m o r p h o s i s FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Morphosis wins the first international Zumtobel Group Award for

Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment for recently
2041 colorado avenue completed United States Federal Building in San Francisco.
santa monica, california 90404

t: 310.453.2247 Los Angeles, July 5, 2007– On June 28th, the Zumtobel Group announced the
f: 310.829.3270 winners of the first international Zumtobel Group Award for Sustainability and Humanity
in the Built Environment. Designed to commend outstanding sustainable and humanitarian
solutions in contemporary architecture and engineering, the award carries a purse of EUR
140,000, shared among two categories: Built Environment and Research & Initiative. For the
Built Environment, the jury honored Morphosis for the United States Federal Building in San
Francisco. The Research & Initiative award went to Schlaich Bergermann Solar, Stuttgart,
studio@morphosis.net
www.morphosis.net Germany, for the design of the Solar Updraft Tower.

The two winning projects were selected from a worldwide total of 40, proposed by a
global network of experts in architecture and engineering. Determining the laureates in
the two categories was the task of an independent, interdisciplinary and international 9-
person jury comprising leading architects and engineers, a philosopher, the Executive
Director of UN Habitat and the CEO of the Zumtobel Group. As they assessed the
nominations, the jury applied wide-ranging criteria from the fields of sustainability and
humanity, from environmental and aesthetic quality to high ethical, social and economic
standards.

The jury selected Morphosis’s recently completed office building for the United States
General Services Administation for its innovative and integrative combination of leading-
edge sustainable technology with intelligent design strategies to create an architectural
landmark of outstanding aesthetic quality. In the words of the jury: "Through its leadership
in sustainable thinking, this building sends out a strong signal and message in the urban
context, not only in the US, but all over the world.”

INFORMATION ABOUT THE AWARD

The Zumtobel Group Award was launched by the Austrian-based Zumtobel Group in
collaboration with the Aedes Architecture Forum, Berlin, Germany. For many years now,
the Zumtobel Group – present in the global lighting market through its Zumtobel and
Thorn brands and components manufacturer TridonicAtco – has assigned top priority to
sustainability and energy efficiency in the function and application of its products. The
award aims to promote outstanding sustainable solutions in architecture and engineering
that make a notable contribution to a livable, sustainable, equitable and more humane
future. The award in the 'Built Environment’ category is offered for exceptional
architectural, engineering or urban design projects realized within the last two years that
meet current demands for sustainable living and envisage the needs of the future. In this
category, the award carries a purse of EUR 80,000. In the "Research and Initiative”
category, the award is offered for an innovative, current research project or social
initiative in architecture and the built environment, developed and run by non-
governmental organizations, universities or independent groups and individuals. Aiming in
particular to encourage researchers and practitioners in architecture and urban design, in
this category the award carries a purse of EUR 60,000 and is intended to facilitate and
foster the progress of an ongoing initiative or emerging research project.
m o r p h o s i s The first international Zumtobel Group Award ceremony will be staged on 14 September
2007 at Kunsthaus Bregenz on the shores of Lake Constance in Austria. An exhibition and
catalogue featuring the award-winners as well as the other projects considered by the jury
is planned for autumn/winter 2007/08.

JURY
Stefan Behnisch, Architect / Behnisch Architects, Stuttgart (Germany)
Yung Ho Chang, Architect, Head of Department of Architecture / Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge (USA)
Colin Fournier, Architect / University College London, London (United Kingdom)
Peter Head, Structural Engineer / Arup, London (United Kingdom)
Andreas Ludwig, CEO Zumtobel Group, Dornbirn (Austria)
Enrique Norten, Architect / TEN Arquitectos, Mexico City and New York (Mexico, USA)
Kazuyo Sejima, Architect / SANAA, Tokyo (Japan)
Peter Sloterdijk, Philosopher, Dean of Hochschule für Gestaltung, Karlsruhe (Germany)
Anna Tibaijuka, General and Executive Director / UN Habitat, Nairobi (Kenya)

For more information about the award, please visit

www.zumtobel-group-award.com

MORPHOSIS PRESS CONTACT:

Anne Marie Burke
Morphosis
+1.310.570.0140
a.burke@morphosis.net
July 6, 2005

DEDICATION OF NEW SAN FRANCISCO FEDERAL BUILDING

SAN FRANCISCO: The Pacific Rim Region of the U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA) is hosting the formal dedication ceremony of the new San Francisco Federal Building on
Monday, July 9, 2007 at 2:00 p.m.

