Located in San Francisco’s emerging Rincon Hill residential district, 399 Fremont is a high-density residential development that is sensitive and responsive to its complex urban location. Composed of a 42-story tower and an eight-story podium, the 596,000-square-foot development features 447 apartments, modern tenant amenities, and 238 structured parking spaces. SCB was responsible for both the architectural and interior design of the project.

As Fremont Street ascends Rincon Hill, the surrounding context changes from low- to high-rise. The project’s massing successfully bridges this change in street scale and elevation by locating the eight-story podium at the bottom of the hill and the tower at the top. A series of townhome entryways and landscaped planters activate the streetscape of the lower building while the tower’s lobby and retail enlivens the street at the crest of the hill. The podium contains above- and below-grade structured parking for the development and is masked by single-loaded residential units located above the podium’s two-story townhomes. The building’s outdoor and indoor amenity spaces are located above the garage at the fifth level of the podium and tower.

Sustainable design features the world’s tallest solar water heating installation which reduces energy usage by 30 percent, eliminates greenhouse gas emissions, and reduces the carbon footprint within the community. The building includes a landscaped paseo, which offers both the feel of a pocket park and a convenient pedestrian link between upper and lower Rincon Hill for community access through the site. The building is LEED Silver certified.