Located on a narrow site in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, Blu Residences consists of a 21-story residential tower over a single-story podium containing retail space and a residential lobby.

The building’s massing is tall and slender in order to maintain view corridors and provide residential units with the maximum amount of natural light possible, while supporting a livable streetscape with ample sunlight and air. The glass storefront along Folsom Street is set back to align with the existing street wall and maximize the façade’s transparency. A new open space between 631 and 633 Folsom contains outdoor seating and art.

The stepped articulation along the south, east and west facades work to break down the mass of the tower and give the design a degree of visual interest and urban scale. The light colored pre-cast, blue glass, and metal curtainwall will give the project an expression of lightness and transparency.