The event will be held in the plaza at the corner of Seventh and Mission Streets and includes
keynote remarks by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Gavin Newsom, GSA Administrator
Lurita Doan, the building’s design architect Thom Mayne and others.

News media reporters and crews must present media credentials and photo ID to access this by-
invitation only event. Water will be provided. Please do not bring any liquids to the site. Be
advised that there will be no parking on Seventh and Mission Streets and there will be no
reserved parking.

The San Francisco Federal Building was recently completed and tenant Federal agencies began
moving into the building in March 2007. The innovative 18-story office tower is a mere 65 feet
wide. The building’s shape and orientation allows natural airflow for cooling and ventilation and
takes advantage of natural daylight for the illumination of the majority of the office interiors.
These features and other energy-saving elements significantly reduce overall energy
consumption compared to conventional office buildings in the United States.

For more information, please call Gene Gibson, GSA Regional Public Affairs Officer, at 415-
264-9401.

####

Founded in 1949, GSA serves as a centralized procurement and property management agency for
the federal government. GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total
procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including
8,500 government-owned or leased buildings and 205,000 vehicles. GSA helps preserve our past
and define our future, as a steward of more than 425 historic properties, and as manager of
USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services. GSA’s mission to
provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and
eGov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows Federal agencies to focus
on their core missions.
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

2041 colorado avenue

santa monica, california 90404

t: 310.453.2247
f: 310.829.3270

studio@morphosis.net
www.morphosis.net
When architecture engages social, cultural, political, and ethical currents, it
has the potential to transform the way we see the world and our place in it.

It is from this intersection of broad societal currents that we approached the

design for the new Federal Building in San Francisco. Our primary interest
was to produce a performance-driven building that would fundamentally
transform its urban surroundings, the nature of the workplace, and the
experiences of the people who use it while making intelligent use of natural
resources.

For me, this project represents the epitome of an optimistic architecture; an

architecture that synthesizes its complex forces and realities into a coherent
whole.

Thom Mayne
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

PROJECT DATA
2041 colorado avenue
santa monica, california 90404 Location
7th and Mission Streets
t: 310.453.2247
f: 310.829.3270 Site Description
91,000 square feet

Building Size
605,000 Gross Square Feet
450,000 Rentable Square Feet (GSA should confirm that this number is
studio@morphosis.net
correct)
www.morphosis.net

Tower
18 Stories - 240 Feet High - 65 Feet Wide

Cost of Construction
$144 Million

Developer
U.S. General Services Administration
Lead Design Architect
Morphosis
Executive Architect
Smith Group, Inc.
Construction Management
Hunt Construction Group
General Contractor
Dick Corporation/Morganti General Contractors

Key Dates:
Design Start: September 2000
Construction Start: March 2003
Construction Complete: March 2007
Occupancy: Spring 2007

Number of Employees
Approximately 1,500

Major Tenants
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Social Security Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
U.S. Department of Defense

Shared Public Facilities

Café
Health and Fitness Center
Child Care Center
Conference Facilities including multi-purpose auditorium
m o r p h o s i s Building Description
The slender, 18-story, 240-foot tower creates a landmark for the City of
San Francisco, while the four-story annex connects to the scale of the
adjacent neighborhood. The large, open public plaza along with the shared
public facilities, provide valuable assets to the community. In addition, the
design redefines the culture of the workplace through office environments
that boost workers’ health, productivity and creativity. A dramatic example
of sustainable design principles, the building’s shape and orientation
maximize natural airflow for cooling and ventilation, and take advantage of
natural day light for the majority of the office interior. These features,
combined with a number of other energy-saving elements, significantly
reduce overall energy consumption compared to conventional commercial
office buildings in the United States.

