PG&E Martin Substation

Infrastructure as Art

  • client

    Pacific Gas & Electric Company

  • location

    Brisbane, CA

  • size

    4,320 LF

TEF designed the ten-foot-high perimeter wall enclosing PG&E’s Martin Substation in Brisbane as both a security measure and a community amenity. The wall replaced a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, transforming a utility necessity into a sculptural feature for passersby traveling through the neighborhood.

Perforated metal sliding gate at the Geneva Avenue Martin Substation, with “3150 Geneva Avenue” and PG&E graphics integrated into the gate design.
Daytime view of an electrical substation with overhead power equipment rising behind a textured concrete-block perimeter wall with narrow translucent glass panels.

From Chain-Link to Aesthetic Asset

TEF designed this wall as the first in a series of improvements for PG&E’s Martin Substation, which supplies 70 percent of San Francisco’s power. Balancing practical utility needs with community benefit, the design called for a durable, economical enclosure that strengthens public safety without resembling a fortress, finished with a special coating that resists graffiti. Large aluminum gates provide personnel and vehicle access; laser-cut perforations display the PG&E logo and address while offering controlled views inside.

Wide street view of an electrical substation behind a long concrete-block perimeter wall with vertical translucent glass panels, framed by mature tree branches and passing cars.

Inspired  by Landscape

TEF shaped the wall’s design in response to its surroundings, drawing on the coastal hills to the west, the profile of the nearby Cow Palace, and the substation’s own network of towers and tension wires. Anticipating that motorists traveling between the neighborhood and nearby freeway connections would be its primary audience, the design team selected an ochre-brown masonry that reflects the color of the surrounding landscape, particularly during summer months and in late-afternoon light.

Composition of Texture and Light

The wall combines concrete masonry block, Heath ceramic tile reveals set in a soldier-course pattern, and channel-glass inserts. Split-face block catches light on the exterior; smooth-faced block lines the interior. The tile creates a continuous shadow line, while channel glass glows at night, lit by LED fixtures powered by five onsite solar arrays. Irregular segments and infill create a syncopated rhythm, turning a utilitarian wall into a sculptural feature. As the ground slopes toward Bayshore Road, the wall steps down, maintaining the required ten-foot security height without a monolithic appearance. Along both street frontages, the wall improves the streetscape for motorists, residents, and pedestrians.

Electrical substation at night with illuminated steel infrastructure behind a segmented concrete-block wall; red and white vehicle light trails run along the street in the foreground.

Team

Collaborators

  • Architect
    TEF
  • Structural Engineer
    Morris Engineering
  • Civil Engineer
    PG&E
  • Lighting Design
    Illuminosa Lighting
  • Utility Consultant/Owners Representative
    Urban-In
  • Contractor
    Hotline Construction
  • Photographer
    Bruce Damonte

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