1. PROJECT ABSTRACT
California is currently experiencing an extreme weather condition, a
drought. Despite being surrounded by an ocean, this drought is causing
a water crisis in both urban and suburban areas of the Bay Area. San
Francisco has a large prosperous population of 758,000, which is demands
44 million gallons of water for daily use. Developing a new water re-
source is becoming an urgent issue for people’s survival. However, the
environmental conditions of the San Francisco Bay provide a rich resource
which has not been tapped yet into new water system for San Francisco.
“The Swell” provides a way to combine desalination facility with California
style as an artificial landscape in San Francisco. In the middle of 19th cen-
tury to early 20th century, a California lifestyle is a dream for many people
06_
Thesis Project_
THE SWELL:
An artificial wave park with
desalination facility
INFORMATION
Location_
Pier #76, San Francisco,
CA 94107, USA
Site Area_
934,293 sq ft
Project Size_
533,269 gross sq ft
Project Year_
2016
Program_
Artificial wave pools, artificial
park, desalination facility
Structure_
Artificial wave pools—Concrete
Artificial park—Concrete & Steel
Desalination facility—
Concrete & Steel
,and
the “Golden State” is an ideal resort destination. The
weather is sunny and dry in all year with easy access
to the ocean and mountains. The image of Californians
as: laid-back, healthy beach-goers holds some truth.
This thesis project proposes both a “Surfing Park” and
a desalination facility. This new hybrid architecture
encourages people to generate the fresh water
through surfing.
The Surfing Park is a combination of three parts: a
surfing pool, an artificial landscape, and a desalination
system. The water comes from the bay into the
surfing pool, and the pool water goes through to the
desalination process within the artificial landscape.
The fresh water becomes a water resource for the
irrigation of landscapes, human use, and public
green spaces within an artificial landscape (park)
at Pier #76 in San Francisco.
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 60
COURSE Thesis Project TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
PAGE 1 6 1
2. RESEARCH
The Ongoing California Water Crisis &
An Extensive Water System
Abnormal Drought
Modernate Drought
Severe Drought
Extreme Drought
Exceptional Drought
In-stream / River
Canal / Pipeline
Bay Area Water System
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 62
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 63
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
3. San Francisco Water
Distribution System
SAN FRANCISCO
BAY
SAN FRANCISCO
BAY
PACIFIC
OCEAN
THE PRESIDIO
GOLDEN GATE PARK
PACIFIC OCEAN
SUTRO
RESERVOIR
SUNSET
RESERVOIR
MERCED MANOR
RESERVOIR
CITY AND COUNTY OF
SAN FRANCISCO
SAN MATEO COUNTY
LAKE
MERCED
UNIVERSITY MOUND
RESERVOIR
SAN FRANCISCO
BAY
PACIFIC
OCEAN
RESERVOIRRESERVOIR
MERCED MANOR
RESERVOIR
CITY AND COUNTY OF
SAN FRANCISCO
SAN MATEO COUNTY
SAN MATEO COUNTY
LAKE
MERCED
UNIVERSITY MOUND
RESERVOIR
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 64
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 65
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
4. The Bay Area has 7.5 million people, and San Francisco has 852,469 people
in the city. The Swell provides three functions in the site, desalination
facility, park, surfing pool. The desalination facility provides technology
and education functions for laboratory technician and students. The
park provides public events and leisure activities for citizens, dog walkers,
exercisers. The surfing pool provides surfing for surfers and exercisers.
USER
GROUP
Expenditure per visit (mean)
Distance Traveled
(one way, niles)
LA County
LA County
Santa Cruz
Orange County
$70
$53
$35
$18
$0
16
12
8
4
0
SF Bay Area San Diego County
LA County
Santa Cruz
Orange County
Ventura
Ventura
SF Bay Area San Diego County
Santa
Cruz
Orange
County
SF
Bay Area
San Diego
County
LA County Orange
County
SF
Bay Area
San Diego
County
Santa
Cruz
Expenditure per visit (mean)
Distance Traveled
(one way, niles)
LA County
LA County
Santa Cruz
Orange County
$70
$53
$35
$18
$0
16
12
8
4
0
SF Bay Area San Diego County
LA County
Santa Cruz
Orange County
Ventura
Ventura
SF Bay Area San Diego County
Santa
Cruz
Orange
County
SF
Bay Area
San Diego
County
LA County Orange
County
SF
Bay Area
San Diego
County
Santa
Cruz
SEX & AGE
MALE
FEMALE
UNDER 5 YEARS
5 TO 17 YEAR
18 TO 64 YEARS
65 YEARS AND ABOVE
MEDIAN AGE
432,202
420,267
37,509
76,722
622,275
115,936
38.6
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA(2016)
50.7%
49.3%
4.4%
9.0%
73%
13.6%
Left_
California Surfing:
Cost Per Each Surf Outing
(Per Person)
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 66
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 67
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
6. 1000 ft
N
GROUND CIRCULATION
MUNI RAIL
HOSPITAL
COMMERCIAL AND MIXED USE
SCHOOL
RESIDENTIAL USE
INDUSTRIAL USE
Pier 70 Proposed Plan
Site (Potrero Generating Station)
Ship Repair (Historic Use)
Open Space
Historic Core
Infilled Development Sites
The site was a natural gas and diesel burning
electricity generating station. It was owned
by Mirant Power Plant Company, and now
is own by NRG Company. The power station
was shut down in January, 2011.