For more information on these and other aspects of the building, see the
attached design narrative.

For more information, contact Gene Gibson, Regional Public

Affairs Officer (415) 522-3001.
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

PROJECT CREDITS
2041 colorado avenue
santa monica, california 90404 Lead Design Architect
Morphosis
t: 310.453.2247
f: 310.829.3270 Principal: Thom Mayne
Project Manager: Tim Christ
Project Architect: Brandon Welling
Project Team: Linda Chung, Ben Damron, Simon Demeuse, Marty Doscher,
Rolando Mendoza, Eui-Sung Yi
Project Assistants:, Caroline Barat, Gerald Bodziak, Crister Cantrell,
studio@morphosis.net
Delphine Clemenson, Todd Curley, Alasdair Dixon, Haseb Faqirzada,
www.morphosis.net
Chris Fenton, Arthur de Ganay, Dwoyne Keith, Sohith Perera, Kristine
Solberg, Natalia Traverso Caruana

Executive Architect
Smith Group, San Francisco

Project Manager: Carl Christiansen

Project Architect: Jon Gherga
Project Assistant: Belinda Wong

Collaborative Artists
James Turrell, Ed Ruscha, Rupert Garcia, Hung Liu, Raymond Saunders,
William Wiley

Structural, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineer

Ove Arup and Partners

Project Manager: Steve Carter

Structural Engineers: Bruce Gibbons, Steve Ratchye
Mechanical Engineer: Erin Mcconahey

Natural Ventilation Modeling

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Landscape architect
Richard Haag Associates Inc. with J.J.R

Civil Engineer
Brian Kangas Foulk

Geotechnical
Geomatrix

Lighting Consultant
Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, Inc.

Signage
Kate Keating Associates
m o r p h o s i s Cost Estimator
Davis Langdon

Curtain Wall
Curtain Wall Design & Consulting, Inc.

Blast Consultant
Hinman Consulting Engineers

Code
Rolf Jensen & Associates

Acoustics
Thorburn Associates

Vertical Transportation
Hesselberg, Keessee & Associates, Inc.

Construction Manager
Hunt Construction Group

General contractor
Dick Corporation/Morganti General Contractors
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

GSA’S MODEL OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE

2041 colorado avenue The San Francisco Federal Building is a reflection of the GSA's commitment
santa monica, california 90404 to design excellence and sustainable architecture. Built to serve its tenants
and the community well into the next century, like the adjacent James F.
t: 310.453.2247
f: 310.829.3270 Browning U.S. Courthouse (1905), the San Francisco Federal Building
reflects the highest design aspirations and most innovative technology of our
time.

As part of its commitment to sustainable living, the GSA works to reduce

studio@morphosis.net consumption of natural resources, minimize waste, and create a healthy and
www.morphosis.net
productive work environment for all tenants who occupy federal workspace.
The San Francisco Federal Building is a demonstration of this commitment,
incorporating state-of-the art technology and performance driven
innovation. Tenants of the San Francisco Federal Building will enjoy sweeping
views of San Francisco, and an abundance of natural light and natural
ventilation that promote a healthy work environment while dramatically
reducing energy consumption.

The new federal building is a slender 65-feet-wide tower rising 18 stories

(240 feet) along the northern edge of the Mission and Seventh Street site. A
four-story building annex adjoins the tower at the western edge of the site,
helping to define the space that constitutes a new public plaza. In addition to
this active plaza, the facility includes a number of resources that are available
for public use, including a café, a childcare center, and a conference center.

Climate Control
Throughout the year, San Francisco’s design temperature ranges between 44
and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The new San Francisco Federal Building takes
advantage of the temperate climate to provide a comfortable interior
environment while reducing energy consumption.

As a whole, the building is best understood as a hybrid that includes

different space conditioning strategies appropriate for different locations in
the building. The first five levels, with high concentrations of people and
equipment, are fully air-conditioned. Above the fifth floor, the windows
automatically adjust, allowing fresh air directly into the building for natural
ventilation and free cooling. The window system creates a “living skin” that
allows the building to breathe. Breezes pass through openings on the
windward side and are vented out through the leeward wall, with control
based on wind speed and direction.

