P-S-I Ferry Terminal.
Treasure Island, San Francisco
- Awards
- Design Excellence Award - UC Berkeley InAward Architecture Design Prize Top 9
- Exhibition
- West Bund Museum, Shanghai - Summer 2025
What should remain? What can change?
A ferry terminal on Treasure Island brings two timescales together: the lasting infrastructure of the waterfront and the changing life of a market. Concrete anchors one. A disassemblable timber frame makes room for the other.
The waterfront elevation places a lasting concrete edge beside a timber structure designed for change.
An enduring edge. A changing island.
Built for the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition and later used as a naval station, Treasure Island has repeatedly changed its purpose. Strong westerly winds pose a more persistent condition. The project begins by asking which parts of a new waterfront should endure, and which should be free to change with its use.
A continuous windbreak establishes a sheltered route. Where its angled geometry meets the site grid, smaller plazas and entrances connect the building to the waterfront.
An anchor, and a kit of parts.
The concrete wall combines shelter, structure, and the long-term functions of the ferry terminal. Beside it, an A-frame timber system accommodates a market whose activities can change. Permanence and impermanence become different ways of building, rather than simply different appearances.
The angled wall protects the seafront from wind and houses the terminal. Openings frame the water and bring controlled light into the waiting spaces.
The model separates the timber frame from its concrete counterpart. The timber structure is conceived for disassembly and potential reuse as the market evolves.
Three timescales, one public life.
Between the concrete terminal and the timber market, circulation becomes a space in its own right. Routes connect the two systems, while a linear greenhouse offers another way to move through the building. The sequence makes an abstract idea about time tangible in everyday use.
A protected place to wait, oriented toward the sea. The terminal gives the waterfront its lasting anchor.
Stairs, walkways, and the greenhouse occupy the space between the two structures, connecting their different rhythms.
A light-filled hall accommodates changing stalls and events. The framework supports occupation without fixing a single arrangement.
The idea continues into the detail.
The section brings the two systems into a single environmental strategy. Openings and operable elements are designed to admit light and encourage airflow; the heavy wall and translucent timber enclosure produce different interior conditions. At the façade, glass shingles protect the timber while allowing ventilation at selected joints.
Structure, movement, and environmental systems are considered together. Read the section from the solid concrete edge to the open timber frame.
The two material systems retain distinct construction logics. Glass panels form a protective outer layer around the timber, with vented and sealed joints serving different roles.
Permanency / Semi-permanency / Impermanency
A framework for what comes next.
The proposal gives the waterfront a lasting edge while leaving room for its public life to evolve.
Back to the beginning ↑- Location
- Treasure Island, San Francisco
- Studio
- UC Berkeley Arch 203 Integrated Studio
- Instructor
- Daniel Spiegel
- Collaboration
- Vi Chen
- Area
- 40,429.50 sqft
- Recognition
- Design Excellence Award - UC Berkeley · InAward Architecture Design Prize Top 9
- Exhibition
- West Bund Museum, Shanghai - Summer 2025