 8 Escondida Wildman/Mancuso 10’ wide
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ADOBE CREEK BRIDGE
LOCATION / Palo Alto, CA CLIENT / City of Palo Alto TYPE / Bridge & Reserve SIZE / 2 acres ROLE / Landscape Architect
STATUS / Ongoing TEAM / 64 NORTH architect HNTB engineer NED KAHN artist AWARDS / 2014 Adobe Creek Bridge Competition Winner
With 64North, HNTB, and Ned Kahn, Bionic was selected by the City of Palo Alto to design a bridge and surrounding landscape for a landmark bicycle and pedestrian bridge spanning Highway 101 at Adobe Creek.
As the water mixes with seasonal ground water and residual bay mud salinity, this vernal pool creates a new ecological niche. Elevations of the pool are set to enable habitat migration and future salt marsh ecologies as an innovative planning strategy for resiliency in the Baylands. A universally accessible boardwalk loop will demonstrate and measure the impacts of sea level rise through interpretive experiences and habitat restoration.
The iconic design will provide separate, dedicated access and amenities for both pedestrians and cyclists. The landscape recognizes its strategic place in the broader watershed, leveraging its small footprint for largerscale change through hydrologic and symbolic connection. Stormwater captured from the bridge and surrounding roadways is routed to a new vernal pool at the base of the bridge and edge of the Baylands.
Overflow and grey water from a possible bathroom and drinking fountains can be recaptured in tanks concealed in the bridge abutments, irrigating vertical gardens of pollinator species flanking their sides.
833 Market Street Suite 601 San Francisco, CA 94103 415.206.0648 www.bioniclandscape.com
[email protected]
