NEWS
The Martin Wins PCBC 2025 Gold Nugget Awards
We're proud to announce that The Martin has been named Mixed-Use Community of the Year at the prestigious PCBC 2025 Gold Nugget Awards.
We're proud to announce that The Martin has been named Mixed-Use Community of the Year at the prestigious PCBC 2025 Gold Nugget Awards.
Presented by CBIA and PCBC, the Gold Nugget Awards is the oldest and most prestigious residential design awards in the nation, recognizing those who improve our communities through exceptional concepts in design, planning and development.
Project
The Martin
Lume Menlo Park’s Innovative Parking Solution
Lume Menlo Park opened in late 2024. Located in north Menlo Park and adjacent to the San Francisco Bay, the project consists of twin residential buildings with 220 units each creating 440 multi-family units with 15% below market rate units and 490 above grade parking spaces. Located adjacent to major technology offices, this project fulfills the housing demand for employees wanting to live near their workplace.
Lume Menlo Park opened in late 2024. Located in north Menlo Park and adjacent to the San Francisco Bay, the project consists of twin residential buildings with 220 units each creating 440 multi-family units with 15% below market rate units and 490 above grade parking spaces. Located adjacent to major technology offices, this project fulfills the housing demand for employees wanting to live near their workplace.
This forward looking project, located in a FEMA flood zone, prohibited below grade parking along with a zoning height restriction limiting area available for parking. This led to exploring innovative parking solutions, proposed by Watry Design, the parking consultant. As Design/Entitlement Architect, Heller Manus led the team during the Planning Approval phase with BDE as AOR. In the end, a high-density fully automated parking system was selected for its ability to meet the parking requirements within a limited area while maximizing the unit count.
Each building has its own separate automated parking system. Residents enter the building along an extended drive aisle where dynamic signage directs them to one of three available transfer portals that contain a turntable. After parking the vehicle on the turntable, they will exit and follow instructions on a panel located outside the portal to signal the system to park the car. A dolly then retrieves the car from the locked portal and transfers it into the parking storage area. While the vehicle is stored, the parking system can be programmed to charge electric vehicles with a Level 2 charger using a robotic arm to attach and detach the EV charging plug. The residents can use an app on their smartphone to monitor their vehicle charging along with requesting their vehicle to be retrieved prior to departure. When a resident returns for their vehicle, they are once more directed to an available transfer portal. After they input the required information, the system retrieves their car. Once it is delivered to the portal, the turntable will rotate the car so the driver can drive straight out of the facility.
Project
Lume | Menlo Park
The Martin Wins 2024 Silicon Valley Structures award
The Martin, Sunnyvale received the Silicon Valley Business Journal Structures Award for the Best Market-Rate Residential Project in 2024.
The Martin, Sunnyvale received the Silicon Valley Business Journal Structures Award for the Best Market-Rate Residential Project in 2024.
The Martin is a mixed-use residential and retail project that is centrally located in Downtown Sunnyvale and within a 5-minute walk to the Sunnyvale Caltrain station. It is the third and tallest residential phase of Cityline, a 36-acre mixed-use development comprised of office, retail, residential, movie theater and supermarket projects. Cityline Sunnyvale is a major transit-oriented development which revitalizes the Downtown into an active pedestrian-oriented destination where residents and visitors can live, work and play.
Read the article: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2024/08/12/2024-silicon-valley-structures-honorees.html
Jinyi Lake Source of Science and Technology Innovation Conceptual Design International Competition
We are pleased to announce that Heller Manus Architects, in partnership with Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co., Ltd., and Hangzhou City Planning Design Research Institute, has been shortlisted for the Jinyi Lake Source of Science and Technology Innovation Conceptual Design International Competition alongside esteemed international firms and well-known university design institutes such as Zaha Hadid Architects, Hangzhou Zhonglian Zhujing Architectural Design Co., Ltd., and Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute, among others.
We are pleased to announce that Heller Manus Architects, in partnership with Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research Co., Ltd., and Hangzhou City Planning Design Research Institute, has been shortlisted for the Jinyi Lake Source of Science and Technology Innovation Conceptual Design International Competition alongside esteemed international firms and well-known university design institutes such as Zaha Hadid Architects, Hangzhou Zhonglian Zhujing Architectural Design Co., Ltd., and Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute, among others.
Top Urban Planning and Design Services Company 2023
Heller Manus Architects recently received the 2023 Top Urban Planning and Design Services Company award by Real Estate Business Review Magazine. This achievement underscores our commitment to redefining the landscape of urban planning and design.
Read the article and discover the innovative vision and groundbreaking work that have earned Heller Manus Architects this esteemed recognition.
Heller Manus Architects recently received the 2023 Top Urban Planning and Design Services Company award by Real Estate Business Review Magazine. This achievement underscores our commitment to redefining the landscape of urban planning and design.
Read the article and discover the innovative vision and groundbreaking work that have earned Heller Manus Architects this esteemed recognition.
Doom Scoop: Real Estate Investors Spy Opportunity in San Francisco’s Bleak Market
Office-to-Housing Conversion News
Our Principal, Stephen Buchholz, recently sat down with Kevin Truong from The San Francisco Standard, as well as Jay Mancini and Roderick Roche from G&M Realty Ventures, to discuss office conversion opportunities in San Francisco.
