Shipping Container Pavilion Springs up in San Francisco Presidio

by Moe Beitiks

Here on Inhabitat we’ve brought you shipping containers arranged as homes, schools, observatories, and stacks of glory. While you may say you’ve seen every arrangement there is to be had, we say you need to check out this container trifecta by Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects! Besides boasting the usual specs incorporating recycled materials, this award-winning angular building comes complete with a collection of art-homes made just for the local flora and fauna. An incredible forward-thinking exhibition pavilion built for Presidio Habitats in San Francisco, this design has just received a 2010 Design Award from the American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC). Read ahead to learn more about this site-specific project and the local wildlife it supports.

The Presidio is an army-base turned national park located within the San Francisco city limits. The park hosts a thriving, and in some cases, endangered collection of native flora and fauna. The For-Site Foundation invited a series of artists into the park to create installations that would be able to host its native neighbors. Design challenges included creating a race challenge for the elusive Black-tailed Jackrabbit, a series of ceramic nests for the Western Screech Owl, and a few bright yellow perches for humans from which they could view the Great Blue Heron. But these were only some of the proposed projects for Presidio Habitats, and the overall exhibition pavilion displays a number of other ideas from well known eco-designers such as Amy Franceschini to Michelle Kaufmann.
The site itself is aligned along the northern San Francisco coast framing a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and catching the maximum amount of natural light. The deck, flooring and outdoor seating have been made from surplus Presidio Cypress, harvested onsite through a reforestation program. The entire structure was built off-site and put into place with a crane to reduce impact . Visitors can watch exhibition videos and learn a little bit more about their native neighbors until 2011, when the exhibition closes.