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 70
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 7 1
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
7. Sun PathSite
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 72
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 73
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
8. CONCEPT
DEVELOPMENT
“The Swell” activates and transforms abandoned indus-
trial land in San Francisco’s Mission Bay district into
an artificial landscape between the bay and the city’s
edge. This landscape includes a desalinated water
system, which will distribute clean water to the city of
San Francisco, a surf-themed water park, and a large
urban park. By working with the natural assets of the
site, this project responds to the current drought
crisis in California by taking back land previously con-
taminated by industrial use and returning it to the
city through the limited impact on the environment.
The drought in California has established the need for
a new water supply in San Francisco, ideally one that
doesn’t rely on intensive and harmful interventions to
the surrounding environment. Because of San Francis-
co’s proximity to the ocean, desalination, which uses
reverseosmosis technology to separate the minerals in
seawater and transform it into fresh water, is a possi-
ble solution. The fresh water created by the plant in
this project will be stored in two water tanks on the
site. These water tanks will supply fresh water to the
citizens of San Francisco.
The prevailing image of the California lifestyle includes
the Beach Boys, sun, and surfing, which is the most
popular sport on the California shoreline. “The Swell”
contributes to this lifestyle by including two surfing
pools that connect the Dogpatch waterfront area to the
city. The project’s artificial wave machines are set in 2
concrete piers, transforming the traditional function of
the piers into entertainment.
Besides, the park, which is the most important part of
the landscape, connects the local communities to the
waterfront area and the bay, while making the desali-
nation facility and surfing pools part of the
landscape. The pattern in the landscape follows the di-
rectionality of the site’s water systems. The horizontal
lines represent the seawater on the site, and the verti-
cal lines represent the direction the seawater takes as
it goes through the desalination process to the public.
The artificial water landscape has three types of line
relationships to the site: convergent & divergent lines,
vertical lines, and zigzag tangent lines. These lines,
that reflect the urban and natural context of the site,
provide a system of circulation. The main circulation
paths for people and water use two actions from the
water system: diverging and converging. Users coming
from the city converge at the approach of the site.
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 74
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 75
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
9. Then, the landscape makes these users diverge to the
waterfront area for surfing, the park for wandering,
the desalination area for education and work, and the
waterfront for entertainment. For the water circula-
tion, the surfing pools collect seawater from the canal
at the pumping station. Then, the desalination facility
converges the seawater, transforming it into fresh
water and diverging to be used in the landscape and
to supply the local communities.
The Swell provides an artificial water landscape to
connect the landscape park to the desalination
facility and the surfing pools in the bay. It activates
the heavy industrial land and returns it to public use,
and creating a new waterfront area for the people of
San Francisco. The Swell provides a geographic
landscape, water supply, and sports activities for
San Francisco.
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 76
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 77
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
13. PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 8 4
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 85
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
14. PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 8 6
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 87
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
15. CONCEPT WITH
PROGRAM
STUDY PROCESS
From city to the waterfront
DIVERGENT &
CONVERGENT LINE
ZIGZAG
TANGENT LINE
VERTICAL
LINE
Tangent line with existing
building and context
Direct to show the
relationship between two
existing building
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 8 8
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 89
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
