San Francisco Conservatory of Music – Bowes Center
The new Bowes Center provides performance spaces, faculty offices, housing for over 400 student musicians, and even a radio station. The project won multiple awards from Architecture MasterPrize in 2022.
Site Square Footage: 170,000 sq. ft.
Date Completed: 2021
Construction Cost: $200 million
Client: San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Architect: Mark Cavagnero Associates
Structural Engineer: Tipping Structural Engineers
Civil Engineer: Luk and Associates
General Contractor: Charles Pankow Builders
Rockridge Geotechnical performed a geotechnical investigation, provided consultation during design, and performed construction observation services for the award-winning Bowes Center for Performing Arts. The new building is 11 to 12 stories with two subterranean levels. The building serves the community by providing students with a space to live, eat, practice, perform, learn, and socialize.
The project's primary geotechnical issues included: (1) potentially liquefiable soil and reduction in foundation capacity, (2) shallow groundwater relative to the excavation depth, and (3) a deep excavation in a dense urban environment. The building is supported on a mat foundation bearing on firm native soil.