Perkins+Will's Presidio Landmark Project Earns National Historic Preservation Award

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Presidio Public Health Service District is the recipient of the 12^th annual National Trust/Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation.  This prestigious award is the ninth received by the San Francisco office of Perkins+Will honoring the successful conversion of the former Public Health Service Hospital at the Presidio of San Francisco into 154 apartments, which incorporates amenity gardens and spaces. The district is the first Presidio neighborhood to receive the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certification and is the first LEED-ND neighborhood in the country that is also a historic landmark district. 

"The Public Health Service District has been transformed from a neglected area to a vital, beautiful and sustainable community," said Cathy Simon, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Perkins+Will. "We are proud that this work has been recognized and hope to continue to revitalize similar buildings and neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area and beyond."

This project was developed through a public-private partnership between the Presidio Trust and Forest City Enterprises with Perkins+Will.  The goal was to create a new sustainable community while enhancing the historically significant character of this national park. The $71 million, 220,000-square foot project, completed in 2010, included removing two non-historic wings that were part of a later addition to the former hospital. The architects met federal historic preservation standards by reusing many of the original materials, including interior doors, restored marble wainscoting in the lobby and stairwells, and the original brick exterior. The renovations enabled the building to achieve LEED® Gold certification.

"The Presidio Landmark is a wonderful example of how historic structures can be repurposed and put to new use," said Craig Middleton, Executive Director of The Presidio Trust. "It was an honor to accept the Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation for this truly deserving project."

The project's achievements have been recognized by numerous design awards including a California Preservation Foundation 2011 Preservation Design Award, an AIA San Francisco 2011 Honor Award for Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation, the 2011 Governor's Historic Preservation Award, and the 2011 Gold Reconstruction Award from Building Design & Construction Magazine.

About Perkins+Will

Perkins+Will is an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm established in 1935 and founded on the belief that design has the power to transform lives and enhance communities. Each of the firm's 24 offices focuses on local, regional and global work in a variety of practice areas. With hundreds of award-winning projects annually, Perkins+Will is ranked as one of the top global design firms. Perkins+Will is recognized as one of the industry's preeminent sustainable design firms due to its innovative research, design tools, and expertise. The firm's 1,500 professionals are thought leaders developing 21^st century solutions to inspire the creation of spaces in which clients and their communities work, heal, live, and learn. Social responsibility is a fundamental aspect of Perkins+Will's culture and every year the company donates 1% of its design services to pro bono initiatives. For more information, visit www.perkinswill.com.

SOURCE Perkins+Will