A computerized system, known as the building automated system (BAS),

controls and monitors all of the building’s mechanical equipment including
m o r p h o s i s those devices that are used to maintain internal environmental conditions
and lighting levels. On the naturally ventilated floors, the computer system
opens and closes windows, vents and sunscreens in response to
temperature within the building as well as external environmental
conditions. The window wall features manually operated windows for
occupant control of the internal environment and includes a heating system
integrated into the mullions. A minimal number of central, fully enclosed
offices and meeting rooms are served by local, supplemental cooling units to
accommodate higher density occupancies. During the night, the BAS opens
the windows to flush out heat build-up and allows the nighttime air to cool
the building's concrete interior. Throughout the day the thermal mass of the
exposed concrete columns, shear walls and wave-form ceilings help cool the
occupants of the building.

In the tower, the design of the high-performance facades is critical to the

functioning of the natural ventilation. At the southeast elevation, a
perforated metal sunscreen protects the glass façade from excess solar heat
gain; at the northwest elevation, a series of fixed translucent sunshades are
attached to an exterior catwalk, breaking the sun’s path to shade the glass
These climate specific facades give the building its distinctive appearance.

Nationally, the GSA strives to use no more than 55,000 Btu of energy per
square foot per year in its buildings. The new San Francisco Federal Building
is expected to surpass the GSA’s target as well as California’s stringent Title
24 Energy Code. The naturally ventilated floors are projected to have an
average energy consumption of less than 25,000 Btu per square foot per
year, a significant improvement over the national standard. The local utility
provider, PG & E, has confirmed that the project will receive an energy
rebate of $250,000 at the completion of construction.

Electrical
Lighting is typically the largest energy cost for an office building, representing
up to 40 percent of a facility's total energy load. The new San Francisco
Federal Building's lighting strategies improve the workplace and are a critical
facet of this project's sustainable design. Approximately 85 percent of the
workspace is illuminated with natural light.

Ambient light, the general illumination in an office, comes from sunlight

channeled through the windows and reflected off walls and ceilings to
extend its reach with minimum glare and intensity. With an average overall
ceiling height in the tower of 13 feet, natural daylight will penetrate deep
into work spaces. Powered lights are also provided to supplement the
natural light. Through simple sensors, the building's automated systems
manage the balance between powered and natural daylight. The powered
lights are on only when people are at their workstations. Together, these
approaches reduce energy used for lighting by approximately 26 percent.
m o r p h o s i s Flexible Information Technology
Large and flexible floor plans with power and data cabling conveniently
routed through easily accessible, under floor space make workspace
reconfiguration easy while reducing costs for remodeling.

Building Materials
The San Francisco Federal Building incorporates building materials and
construction strategies that minimize waste and energy consumption.

The building minimizes pollution by replacing high proportions of Portland

cement in its concrete foundations and frame. During the manufacturing
process, Portland cement is associated with very high levels of greenhouse
gas emissions. In the Federal Building’s concrete mixture, 50% of the
pollution-intensive Portland cement is replaced with blast furnace slag, a
recycled waste product from the steel industry, significantly reducing
greenhouse gas emissions resulting from conventional concrete. This
environmentally sound choice also results in higher-strength concrete and
has a warm, light-colored tone that contributes to the favorable daylight
penetration within the office space.

The GSA mandated that 75 percent of materials used during construction be

recycled. Currently, the project is recycling 87 percent of its waste material.

Carpet, paint and furniture were carefully considered with respect to the
project's sustainable goals.

Work Environment
Several features support federal initiatives to promote health and improve
productivity: the location of the cafeteria on street level across the plaza and
the use of skip-stop elevators—elevators that stop at every third floor,
opening onto soaring lobbies with wide, open stairs—promote
cardiovascular fitness and reduce lost work hours. These lobbies and stairs,
in addition to a sky garden and a 90-foot high entry lobby at street level,
provide a comfortable setting for informal meetings and social interaction. A
handicap accessible elevator that travels to every floor is also available.

