Known as the Temazcal Room, this newly developed amenity space, located off the main lobby of the Bay Area Metro Center in downtown San Francisco, provides a flexible, light-filled venue designed for a wide range of uses to support office tenants working above. The build-out is one of multiple interior development projects designed by TEF Design within the building, including the top four floors, as part of the award-winning transformation of the circa 1942 former post office into a shared headquarters for the Bay Area’s most progressive government agencies.
![TEF Design, amenity space](https://i0.wp.com/retrofitmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/tef4.png?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1)
The design team was charged with articulating a vision for the 4,274-square-foot space—the last remaining cold shell on the ground floor—and crafting a setting to advance the culture and purpose of the building’s anchor tenants: the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Association of Bay Area Governments, and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Extensive engagement revealed the need for informal social interaction and communication on the ground floor to support meetings in the adjacent board room, as well as activities in the conference center located across the lobby. It was also important to reinforce culture and collaboration across organizations through assembly and events, ranging from staff celebrations to press conferences, as well as provide a potential revenue-generating asset when not in use by tenants.
Its design leverages soaring ceiling heights and north and west facing windows of the same measure that connect occupants with the urban fabric of the city, including stunning views to the skyline and an adjacent, landscaped pedestrian mall. Multiple “rooms” within the space facilitate diverse simultaneous uses, supported by furniture and space planning that prioritize efficient circulation and flexibility. Infrastructure for catering (the space features a food service/cafe/bar and back-of-house kitchen) and extensive audiovisual technology for conferences, performances and assembly events are seamlessly integrated.
![TEF Design, amenity space](https://i0.wp.com/retrofitmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/tef5.png?resize=300%2C198&ssl=1)
Existing conditions, ranging from uneven floor slabs to base building infrastructure constraints and poor acoustical performance, were key challenges. The design team worked closely with acoustical consultants with Salter to develop sound-absorbing solutions to the preponderance of concrete surface throughout the space, including the installation of acoustic gyp at soffits, fabric panel walls and acoustic baffles. Uneven floors were addressed with a leveling compound that mimics the surface quality and aggregate of the existing concrete. Different ceiling heights within the space were reconciled by integrating a soffit that conveniently conceals HVAC systems.
The main “room”—stretching across the length of the space from the lobby entrance to the exterior plaza—prioritizes flexibility to accommodate different uses with its proximity to the projection system, three large screens, and additional monitor mounts, as well as its adjacency to the cafe/bar and kitchen amenities. Design features include a custom tile backsplash that provides a colorful backdrop to the cafe/bar and a large, custom table on casters, utilizing the same recycled wood from the demolished Transbay Terminal wood piles used in the TEF-designed coffee bars on the upper floors. Adjacent seating areas, featuring furniture and built-ins, were designed to support a variety of more intimate activities and socializing. Finishes and colors throughout the space reference the design of the building’s upper floors for cohesion with the addition of custom seating for the outdoor plaza in a pop of orange—a reference to the interior palette of the regional agency headquarters housed at the top of the building.
![TEF Design, amenity space](https://i0.wp.com/retrofitmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/tef6.png?resize=300%2C198&ssl=1)
As an assembly and commercial space within a government building, the design team shepherded the project through review and approvals by the Division of the State Architect and State Fire Marshal to meet the highest standards for life-safety and accessibility.
PHOTOS: Mikiko Kikuyama
Retrofit Team
Architect and Interior Designer: TEF Design
- Paul Cooper, principal In charge
- Bobbie Fisch, consulting principal
- Samantha Rose, designer
- Rachel Hammond
- Paul Leoffler
General Contractor: Swinerton
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: MHC Engineers
Structural: Holmes
Lighting: Silverman & Light
Acoustical, AV/Telecom, Security Engineer: Salter
![TEF Design, amenity space](https://i0.wp.com/retrofitmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/tef7.png?resize=300%2C198&ssl=1)
Materials
Exterior Site Furniture (benches): Vestre
Interior Furniture (tables, poufs, and chairs): Muuto
Interior Furniture (tables, sofa): Hightower
Interior Furniture (chair, sofa): Stylex
Interior Furniture (chair, ottoman): Keilhauer
Custom Interior Furniture (counter, table): Wood Tech