Amid the century-old brick and timber structures that make up San Francisco's Design District/Showplace Square is One Henry Adams, a new two-building residential development designed to blend in and stand out at the same time. Part of the mix of materials utilized by BAR Architects to create the project's clean, simple look were zinc reveal panels from Morin, a Kingspan Group Company.
One Henry Adams was developed by Equity Residential and is noteworthy for both its scale and amenities. Occupying a full city block, the 1.65-acre development is comprised of two five-story buildings separated by an open space. The smaller North building consists of 85 residential units above a commercial/residential lobby. The South building contains 156 standard and “flex” units above a structured parking garage.
The complex features a rooftop terrace with skyline views, a 24-hour private fitness center, and a lavish clubhouse. The one-, two- and three-bedroom living units have quartz countertops, glass tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and 9' ceilings.
The $164.4 million development's design is a fusion of zinc, steel, brick, timber and glass. The zinc was used not only because of its unique texture and natural aesthetic, but also because of its inherent sustainable qualities. Zinc is 100% recyclable and has a low environmental imprint during construction. In addition, zinc is also ideally suited for use in coastal environments where salt air can quickly corrode other types of metals.
Zinc is available in a variety of surface aspects and even with a painted finish, but for this project the architect chose 1.2mm-thick zinc with a pre-weathered graphite gray finish. Fabricated into Morin's A-12 profile with a custom 1” reveal, the panels were installed vertically, creating sharp lines that extend skyward. The panels feature folded corners on every edge.
Manufacturing panels with folded corners is becoming increasingly popular because of inherent design advantages. Folding the corners is shown to tighten the panel, making the panel structure more rigid. This minimizes the potential for both pillowing, which is the slight outward or inward curving of the panel face, and oil canning, which is the name given to waviness in the panel face. Neither affects the integrity or performance of the panel, though both are considered unsightly in most situations.
The sharp reveals create the illusion that the building is made with long zinc bricks. These "bricks" appear to be floating next to each other as not a single fastener or piece of trim is visible on the zinc facade. In recognition of the advantages of panels with folded edges, and their increasing popularity, Morin recently acquired a new roll former capable of producing them with greater speed and efficiency.
In addition to Morin's A-12 profile, the project also incorporates a small amount of the company's Morzip ribbed panels, also fabricated from zinc.