The tower's high ceilings and glass facades provide 85 percent of the
building's tenants with views overlooking the city.

The outer perimeter of the tower is configured with open offices and 52-
inch-high workstation partitions, maximizing access to natural light. Fritted
glass panels that enclose meeting rooms and offices located in the middle
“spine” of the tower, provide both privacy and access to natural light.
m o r p h o s i s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating
Managed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED's Green Building Rating
System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction,
and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED's whole-building
approach to sustainability recognizes performance in five key areas of human
and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings,
energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Certification is awarded one year after occupancy.

Even though the new San Francisco Federal Building was designed five years
before the LEED Certification System was established, it is still considered
by many to be a benchmark for sustainable building design.

Quality Control
Three independent systems are used to verify that the building is meeting
energy conservation goals. Energy use will be monitored by the GSA Energy
Center and compared with conventional federal buildings and the project's
goals. To verify sustainability, the project is registered with the LEED
program. The project team and the GSA's Office of Applied Science have
allied with a number of academic researchers to verify workplace
productivity strategies. Among them: Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Building Performance
and Diagnostics, and the University of California Berkeley, Center for the
Built Environment.
 skip stop circulation diagram natural ventilation
elevators stop at every third floor, opening onto sky lobbies airflow diagram for open offices in tower
with grand stairs leading to the floors above and below. [floors 6-18]

18
17

16

15
14

13

1
11

10

6
5

3
energy usage comparison

82.4

FLOORS 6-18
55.8

SF FEDERAL TOWER

SF FEDERAL TOWER
TITLE 24 BUILDING
36.9
AVERAGE CA
BUILDING

27.5***
kBtu/SF/yr**

kBtu/SF/yr*

kBtu/SF/yr*
kBtu/SF/yr

ventilation (heating/cooling)

total savings = 6.9 million kWhr/year electrical outlets

lighting
hot water

* square footage calculation excludes annex building, server rooms & the elevator machine room.
** source: CA Commercial End Use Survey, Itron, Inc prepared for the California Energy Commission, March 2006, report CEC-400-2006-005, "Large office building" category
*** assuming optimal use of natural lighting and HVAC (lights on 30% of time in the open office spaces; 80% of time in enclosed office and conference spaces; 100% of time in lobbies)
**** conversion from Kbtu to kWhr: 1 kBtu = 0.293071 kWhr
***** all numbers except those for the “average building” use estimated usages from DOE-2-based energy model, using California Energy Code occupancy schedules.
 energy savings comparison
10 10 10 10 10 10 10

=
SF FEDERAL
- 10 10 10 10 10 10
TITLE 24

A*
10 10 10 10 10 10 34 % of energy saved
55.8 36.9
kBtu/SF/yr kBtu/SF/yr 10 10 10 10 10 10 2.9 million kWhr = 250 homes

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

- =
SF FEDERAL

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
AVERAGE

B*
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
82.4 36.9
kBtu/SF/yr kBtu/SF/yr 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
55 % of energy saved
6.9 million kWhr = 600 homes
10 10 10 10 10

=
TITLE 24

-
FL. 6-18
SF FEDERAL

10 10 10 10 10
C**
10 10 10 10 10 51 % of energy saved
55.8 27.5
kBtu/SF/yr kBtu/SF/yr 10 10 10 10 10 2.3 million kWhr = 200 homes

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

=
AVERAGE

-
FL. 6-18
SF FEDERAL

D** 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 67 % of energy saved
82.4 27.5
kBtu/SF/yr kBtu/SF/yr 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 4.5 million kWhr = 400 homes
* based on similar building area of 520,975 sf (SF Fed tower size excluding annex, server rooms, elevator machine room)
** based on similar building area of 279,365 sf (SF Fed tower size levels 6-18)
*** national average of energy used by an American household = 11,300 kWhr/yr;
Source: 2006 Buildings Energy Data Book, september 2006, prepared for the Buildings Technologies Program and Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy by D&R International, Ltd., p 7-8, table 7.3.1
**** conversion from Kbtu to kWhr: 1 kBtu = 0.293071 kWhr
high tower energy consumption by program zone
enclosed offices
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN 32% of floor area
for levels 8,11,14,17
50% of energy use

lobby & service cores

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN 20% of floor area
for levels 6,9,12,15,18
24% of energy use

open offices
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN 46% of floor area
for levels 7,10,13,16 26% of energy use

the naturally ventilated open offices use no energy for cooling, and save 85% of the energy
that a typical California office building uses for lighting.
41.7

