SAN FRANCISCO | 631 Folsom Street | 209 FT / 64 M | 21 FLOORS - Page 5

BTinSF · #81 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyler82

I'm just saying that houses out in the Sunset and in the burbs are unsightly.

They are "unsightly" for the same reason highrise buildings like 631 Folsom may be unsightly (if you consider it so)--they were relatively cheap to build and relatively cheap to own. The expensive finishes and fancy architecture that make pricier buildings more beautiful add to the cost of buying a home. There are plenty of people who can't afford granite countertops but can afford formica and the same goes for exterior finishes too.

It's one thing to say you don't care for buildings like this and if you can afford something nicer, great for you. But the city needs to house the people who can't afford fancier homes and so it needs to build more buildings like this and SOMA Grand and The Hayes (another building you have said you don't like). They are all what passes for low-end buildings in SF today and none of them is as attractive at The Infinity or One Rincon, but we need them even more. While The Infinity fills up with DINKs, empty nesters and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs needing pied-a-terres, 631 Folsom and its brethren will house San Franciscans needing places to live.

Bottom line: If you don't like this one, what sort of building would you have liked on this rather odd, narrow, pretty much viewless infill lot?

tyler82 · #82 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 7:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTinSF

They are "unsightly" for the same reason highrise buildings like 631 Folsom may be unsightly (if you consider it so)--they were relatively cheap to build and relatively cheap to own. The expensive finishes and fancy architecture that make pricier buildings more beautiful add to the cost of buying a home. There are plenty of people who can't afford granite countertops but can afford formica and the same goes for exterior finishes too.

It's one thing to say you don't care for buildings like this and if you can afford something nicer, great for you. But the city needs to house the people who can't afford fancier homes and so it needs to build more buildings like this and SOMA Grand and The Hayes (another building you have said you don't like). They are all what passes for low-end buildings in SF today and none of them is as attractive at The Infinity or One Rincon, but we need them even more. While The Infinity fills up with DINKs, empty nesters and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs needing pied-a-terres, 631 Folsom and its brethren will house San Franciscans needing places to live.

Bottom line: If you don't like this one, what sort of building would you have liked on this rather odd, narrow, pretty much viewless infill lot?

You are taking this in the completely wrong direction. I don't care for the design, did I say it shouldn't be built, that middle class people shouldn't have a place to live. It is so obvious that you are the one who is trying to be condescending and for that I give you the elitist of the year award!

Why don't you go to the Arizona boards?? I'm through with this argument, please don't bring it up anymore. If you want to speak about it send me a PM or something. OVER.

Reminiscence · #83 Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 8:23 PM**

Easy now guys, lets not get the moderators involved here.

Sure the design is not great, but it serves a common good in an effort to provide housing for the middle class, those of us not being able to afford luxury at ORH or Infinity. Say what you want about the building, I think its much better than what was there before, even more so because of the limited amount of space available to build there.

peanut gallery · #84 Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 5:51 AM**

It looks like they're preparing to install glass. I took some other shots of this. But nothing has changed much, so I'm just posting this one, which show a guy (blue helmet) working on what look like flanges where the glass will attach to the concrete. They're also coating all the concrete surfaces on the first several floors. Hopefully, it won't be long.

Downtown Dave · #85 Posted **Oct 28, 2007, 11:12 PM**

Minor updates (10/28)

peanut gallery · #86 Posted **Nov 12, 2007, 10:22 PM**

They've finally begun installing the glass. Unfortunately, it's not in the front where the floor-to-ceiling glass will be. There is one pane installed in one of the window cutouts on the fifth floor on the west side. It's very lightly tinted, which is giving it a very slight blue color today. It seems to be chosen to just read as windows, not make any kind of a color statement. I really want to see its effect in the front, where it will create a wall of glass.

I don't have a camera with me today, but it's been installed where you see the column of twin cut-outs center-right in this photo I took in late September, and only on the fifth floor. You would miss it walking by unless you were specifically looking for it.

Downtown Dave · #87 Posted **Nov 12, 2007, 11:37 PM**

I missed it today myself...

Downtown Dave · #88 Posted **Nov 13, 2007, 11:53 PM**

And I still couldn't see it today, even know that it is there. One can see panes of glass lying on the floor on various floors, however:

peanut gallery · #89 Posted **Nov 14, 2007, 12:17 AM**

It's on the other side of the building more toward the middle of the southwest face. It would be behind the tree in the shot I posted above. You didn't miss much, by the way. It will be a lot more interesting when they start installing it on the front.

Downtown Dave · #90 Posted **Nov 16, 2007, 1:10 AM**

You were right, I didn't miss much.

Downtown Dave · #91 Posted **Nov 25, 2007, 8:11 PM**

Finally we see some significant progress with the glass. The glass is filthy dirty, but still manages to reflect well.

Progress on the building's side:

Downtown Dave · #92 Posted **Nov 27, 2007, 12:12 AM**

Full steam ahead for the glass installers:

The glass is covered in grime; I'll be interested to see how it looks when cleaned:

I suppose it is obvious why the building is called "sfBLU"...

peanut gallery · #93 Posted **Nov 27, 2007, 1:21 AM**

Finally! Now I have a reason to walk over that way again. Thanks Dave.

Downtown Dave · #94 Posted **Nov 30, 2007, 10:39 PM**

Downtown Dave · #95 Posted **Dec 5, 2007, 11:47 PM**

I hope this isn't a standard bathroom fixture being installed.

Slow progress on the glass:

peanut gallery · #96 Posted **Dec 6, 2007, 2:45 AM**

Some shots from the seldom seen backside.

Parking entrance. It appears there will be car access from both Folsom and Third.

I'm not sure what this structure will be, but it is adjacent to a plaza/patio area that sits above the parking seen in the previous shot and is level with the driveway behind the big windowless AT&T building.

Yes, the glass installation on this building is very slow. It's a totally different technique from the other buildings I've been watching go up. No cleats and seems to be much more labor intensive.

Downtown Dave · #97 Posted **Dec 11, 2007, 10:55 PM**

Glass slowly creeps upward:

peanut gallery · #98 Posted **Dec 21, 2007, 7:14 AM**

It's been over a week and still not that much progress:

And the backside:

Downtown Dave · #99 Posted **Jan 10, 2008, 1:39 AM**

Slow progress:

peanut gallery · #**100** Posted **Jan 10, 2008, 6:08 AM**

Actually, it seems they're moving a little faster now. They've basically doubled the glass coverage in two weeks. That's definitely on improvement on the pace of the first couple of floors. I was surprised to see how much they had done while I was on vacation.