'Lots of Human Touches'

The design of the San Francisco Juvenile Hall Replacement Project also includes a variety of masonry surfaces and colors to soften its look.

By Thomas York

This isn't your father's detention center.

The San Francisco Juvenile Replacement Project on the western slopes of Twin Peaks actually may look more like a small college when construction is completed next March.

Joanne Chow Winship, the city's project manager said a variety of masonry surfaces playing off the surrounding rock and soil of the mountainous site will help soften the impact of the buildings.

"It's much more dynamic than a concrete block building-it has lots of human touches," she added. "It's very community oriented and very humanistic."

The 83,000-sq.-ft, 150-bed complex consists of three freestanding structures-all clad in textured masonry blocks-connected by a long passageway. Additionally, athletic fields will also be part of the new campus, which replaces a 50-year-old facility.

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Del Campo Maru and The Design Partnership, both of San Francisco, are the project's architects. Redwood City-based S. J. Amoroso Construction is the general contractor.

"We have to remain operational during construction," Winship said. "So, Amoroso is working around existing buildings, which will be demolished later this year."

She said a tiny portion of the $38 million construction budget has been set aside for art projects created by some of the youths detained at the existing facility. Under the direction of the city's Art Commission, city artists are working with detainees to create artwork that will adorn the new facility.

Tom Eymer, S.J. Amoroso's project manager, said construction of what he calls the "great wall" (a long corridor connecting the main structures) and other masonry surfaces is proving tricky.

"There are four different colors of block and there's five different types, textures and thicknesses," Eymer added.

He said it "took considerable coordination with the architects" to install the surfaces correctly.

"We don't have the time in our schedule to mess up, so we want to make sure that we do it right," he said.