MIRA is an urban residential development in downtown San Francisco. A few blocks from the Bay Bridge, the Embarcadero and Rincon Park, the 400-foot-tall tower creates a new welcoming community in the emerging Transbay neighborhood and houses a wide range of units, 40 percent of which are designated below market rate.
The design responds to the need for dense development in San Francisco and offers new models of sustainability by reinterpreting the city’s architectural traditions. It develops the classic bay window, a familiar feature of early San Francisco homes, reinterpreting it in the context of a high-rise. Gradually winding their way up the tower, the bays offer sweeping views, natural light throughout the day and fresh air, and give the building its distinctive shape and texture – the result of a particular focus on the building’s energy performance and how it feels. By extending the living spaces inside and offering platforms from which to view the city from all angles, the bays make each residence a corner unit.
A sophisticated curtain wall façade system allows sections to be attached to a repeating structural slab from within the building, reducing the need for an on-site tower crane and limiting energy consumption and neighborhood impact during construction. The bays allow for a high-performance façade that is 51 percent opaque without obstructing nearly 180-degree views in each unit. The high-performance façade, along with an innovative VRF cooling system, allows the building to exceed the ambitious California Title 24 energy standards. This, along with a state-of-the-art graywater collection system, green roofs, and high-efficiency equipment, has awarded the project LEED Gold certification.
Residents will have access to a private restaurant, public spaces, meeting rooms, recreation areas, a fitness center, children’s playroom and a pet care area. Moreover, there will be an underground parking lot for 340 cars, charging stations for electric cars and bicycle parking. The ground floor will feature retail, a food court and small cafes.