Office-to-Housing Conversion News
Our Principal, Stephen Buchholz, recently sat down with Kevin Truong from The San Francisco Standard, as well as Jay Mancini and Roderick Roche from G&M Realty Ventures, to discuss office conversion opportunities in San Francisco.
Read the article
https://sfstandard.com/business/doom-scoop-real-estate-investors-spy-opportunity-in-san-franciscos-bleak-market/
California's Architects Lead in Designing for Resilience
While the diverse cities, beautiful landscapes, and generally warm weather make California a desirable place for many, the state historically carries a higher risk of experiencing a natural disaster than nearly anywhere else in the United States, according to FEMA data. Check out this article in ARCHITECT Magazine on why San Francisco’s 181 Fremont is widely considered to be one of the most earthquake-resistant buildings in the world.
While the diverse cities, beautiful landscapes, and generally warm weather make California a desirable place for many, the state historically carries a higher risk of experiencing a natural disaster than nearly anywhere else in the United States, according to FEMA data. Check out this article in ARCHITECT Magazine on why San Francisco’s 181 Fremont is widely considered to be one of the most earthquake-resistant buildings in the world.
Web Link: ARCHITECT Magazine
181 Fremont named S.F.’s Top 10 Towers of the 21st Century
"The visual flash of silvery metal is all the more satisfying because it is rooted in structural needs: The thick diagonal strokes form the exoskeleton that holds the building’s weight, locks it into the ground and gives added seismic protection. The break two-thirds of the way upward serves a purpose, too: It helps reduce aerodynamic tension on the shaft while providing an ultra-luxe aerie for the residents above (office space is below)," said John King.
"The visual flash of silvery metal is all the more satisfying because it is rooted in structural needs: The thick diagonal strokes form the exoskeleton that holds the building’s weight, locks it into the ground and gives added seismic protection. The break two-thirds of the way upward serves a purpose, too: It helps reduce aerodynamic tension on the shaft while providing an ultra-luxe aerie for the residents above (office space is below)," said John King.
Web Link: San Francisco Chronicle
Silicon Valley Business Journal Award Winner
The Silicon Valley Business Journal honors the best in real estate projects each year with the Structures Awards. For 2021, the 909 Kifer / Fortinet Headquarters won the Structures Awards in the Office/R&D Build Project category.
The Silicon Valley Business Journal honors the best in real estate projects each year with the Structures Awards. For 2021, the 909 Kifer / Fortinet Headquarters won the Structures Awards in the Office/R&D Build Project category.
HM designed this new headquarters building for Fortinet, a global network security company on their Sunnyvale corporate campus. This four-story, 172,000 sf office building, consists of two mirrored office wings that are joined by a large central entry atrium. The building’s state-of the-art systems reduce overall energy usage by 30% as compared to a standard office building. The large number of rooftop solar panels will offset 100% of annual energy use, making the project both zero-net energy and zero-net carbon, because the building does not burn fossil fuels.
First Prize: The Strategic Planning & Conceptual Urban Design of Wuxi Xiyan Lake Ecological Science and Technology City International Competition
Heller Manus joint team recently won the First Prize in the International Competition for the Strategic Planning and Conceptual Urban Design of Wuxi Xiyan Lake Ecological Science and Technology City in China. This project is sponsored by the People’s Government of Luoshe Town, Huishan District, Wuxi City.
Congratulations to the design team!
Heller Manus joint team recently won the First Prize in the International Competition for the Strategic Planning and Conceptual Urban Design of Wuxi Xiyan Lake Ecological Science and Technology City in China. This project is sponsored by the People’s Government of Luoshe Town, Huishan District, Wuxi City.
Congratulations to the design team!
NOVA: High-Risk High-Rise
The PBS NOVA series had a program on High-Rise Life Safety that highlighted our 181 Fremont project. The program premiered both nationally and locally on KQED on January 5, 2022.
The PBS NOVA series had a program on High-Rise Life Safety that highlighted our 181 Fremont project. The program premiered both nationally and locally on KQED on January 5, 2022.
181 Fremont is a state-of-the-art mixed-use office and residential high-rise tower located in downtown San Francisco. Standing 800 feet and 54 stories tall, this project demonstrates modernism in design, resilience, sustainability, and neighborhood integration. It is rated as a REDi Gold project, the highest level of structural resilience and was the first high-rise in the world to have all elevators designed to be used for evacuation during a fire or other emergency. The unique structural system is expressed on the building's exterior, enhancing the skyline expression, and adding a dramatic focal point to this evolving district of the city. The project is a LEED Platinum building and has several innovative design features including the shading curtain wall design, green roof, and graywater harvesting system.
Program Description:
Every year, hundreds of new skyscrapers are built around the globe. As nations vie for prestige and developers look to maximize limited urban space, these shimmering towers are rising higher and higher. In China alone, dozens of buildings reach over 1,000 feet, with a few approaching 2,000 feet. But for all their impressive engineering, are these buildings safe?