41%
of average
CA building
22.2 20.4
21% ventilation (heating/cooling)
kBtu/SF/yr

kBtu/SF/yr

kBtu/SF/yr

of average 21%
CA building
[just for heating]
of average
CA building
electrical outlets
52% lighting
15% 34% of average
of average
of average
CA building
CA building hot water
CA building

OPEN OFFICES*** LOBBY & SERVICE CORES ENCLOSED OFFICES***

* analysis based on square footage of SF Fed tower size levels 6-18

** source: CA Commercial End Use Survey, Itron, Inc prepared for the California Energy Commission, March 2006, report CEC-400-2006-005, "Large office building" category
*** assumes optimal use of natural lighting and HVAC (lights on 30% of time in the open office spaces; 80% of time in enclosed office and conference spaces; 100% of time in lobbies)
energy savings per year
SF Federal Building’s high tower uses only 33% of energy used by a typical California large office building
[as a result of energy efficient natural ventilation and daylight harvesting systems]

saves
same amount
of energy
equivalent to:

SF Federal Building’s entire tower saves enough electricity to power 600 homes per year**
amount commercial customers pay for this amount of energy:
$990,000
total savings equivalent to 6,900,000 kWhr/yr
*energy price per kWhr: 14.45 cents = 1 kWhr;
source: 2003 CA Average Retail Electricity Rates by Major Utility PG&E rate for Medium Commercial
** national average of energy used by an American household = 11,300 kWhr/yr; source: Buildings Energy Data Book p 7-8, table 7.3.1
 during the manufacturing process, Portland cement is associated with very high levels of
greenhouse gas emissions.
reduction in CO2 emissions in the Federal Building’s concrete mixture, 50% of the pollution-intensive Portland cement is
from Portland Cement replacement replaced with blast furnace slag, a recycled waste product from the steel industry, significantly
reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from conventional concrete.

the building minimizes pollution by replacing high proportions of Portland cement in its
concrete foundations and frame.

SF Federal Building uses blast furnace slag to replace 50% of Portland Cement in concrete

=
assumes each car drives 15,000 miles/year [total = 12,495,000 miles]

assumes one car gives off 6 tons of CO2/year [total = 5000 tons]

SF Federal Building saves CO2 amount equivalent to 833 cars emissions

total savings
= 5,000 tons of CO2
* slag is a waste product from steel production recovered from blast furnaces during iron production:
when used as a cement replacement, it substantially lowers the embodied energy and CO2 emissions associated with concrete by reducing the amount of virgin material needed to produce concrete.
** approximately 5000 tons of Portland Cement was replaced in the concrete mixture with blast furnace slag, which represents a 50% reduction from conventional concrete.
*** production of one ton of cement produces one ton of CO2; 833 cars x 15,000 miles/year x 0.8 lb CO2/mile = 10M lb = 5000 tons CO2
5000 tons cement saved = 5000 tons CO2 saved.
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

