Sustainability Highlight: The Wraparound House

April 23, 2025

4 min read

Sustainability. For some, it’s merely a buzzword. For FORMA, it’s a fulfilling challenge we are committed to perfectly executing.

When beginning our project in the Marina District of San Francisco, numerous environmental and safety concerns quickly became apparent along with major structural issues. To ensure the health of our clients and the environment, our team was dedicated to finding the best solutions possible while complying with the U.S. Architects Declare Climate, Justice and Biodiversity Emergency. This network, organized by Architects Declare, consists of architectural firms that pledge to enact radical change within the architectural world and beyond.

HISTORY

Dating back to 1931, The Wraparound House is a charming home with a lengthy history. The Marina District, where the project resides, is known for its picturesque views, sunny streets and its basis of landfill. As a result, building a sturdy foundation for any structure has proven to be almost impossible as the ground below is severely unstable. While this created a challenge, it was one we were eager to overcome.

Our mission was simple: Expand the original home, set up a series of three terraces, extend the backyard and create the dream home for our clients. When we got to work, we were met with yet another environmental road block.

FORMA team in the early construction stages.

SOIL CONTAMINATION

The Wraparound House is located within the historic boundary of the former North Beach Manufactured Gas Plant. Operational from 1891 to 1906, the plant suffered a severe earthquake in its last year that caused irreparable damage. This led to its demise and demolition.

Its replacement? The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. According to researchers, the residue released from North Beach plant operations and the burning of residual materials during demolition likely contaminated the soil below.

The house was lifted to allow for soil remediation and structural enhancements. To ensure safety on the unstable ground, we replaced the deteriorating original foundation with a thick mat slab foundation, stripped the structure down to the studs and began to rebuild this historic home.

REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT

In compliance with the U.S. Architects Declaration on Climate, Justice and Biodiversity Emergency, The Wraparound House reduces embodied energy by reusing existing structures. According to the declaration, architects should avoid demolition and new construction whenever possible. As an alternative to these carbon-intensive processes, architects are encouraged to prioritize upgrading existing buildings for extended use.

Our team installed new insulation under the foundation and throughout the home, upgraded glazing to improve thermal performance and added new operable apertures to reduce the need for artificial lighting. This further promotes passive ventilation and heat exchange, thus reducing the HVAC system requirements and output.

Kitchen details include crisp white marble countertops with gray veining, rich walnut cabinetry and a view of the custom staircase.

The media room at the base of the home features custom wallpaper and pops of color along with direct access to the backyard.

The central arched stair, located in the media room, travels up through the family room and bedroom levels to eventually open to the roof deck. Not only does this serve as a stunning visual but it carves out a vertical void in the middle of the plan. This ventilation chimney draws warm air up and out of the house while pulling in cool air from the home’s exterior.

Resilient materials were deployed to reduce life-cycle costs and resource consumption, synthetic turf was installed in the backyard to significantly reduce water demand and an electric vehicle charging station was modernized and converted to high-efficiency LEDs.

This quaint, archival home built on burdens of the past has evolved into a modern marvel that embraces the need to expand without sacrificing the nostalgic character of its roots. Years of hard work and dedication delivered an impressive 4,700-square-foot home that effortlessly blends environmentally-conscious living and modern design.