Construction has reached the six-story mid-building podium block for 1510 Webster Street in Downtown Oakland, Alameda County. The exposed structure shows off the mass timber framework around the concrete superstructure that makes the 19-story plan unique. Oakland-based oWOW is the project developer and architect.
1510 Webster Street construction close-up, image by author
1510 Webster Street at dusk, rendering by oWow
1510 Webster Street, image by author
While the cross-laminated timber is six floors high, two floors of facade panels have already been installed. oWow President Andrew Ball shared with YIMBY at the groundbreaking in October last year about what makes this construction site look unit. He described that there would not be scaffolding, and facade installation would happen quickly to protect the ply panels, at most five floors below the top levels.
The 187-foot tall structure will yield 175,750 square feet with 150,200 square feet for housing, 2,930 square feet for retail, 9,500 square feet for offices, and 2,590 square feet for residential amenities split between the ground level and the rooftop. The structure will also include shared open spaces on the 7th and 17th floors.
1510 Webster Street view of the entrance into the public plaza, rendering by oWOW Design
1510 Webster Street seen from the YWCA Building, image by author
1510 Webster Street facade details, image by author
1510 Webster Street mass timber structure detail, image by author
The project will create 222 rental units, of which 35 are designated as affordable for households earning around 80% of the Area’s Median Income. There will be 53 one-bedrooms and 169 two-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 76 bicycles in a roughly 400-square-foot room in the basement, easily accessible through a staircase in the main lobby.
oWow is a vertically integrated firm, including management and architecture. The firm is responsible for the design, with setbacks, facade materials, and a mid-height datum to complement the typology of Julia Morgan’s 1915-built YWCA building across Webster. The podium for 1510 Webster Street is clad with earth-tone terracotta or precast material and rises to a 65-foot datum to mirror the height of the YWCA. The tower levels will be covered with cream flush and white aluminum panels.
1510 Webster Street view from the street of the interior public plaza, rendering by oWOW Design
1510 Webster is the second mass timber project by oWow, following the five-story addition to 316 12th Street, where construction is now wrapping up. Now, oWow is in the process of gaining approval for an even taller mass-timber tower for the nearby 1523 Harrison Street. Recently increased plans for the site include a 25-story tower with 361 units.
oWow has stated that completion for 1510 Webster is expected by early 2024, with temporary occupancy allowing early move-ins as early as October this year.
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What about termites?
Chicago had big buildings made entirely of wood but they didn’t come down until they were on fire in the Great Fire of 1871.
That’s back when we made the damn roads and sidewalks out of wood too. In conjunction with proper treatment and fire safety, wood buildings have never been safer.
There are plenty of non-toxic chemicals used to treat wood materials to stop rot and pests. There are hundreds of papers and articles about how it performs and the safety/engineering qualifications.
Termites? honestly… >.< It's in an urban area, on a concrete podium…professionally designed, build, operated…
Nice to see mass timber going upward and outward! We need all possible solutions and this is a great one.
Termites? Ridiculous. Clearly it’s woodpeckers they need to watch out for. Looks like a massive concrete elevator/ stair core in the middle of the building. Fend off the woodpeckers and any lateral movements in earthquakes.
Is the plan to have a six story “mid-rise” portion of the building with a red facade and a 185′ tower clad in aluminum as shown in the second picture? Will the taller portion be building also mass timber?
Perhaps this is a typo: “While the cross-laminated timber is six floors high, two floors of facade panels have already been installed. oWow President Andrew Ball shared with YIMBY at the groundbreaking in October last year about what makes this construction site look unit” (?)
We’ve been watching this /unique/ looking project, now undergoing construction, from our condo. Thanks for the interesting story!