Thoreau Center for Sustainability

The Presidio of San Francisco, CA

A landmark in several ways, the Thoreau Center for Sustainability was the first renovation project at the new National Park in the Presidio of San Francisco, an early model of successful private/public partnerships within the National Parks, and a pioneering integration of sustainable design strategies within the National Register of historic structures.

Located in the historic hospital wards of the Presidio’s Letterman Complex, the Center provides a home for over 60 non-profit organizations working for a healthy environment and a just world. The landmark buildings were upgraded for their new use as office and research facilities in strict conformance with the requirements of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Structures. In compliance with the National Park Service’s “Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design,” the design team researched and applied the latest developments in sustainable building materials and integrated building systems available at the time.

• AIA National – Committee on the Environment, Top Ten Green Project
• National Trust for Historic Preservation, Honor Award
• AIA California Council, Honor Award
• Client: Tides Foundation / Equity Community Builders
• Size: 75,000 sq. ft. (Phase 1); 37,000 sq. ft. (Phase 2)
• Team: Charlie Stott, Project Architect and Project Manager for LMS Architects (Phase 2)
• Photographs: Richard Barnes