John King

John King is the San Francisco Chronicle’s urban-design critic. His book Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities will be published in November.

Studio Gang Completes a Quartet of New Buildings in a Revamp of Kresge College at UC Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

John King

December 7, 2023

3 Comments

Three new residence halls and an academic center rise on a redwoods-cloaked California campus conceived by Charles Moore and William Turnbull Jr. in the 1960s.

AIA San Francisco and Center for Architecture and Design

AIA San Francisco Moves Downstairs in the Historic Hallidie Building for a Major Office Upgrade

California

John King

September 1, 2023

No Comments

One of Aidlin Darling Design's most significant undertakings to date, the refurbished space will serve as the chapter's offices as well as the city's center for architecture and design.

Field Architecture Composes a Copper-Clad Retreat in California's Wine Country

Sonoma County, California

John King

August 14, 2023

No Comments

Perched atop a ridge in Sonoma County, connected pavilions blur the boundary between inside and out.

Perkins&Will Raises Expectations at Former San Francisco Shipbuilding Hub

John King

February 1, 2023

No Comments

In a triumph of historic preservation, the firm lifts an old pier building to accommodate climate change and new economic realities.

For Uber's Headquarters, SHoP Reinvents the Glass Box with "Breathing Facades"

The San Francisco complex offers an alternative to the conventional office tower

John King

May 1, 2022

No Comments

Two interconnected buildings in San Francisco offer an alternative to the conventional office tower.

Studio Gang’s twisting new 39-story Mira residential tower.

The Future of San Francisco's Transbay District

John King

October 2, 2020

2 Comments

Tech offices are dark and storefronts are empty. But, as residential towers by Studio Gang and OMA show, the future of San Francisco’s new mixed-use district is planned for diversity and affordability.

Review of 'Ruin and Redemption in Architecture'

by Dan Barasch

John King

October 7, 2019

No Comments

This collection of architectural treasures lost and salvaged illustrates the possibilities of how older buildings can be repurposed.

St. Mary's Student Chapel by Mark Cavagnero Associates

Albany, California

John King

June 5, 2019

No Comments

A serene, meditative sanctuary beckons to young people on the campus of a private Catholic high school in California.

The Housing Crisis in Oakland

John King

October 1, 2018

No Comments

Despite a wide range of initiatives, this diverse city in the booming Bay Area still struggles to preserve its affordability.

Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

San Francisco

John King

March 7, 2018

One Comment

An art school in San Francisco carves a new space for itself from the shell of an army warehouse.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU; 0.1 IACET CEU

This course targets architects and engineers seeking advanced knowledge in the design and implementation of vertical extensions above existing buildings using innovative wood systems.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU; 0.1 IACET CEU

This course discusses structural stainless steel usage by providing a simplified “check list” and a high level summary of the key specification, fabrication, and erection differences.