envelope A+D

Aether Apparel Retail Store . San Francisco

envelope A+D . Chris French Metal . Aether Apparel . + selectism . Por Homme

A placeholder for a more permanent building, proxy is a temporary two-block construct that imagines a vibrant focal point for commerce and community.

Proxy is conceived in relation to the realization that, due to the economic downturn, the sites left over from the path of the former Central Freeway, which slice through San Francisco’s Hayes Valley, will be left undeveloped for several years to come. In the meantime, we contend that these sites can be occupied by temporary inhabitations of retail, restaurant, art gallery, garden and community-based uses that add to the richness and diversity of Hayes Valley.
The retail and food component of the project will be comprised of local San Francisco businesses and vendors primarily through small and portable “pop-up” style retail pods. These small scale, 180 square foot, spaces can be individually inhabited or can be combined together into a cluster of pods occupied by a single occupant. Over the lifespan of proxy, it is envisioned that these very small retail spaces will be inhabited by several different businesses or community groups. Sites for food carts and parking for food trucks will be provided to provide a diversity of food choices, all from local Slow Food vendors.