20th Street - The Flyover
One of Fletcher Studio’s core values is the belief that design is magic - that design can transform space and improve lives and the world around us. And of course magic should be shared with others, even if they don’t have a magical budget. Over the years, we’ve put this belief into practice by building a portfolio of pro bono or “low bono” projects.
In 2019, we launched our Hope+Space program, with 4% of our annual profit donated to pro-bono community projects. So far, we’ve completed nine projects, and prepared many additional designs. Hope+Space projects have been built as far away as Kigali, Rwanda, but most are in San Francisco, and many in the Dogpatch neighborhood where the studio is based.
If you walk around San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, chances are you’ll walk through a Hope+Space project. From sidewalks, to parklets, to mid-block passages, alleyways, and a soon a renovated public park (Esprit Park, currently under construction), we’ve had an active role in transforming the urban fabric of the Dogpatch. Many of these projects would not have been possible without the Green Benefit District, which we’ve been working with since it was established in 2015. The Green Benefit District- the first of its kind in San Francisco- was created to design, improve and maintain green spaces in the Dogpatch and northwest Potrero Hill. The program is funded by a local property assessment that was approved by 76% of the neighborhood’s property owners. The success of the program is a testament to the power of community investment in green space and public-private collaboration to get work done.
The Dogpatch has a strong industrial heritage. Its location at the outskirts of San Francisco and its deep-water anchorages made it the ideal place to site shipyards and factories for gunpowder, cordage and other maritime supplies. Development around these industrial operations focused on building low cost housing for workers, meaning open space was not prioritized. Due to this legacy, Dogpatch residents have historically had less access to green space compared to many other San Francisco neighborhoods. Yet opportunities exist to reclaim and repurpose under-utilized spaces within this post-industrial urban fabric. The Flyover space at 20th and Minnesota Street is one of these spaces. Owned by CalTrans and nestled under a freeway overpass, the site has been used as an unsanctioned neighborhood parking lot for decades.
Several years ago, a conversation started between neighbors and designers asking “why can’t we do more good with this space?” A pop up event was planned featuring temporary art installations by Futureform and projection art on the underside of the freeway overpass. For one night, the illegal parking lot was temporarily transformed into a vibrant, shimmering, lively community space. With this proof of concept for the potential of the space, the conversation turned towards permanent improvements. Fletcher Studio, working in collaboration with Futureform and the Green Benefit District, began studying and envisioning the site’s potential as a permanent underpass park. Drawings and renderings were produced to communicate this vision, ultimately leading to a successful community challenge grant. To help secure additional funding, we leaned into our network of landscape product manufacturers who we have established strong relationships with through years of collaboration. In its first ever pro-bono partnership on a community open space project, QCP Corp donated $150,000 worth of unit pavers and precast elements. Each piece of the puzzle- designing on a shoestring budget, securing funding, working with donated and reused materials, and getting local stakeholder support- is the culmination of Hope+Space’s decade-long commitment to pro-bono community project work.
The Dogpatch is an eclectic neighborhood full of artists, designers, and makers. The design concept for The Flyover envisions an extension of the neighborhood’s funky and cozy living spaces, as if we’re invited into someone’s home to hang out and kick back. Warm catenary lighting suspended between poles frames the edge of the space. Multi-toned QCP pentagonal pavers- the last run of these pavers ever manufactured- evoke colorful pebbles on a sandy beach. Native plants grown from seed and donated from local community plant nurseries provide a diverse and lush vegetated border that reflects the diversity of San Francisco’s flora. When the project is complete, it will be an outdoor “living room” perched above its surroundings– a space for Dogpatch residents to lounge in the shade and host food trucks, movie nights, parties, and swap meets. It will be a space of interaction and exchange, like it was during the early days of the pandemic when neighbors would meet in the space to swap sourdough starters and homemade jam (ironically located next to an Amazon warehouse). In our view, it’s an expression of the Dogpatch’s unique magic where creative people work together with the community to make good things happen. We’re proud to bring this space to life and give back to that community. Stay tuned for more construction updates!