Presidio Cavalry District Buildings

A new lease on life the Cavalry District

  • client

    The Presidio Trust

  • location

    San Francisco, CA

  • size

    25,200 SF (3 buildings)

  • sustainability

    LEED Gold

TEF transformed three cavalry soldier barracks into environmentally sustainable office spaces, retaining their landmark character while advancing the Presidio Trust’s mission to repurpose historic structures for income-generating tenants. The LEED Gold project introduced modern systems and accessibility upgrades, balancing preservation requirements, code compliance, and cost efficiency to support multi-tenant use.

Restored History, Renewed Function

Covered veranda of a historic white building, where a person stands at the railing overlooking neighboring white buildings with red roofs.
Close-up of a historic white building’s veranda, featuring a tall illuminated window, white wood siding, a decorative column, and black railings overlooking red roofs and trees.
Covered upper-level veranda of a historic white building with exposed beams, square columns, black railings, one person seated with a laptop, and another standing at the railing.
Key improvements included a new complex entrance, restrooms, stairs, and elevators, creating versatile warm shell spaces ready for tenant customization.
Close-up of an ornate white-painted column capital and embossed metal ceiling with floral patterns and decorative molding. Renovated interior with white columns, exposed structural braces, linear lighting, and ornate pressed-metal ceilings above tall windows with blinds.

Preserving the Character of the Cavalry Barracks

TEF upgraded the three two-story, wood-frame structures, built in 1902, to the Secretary of the Interior Standards, meeting current seismic, accessibility, and fire and life-safety codes. Inside, TEF preserved original details, including ornate pressed metal ceilings, an unusual system of supporting beams, detailed cast-iron columns, fireplace mantels, and the original staircase and railings.

It's a wonderful, rich building with a lot of character. Unlike a lot of buildings that have undergone similar rehabilitations, this building's pretty much intact. We're really taking it back to the 1902 plan.
Rob Wallace
Architect, Presidio Trust
Conference room with a long wood table, black chairs, wall-mounted projection screen, and evenly spaced windows and sconces.
Sunlit room with hardwood floors, a central white-painted brick chimney, and three tall windows with blinds.
Bright interior corridor with white wood siding, exposed ceiling beams, pendant lights, and two people walking past offices and windows.

Sustainable Design Meets Historic Preservation

Featuring the first living roof in the Presidio, which covers one wing of the barracks, the LEED Gold project dispels a common preconception that historic buildings present obstacles to environmentally responsible design solutions. Cost targets were achieved through rigorous scope management, efficient design and material selections, and the strategic reuse of existing heating systems and architectural elements.

Planted green roof beside a historic white building, overlooking a wooded landscape and curving path.
Green roof planted with low vegetation between the white walls and red roofs of a historic building.
Courtyard of a historic white building with red roofs, accessible ramps, benches, and a large white slatted enclosure.

Reimagining Access and Circulation

The design establishes a new entrance for the three-building complex, balancing access and fire/life safety requirements with preservation mandates and diverse tenant needs. The Golden Gate Bridge’s 1938 construction altered circulation patterns around the complex and limited access to the original front doors; this project transformed a former service entrance into the complex’s primary, more inviting, entry point.

Accessible ramp leading through a narrow courtyard between historic white buildings, with illuminated windows and a slatted screen at dusk. Exterior metal staircase with white mesh railings attached to a historic white wood-clad building beneath a clear blue sky.

Team

Collaborators

  • Architect
    TEF
  • Landscape Architect
    Stephen Wheeler Landscape
  • Structural Engineer
    Holmes Culley
  • Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer
    MHC
  • Civil Engineer
    Oberkamper & Associates
  • Geotechnical Engineer
    Alan Kropp & Associates
  • Contractor
    Herrero Contractors
  • Photographer
    David Wakely