And can they be made livable? Are building regulations keeping up with the vertical building boom? In San Francisco, skyscrapers can be built on unstable, sinking ground. And internal sprinkler systems—the only hope for extinguishing fires that burn beyond the reach of firefighters' ladders—are often ineffective. Now, NOVA explores the science behind the risks of sky-high buildings, from the structural limits of building materials to the threats presented by wind, fire, and earthquakes. Experts show how the science of evacuation has shaped buildings in recent years, and what we have—and haven't—learned from past tragedies.
Web Link: NOVA | PBS
Credit: © 2022 WGBH Educational Foundation
AIASF International Architect Talk 2
On August 13, Join Principal Qian (Kevin) Yi for AIA San Francisco's International Architect Talk 2: Effective International Competition Strategies in Asia and Case Study. Learn More and Register Here: https://aiasf.org/event/international-architect-talk-2-effective-international-competition-strategies-in-asia-and-case-study/
On August 13, Join Principal Qian (Kevin) Yi for AIA San Francisco's International Architect Talk 2: Effective International Competition Strategies in Asia and Case Study. Learn More and Register Here: https://aiasf.org/event/international-architect-talk-2-effective-international-competition-strategies-in-asia-and-case-study/
909 Kifer/Fortinet's Final Certificate of Occupancy
909 Kifer, Fortinet's new four-story, 172,740 SF corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, is on track to receive its final certificate of occupancy in October 2021..
909 Kifer, Fortinet's new four-story, 172,740 SF corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, is on track to receive its final certificate of occupancy in October 2021.
181 Fremont Achieves LEED Platinum Certification
181 Fremont, a mixed-use tower and the tallest residential building on the West Coast has achieved LEED Platinum Certification.
181 Fremont, a mixed-use tower and the tallest residential building on the West Coast has achieved LEED Platinum Certification.
SF Chronicle: 181 Fremont, Best Building of the Decade
181 Fremont is named the best building of the decade by SF Chronicle.
John King (2019) 'The decade’s best buildings in a changing SF: 12 structures and spaces that redefine San Francisco — and the lessons that they teach.'
81 Fremont is named the best building of the decade by SF Chronicle.
John King (2019) 'The decade’s best buildings in a changing SF: 12 structures and spaces that redefine San Francisco — and the lessons that they teach.' San Francisco Chronicle 12/17/19 The decade’s 12 best buildings in a changing San Francisco (sfchronicle.com)
First Prize: Taihu Science City Strategic Planning + Conceptual Urban Design Project International Competition
Heller Manus joint team recently won First Prize in the International Competition for Taihu Science City Strategic Planning and Conceptual Urban Design project sponsored by the Suzhou Planning Bureau in China. Congratulations to the design team!
Heller Manus joint team recently won First Prize in the International Competition for Taihu Science City Strategic Planning and Conceptual Urban Design project sponsored by the Suzhou Planning Bureau in China. Congratulations to the design team!
2020 MasterPrize Awards: 181 Fremont Wins Honorable Mention
181 Fremont received Honorable Mention in the Mixed-Use Architecture category for the 2020 Architecture MasterPrize. Congratulations to Design Principal Jeffrey Heller and the project team!
181 Fremont received Honorable Mention in the Mixed-Use Architecture category for the 2020 Architecture MasterPrize. Congratulations to Design Principal Jeffrey Heller and the project team! https://architectureprize.com/winners/winner.php?id=1913&mode=hm&compID=12791
2020 Gold Nugget Awards:HM Wins 2 Grand Prizesand 2 Awards of Merit
Heller Manus project, 350 Bush, has received two 2020 Gold Nugget Award Grand Prizes for Best Commercial Project 20,000 SF and Best Rehabilitation Project. Two other HM projects have received the Gold Nugget Award of Merit in two categories: Menlo Gateway for Best Commercial Project — 20,000 SF and 181 Fremont for Best Mixed-Use Project — High Rise.
Heller Manus project, 350 Bush, has received two 2020 Gold Nugget Award Grand Prizes for Best Commercial Project 20,000 SF and Best Rehabilitation Project. Two other HM projects have received the Gold Nugget Award of Merit in two categories: Menlo Gateway for Best Commercial Project — 20,000 SF and 181 Fremont for Best Mixed-Use Project — High Rise. Congrats to Design Principal Jeffrey Heller and the project teams!
The Architect's Newspaper Features 181 Fremont
181 Fremont featured in The Architect's Newspaper: “In San Francisco, Heller Manus Architects has designed 181 Fremont, which makes cunning use of a structurally integrated damping system."
181 Fremont featured in The Architect's Newspaper: “In San Francisco, Heller Manus Architects has designed 181 Fremont, which makes cunning use of a structurally integrated damping system."
https://archpaper.com/2020/05/facades-a-new-class-of-us-towers-celebrate-structural-lines/
Featured in BizNOW Magazine
HM President/CFO Eric Lundquist and 181 Fremont project featured in BizNOW Magazine article "California Leading Way on Mixed-Use Done Right".
HM President/CFO Eric Lundquist and 181 Fremont project featured in BizNOW Magazine article "California Leading Way on Mixed-Use Done Right".