THOM MAYNE
2041 colorado avenue Thom Mayne founded Morphosis in 1972 as an interdisciplinary and collective practice involved in
santa monica, california 90404 experimental design and rigorous research. As the firm steadily grows, currently with 40 architects
and designers, Mr. Mayne remains committed to the practice of architecture as a collective
t: 310.453.2247 enterprise.
f: 310.829.3270
Thom Mayne was born in Connecticut in 1944. He moved with his family to Los Angeles as a
teenager, and proceeded to receive his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of
Southern California in 1968. While there, he met five other students and educators with whom he
would later join to create the Southern California Institute of Architecture, or SCI-Arc. In 1978 he
studio@morphosis.net received his Master of Architecture from Harvard University. Throughout his professional career,
www.morphosis.net Mr. Mayne has remained highly involved in the academic and institutional facets of architecture. He
has held teaching positions at Columbia University, Harvard University (Elliot Noyes Chair, 1998),
Yale University (Eliel Saarinen Chair, 1991), the Berlage Institute in the Netherlands and the Bartlett
School of Architecture in London, and he has taught as a visiting professor at many other
universities around the world. His commitment to the education of young designers has not
wavered over the past 30 years, and currently he holds a tenured faculty position at the UCLA
School of Arts and Architecture. Each year Mr. Mayne participates in various international
symposiums, lectures, and design juries at numerous institutions and universities.

His distinguished honors include Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Award (2006) Pritzker Prize
Laureate (2005), Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy of Design in Rome (1987), the
Alumni of the Year Award from USC (1992), Member Elect from the American Academy of Arts
and Letters (1992), the 2000 American Institute of Architects / Los Angeles Gold Medal in
Architecture, and the Chrysler Design Award of Excellence (2001).

Thom Mayne remains committed to developing a critical practice where creative output engages the
contemporary discourse of the discipline through both architectural design and writing. With his
firm, Mayne has consistently sought new and different design problems to solve and has resisted
becoming specialized in any particular building "type". The solution to each individual design
problem is always approached from a fresh beginning. As a result of this interest and commitment,
Mr. Mayne’s work ranges from designs for watches and teapots to designs for large-scale civic
buildings such as Federal Courthouses to innovative urban design and planning schemes that reshape
entire cities.

With Morphosis, Thom Mayne has been the recipient of 25 Progressive Architecture Awards, 60
AIA Awards and numerous other design recognitions. Under his direction, the firm has been the
subject of various group and solo exhibitions throughout the world, including the largest ever
exhibition of Morphosis’ work, Continuities of the Incomplete, which was on view at the Centre
Pompidou in Paris, France in 2006. Other notable exhibitions include those at the Contemporary
Art Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Walker Arts Institute in Minneapolis, the Ministerio de Fomento
in Madrid in 1998, and a major retrospective at the Netherlands Architectural Institute (NAI) in
1999. In addition to these solo exhibitions, Morphosis has been included in prestigious group
exhibitions in Tokyo, London, Vienna, Buenos Aires, at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary
Art, as part of the "End of the Century: 100 Years of Architecture" exhibition, and at the 2002, 2004
dn 2006 Venice Architecture Biennales. Drawings, furniture, and models produced by Morphosis
are included in the permanent collections of such institutions as the MOMA in New York, MOMA
San Francisco, the MAK Vienna, The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and the FRAC Center in France.
Morphosis buildings and projects are published extensively in prominent architectural publications
internationally. They have been the subject of 21 monographs, including four by Rizzoli, two by
Korean Architect, two by El Croquis (Spain), one by G.A. Japan, and one by Phaidon, in 2003.
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

TIM CHRIST
2041 colorado avenue Principal, Morphosis
santa monica, california 90404
Tim Christ joined Morphosis in 2000. He is a principal of the firm. Tim has over eleven
t: 310.453.2247 years experience in the profession of architecture, experienced with all phases of design and
f: 310.829.3270 construction services, with a special emphasis on sustainable technologies and integrated
engineering. In addition to serving as project manager for the new San Francisco Federal
Building, Mr. Christ is currently managing several other projects for the firm including the
U.S. Port of Entry in Alexandria Bay, New York, a new corporate headquarters for the Giant
Group in Shanghai, China, the National Jazz Center and Civic Park Master Plan in New
studio@morphosis.net Orleans, Louisiana and the Phare Tower in Paris, France. Other projects that he has managed
www.morphosis.net at Morphosis include the Hypo Bank Headquarters Project (Udine, Italy), the competition
phase of the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters, and the Penang Cultural Park Urban Planning
and Design Competition (Malaysia).

