500 Folsom, a mixed-use residential tower at the gateway of San Francisco, has been honored with the 2022 Award of Merit by the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) Excellence in Engineering Awards. The architectural and structural designs for 500 Folsom were conceived by SOM and meaningfully enhanced through collaboration with small business partners Fougeron Architecture and STRUCTUS, Consulting Engineers. 

Intensive, performance-based seismic testing allowed for the reduction of structural embodied carbon by 35 percent compared to traditional systems on a 42-story, 440-foot tall structure. Designing for high magnitude earthquakes, the team elected to test above and beyond the code requirements. 

As the urban centers of California decarbonize, the engineering of the tower concurrently addresses the environmental needs of today and the seismic uncertainties of tomorrow.  500 Folsom and the rest of this year’s award recipients will be considered in the Structural Engineers Association of California’s statewide competition.