Urban Twist

Site: SOMA District, San Francisco

Typology: Mixed-use tower

Course: Personal development project

Software: Rhino 7, Grasshopper 3D, Revit, Enscape, Adobe CC

Urban Twist is a mixed-use residential project in the SOMA district, San Francisco. The project’s primary goal is to blur the boundaries between public and private space by gradually transitioning from one another. The first three floors are shared spaces hosting a public library with an adjacent cafeteria and two boutiques. A massive grass-covered ramp with a walkway allows occupants to walk straight from the street corner to the second-floor public space and library. Above the library, a 14-story apartment tower rises, filled with studios and 1 to 2-bedroom apartment units.

The tower is designed parametrically in Grasshopper 3D and further refined and detailed in Revit using the Rhino inside Revit function. The objective is to have a visually appealing exterior form that opens up toward the podium roof garden for more afternoon sun exposure. In addition, the project follows a sustainable design criterion inspired by the CALGreen guidelines to play its part in the fight against climate change. Some implemented techniques include natural daylighting and ventilation, exterior shading, and an advanced water reclamation system.