The Wilson | San Francisco, CA

On Market Street, in the heart of San Francisco, stood a 9-story building originally built in 1906 and left vacant for many years. Raintree Partners saw the chance to bring it back into the life of the city as housing, integrating 67 rental units and providing ground-floor retail space.

Reviving a building of this age demanded care at every level. BDE Architecture followed historical preservation guidelines to restore the building, returning the terracotta facade to its original color scheme and preserving a historical staircase inside. Structural work was also required, including the addition of full-height concrete shear walls, so the historic structure could serve a new generation of residents while keeping the character that made it worth saving.

Completed in 2014, The Wilson now offers residents a lightwell at its center with a landscaped courtyard, a roof lounge and a furnished roof deck with great views over Market Street. A building that sat empty for years once again contributes to the street, with homes above and retail space at ground level, linking San Francisco's past to its present.

Address: 973 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Client: Raintree Partners

Number of Units: 67

Construction Type: IA

Year Completed: 2014

Photographer: David Wakely

City street scene with historic buildings, trees, pedestrians, and a red trolley bus in San Francisco.
City street view with tall buildings, some trees, and a decorative red and gold building on the right.
Interior of a modern building with a staircase featuring dark brown carpeted steps, black metal railings with decorative curls, and wooden handrails. The brick wall adds an industrial feel, and there are white walls and a hallway with elevator doors
Living room with beige sofa decorated with colorful pillows, small coffee tables, a flat-screen TV on a wooden stand, sliding glass door with balcony, and connected bedroom visible in the background.
Outdoor rooftop seating area with orange cushioned chairs, black wicker chairs, and high-top tables with bar stools, overlooking a city skyline with office buildings and skyscrapers under a blue sky.
Modern bedroom with large window, white bed with tufted headboard, black nightstand, decorative shelving, and a window seat with purple cushion.