"The overall design goal was to reflect the historical aspects of the site as well as the more recent history -- as an artists' and construction trade community," said Patricia Farnam, project designer at Patri Merker Architects. "We also wanted to respond to the surrounding neighborhood and the pedestrian-friendly feeling of the urban park. Our material choices reflect this idea by using industrial materials -- such as exposed steel and glass -- and more human-friendly materials in scale and texture, such as natural stone, brick and exposed wood."
An array of colors were chosen for the slate, all supplied by Echeguren Slate of San Francisco. Vermont Black was used for part of the exterior facade, master bathroom floors and shower walls; India Rajah Red was selected for the third floor corridor and exterior balconies, and India Lilac Autumn was used for the entry corridor. The slate was all selected in 12-x 12-inch tiles with 1?inch thickness and natural cleft finished.