Before joining Morphosis, Mr. Christ spent five years as associate and project manager for
William Bruder, Architect-Ltd., working on a wide range of public and residential architecture
projects. His prior professional experience includes eight years in the construction industry
on a variety of projects in the US and abroad. Tim has lectured and served as a guest critic
at different institutions while with Morphosis. Some recent lectures include ‘Field Notes,’
CalPoly Pomona, May, 2006; ‘The Cutting Edge: San Francisco Federal Building,’ International
Building Performance Simulation Association Conference, Boulder, CO, August, 2004;
‘Numbers Count, A Symposium,’ School of Architecture, Yale University, New Haven, CT,
April, 2004; and ‘mOrphosis + Sustainability’, Construction Specifications Institute Annual
Meeting, Long Beach, CA, January, 2003. Mr. Christ received his Master of Architecture
from Yale University in 1995.
 m o r p h o s i s UNITED STATES FEDERAL BUILDING
San Francisco, California

MORPHOSIS SYNOPSIS
2041 colorado avenue Founded in 1972, Morphosis is an interdisciplinary practice involved in rigorous design and
santa monica, california 90404 research that yields innovative, iconic buildings and urban environments. Today, as the scale and
sophistication of the California-based firm’s projects continue to grow, Morphosis consists of a
t: 310.453.2247 group of more than 40 professionals, who remain committed to the practice of architecture as a
f: 310.829.3270 collective and interdisciplinary enterprise. Morphosis is a dynamic and evolving practice that
responds to the shifting social, cultural, political, and technological conditions of modern life. With
projects worldwide, the firm’s work ranges in scale from residential, institutional, and civic
buildings to large urban planning projects. The firm also invests significant creative energy in
drawing and in the design of functional objects and furniture. Thom Mayne was named the 2005
studio@morphosis.net Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, the profession’s highest honor, and Morphosis has been the
www.morphosis.net subject of extensive publications and exhibitions throughout the world.

FIRM BACKGROUND
Morphosis was founded in 1972 in Los Angeles as an interdisciplinary and collective practice
involved in experimental design and rigorous research. Today, the firm consists of a group of more
than 40 professionals, who remain committed to the practice of architecture as a collaborative
enterprise.

Named after the Greek term, morphosis, meaning to form or be in formation, Morphosis is a
dynamic and evolving practice that responds to the shifting and advancing social, cultural, political
and technological conditions of modern life. A critical practice where creative output engages
contemporary society and culture through architectural design and education, Morphosis is a
process driven firm that seeks new and different design challenges and has resisted becoming
specialized in any particular building type. With projects worldwide, the firm’s work ranges in scale
from residential, institutional, and civic buildings to large urban planning projects. The firm also
invests significant creative energy in drawing and in the design of functional objects and furniture.

With founder Thom Mayne serving as design principal, Morphosis typically generates its ideas
through brain-storming sessions, in which designers question all prior assumptions about a project
and intensively test and refine different avenues toward a solution. Collaboration with the client is
an essential part of this process. Morphosis works closely with its clients to help them define the
ethical and functional goals of the project, then translates those goals into a design that satisfies the
unique requirements and aesthetic opportunities of the program, site and context. The ultimate
goal is to produce an architecture that surprises and inspires—a critical architecture that
contributes to the conversation about how we live today.

Over the past 30 years, Morphosis has received 25 Progressive Architecture awards, 68 American
Institute of Architects (AIA) awards and numerous other honors. Thom Mayne was named the
2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, the profession’s highest honor, and in 2006, received
the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. Morphosis was also selected as the 2005 Firm of the
Year by the AIA California Council. Morphosis has been the subject of group and solo exhibitions
around the world, including the largest ever exhibition of Morphosis’ work, Continuities of the
Incomplete, which was on view at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France in 2006. Drawings,
furniture and models produced by Morphosis are in the permanent collections of institutions
including MoMA, New York; SF MoMA, San Francisco; the MAK, Vienna; The Israel Museum,
Jerusalem; and FRAC Centre, France.Morphosis buildings and projects are published extensively in
prominent architectural publications internationally. The studio has been the subject of 18
monographs, including four published by Rizzoli and a 2003 monograph from Phaidon.