16. SPATIAL
ANALYSIS
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 90
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 9 1
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
17. 22ND ST
WAVE #1
10' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #2
10' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #3
7' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #4
7' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #5
5' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #6
5' HIG
H RIPS
WAV
E #7
4' HIGH RIPS
WAV
E #8
4' HIGH RIPS
WAV
E #9
3' HIGH RIPS
WAV
E#10
3' HIGH RIPS
MARSH SYSTEM CANAL
TRAFFIC STOP
BOAT LAUNCH
MARSH SYSTEM
WAT
ER
CANAL TO
DES
ALINATION
23RD ST
22ND ST
HUMBOLDT ST
ILLINOISST
24TH ST
WAVE DECAY ZONE
WAVE DECAY ZONE
MARSH SYSTEM
728'-2 5/8"
248'-2"
20'-0"
217'-11"
20'-0"
222'-2"
LENGTH OF WAVE #3
LENGTH OF WAVE #2
LENGTH OF WAVE #1
WAVE MACHINE PIER [ ALAMEDA WAVE CHANNEL]
0 100 150 FT
381'-10 1/2"
WAVE MACHINE PIER [ OAKLAND WAVE CHANNEL]
163'-11 5/8"
197'-10 7/8"
WAVLENGTH OF WAVE #10
WAVLENGTH OF WAVE #9
218'-8"
SKY BAR
840'-6"
WIDTHOFSITE
200'-4"
WATER TANK #1
186'-3"
WATER TANK #2
195'-8 3/4"
MARSH SYSTEM
1062'-11 1/8"
LENGTH OF SITE
ELEVATION
NOUTH
ELEVATION
EAST
ELEVATION
SOUTH
S1
S2
S3
S4
UPS
PIER
OFFICES
PIER
OFFICES
WAVE #1
10' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #2
10' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #3
7' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #4
7' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #5
5' HIG
H RIPS
WAVE #6
5' HIG
H RIPS
WAV
E #7
4' HIGH RIPS
WAV
E #8
4' HIGH RIPS
WAV
E #9
3' HIGH RIPS
WAV
E#10
3' HIGH RIPS
MARSH SYSTEM CANAL
TRAFFIC STOP
BOAT LAUNCH
MARSH SYSTEM
WAT
ER
CANAL TO
DES
ALINATION
23RD ST
22ND ST
HUMBOLDT ST
ILLINOISST
24TH ST
WAVE DECAY ZONE
WAVE DECAY ZONE
MARSH SYSTEM
SEAWATER PUMPSTATION
SURFING SCHOOL
SHOP &RENTAL
PREPARATION BEACH
WETROOM
WAVEPIER [ALAMEDACHANNEL]
WAVEPIER [OAKLANDCHANNEL]
PREPARATION BEACH
CLEANROOM
218'-6"
SKY BAR
150'-8 1/8"
SURFING SCHOOL
ENTRANCETOSKYBAR
ENTRANCETOSKYBAR
ADMINISTRATION
RESTROOM- FEMALE
RESTROOM- MALE
SHOWER &
CHANGINGROOM
SHOWER &
CHANGINGROOM
MEDICAL ROOM
TICKET SELLS
GENERALOFFICE
COACHOFFICE
GYM
SEAWATER PUMPSTATION
CUISINE PLAZA
PIER BUILDING PLAZA
PIER BUILDING PLAZA
WATER TANK #1
WATER TANK #2
MEDIA AREA
PRE-TREMENT
REVERSE-OSMOSIS
POST-CONDITIONING
POST-CONDITIONING
UPS
PIER
OFFICES
PIER
OFFICES
0 100 150 FT
Left_
Site Plan
Right_
Ground
Floor Plan
SITE
PLAN
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 92
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 93
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
18. WAVE #8
4' HIGH RIPS
WAVE #10
3' HIGH RIPS
WATER CANAL TO
DESALINATION
SEAWATER PUMP STATION
SURFING SCHOOL
SHOP & RENTAL
PREPARATION BEACH
WET ROOM
WAVE PIER [ALAMEDA CHANNEL]
WAVE PIER [OAKLAND CHANNEL]
PREPARATION BEACH
CLEAN ROOM
218'-6"
SKY BAR
150'-8 1/8"
SURFING SCHOOL
ENTRANCE TO SKY BAR
ENTRANCE TO SKY BAR
ADMINISTRATION
RESTROOM - FEMALE
RESTROOM - MALE
SHOWER &
CHANGING ROOM
SHOWER &
CHANGING ROOM
COACH OFFICE
GYM
SEAWATER PUMP STATION
MEDIA AREA
PRE-TREMENT
0 30 50 FT
WAVE #8
4' HIGH RIPS
WAVE #10
3' HIGH RIPS
WATER CANAL TO
DESALINATION
0 30 50 FT
WAVE #8
4' HIGH RIPS
WAVE #10
3' HIGH RIPS
WATER CANAL TO
DESALINATION
0 30 50 FT
Left_
Sky Bar—1st Floor Plan
Right_
Sky Bar—2nd Floor Plan / 3rd Floor Plan
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 94
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 95
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
19. 0 50 100 FT
0 50 100 FT
ELEVATIONS
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 96
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 97
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
20. SECTIONS 0 50 100 FT
MEDICAL ROOM
0 50 100 FT
0 50 100 FT
0 50 100 FT
PROJECT 6
PAGE 1 98
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 1 99
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
21. ETAIL 1
ETAIL 2
ETAIL 3
ETAIL 4
Wall SectionSection
PROJECT 6
PAGE 200
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 201
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
22. 1 STEEL A LE
ETAL STU ITH ON ETE
LOO
1 HS STEEL
OU LE LASS LA IN
ATE OO E ANE
1 4 I E E ENT ANEL
1 2 I E E ENT ANEL
1 2 I E E ENT ANEL
2 12 HS STEEL
ETAL STU ITH ON ETE
LOO
OU LE LASS LA IN
2 12 HS STEEL
1 HS STEEL
3 INSULATION
2 ON ETE ANEL
ATE OO E ANE
1 4 I E E ENT ANEL
STEEL AVE ENE ATO
STEEL ONNE T I LAN E ITH
1 OLTS
STEEL OLU N
STEEL EA ITH LAN E
U E AIL SU O TS
LO E AIL SU O TS
EIN O E ON ETE O
DETAILS
WATERPROOF MEMBRANE REINFORCE
CONCRETE DOCK
UPPER RAIL &
SUPPORTS
LOWER RAIL &
SUPPORTS
STEEL BEAM
WITH FLANGE
STEEL COLUMN
STEEL CONNECT
RIM FLANGE
WITH 10 BOLTS
STEEL WAVE
GENERATOR
3” INSULATION
2” CONCRETE PANEL
20” X 12” RHS STEEL
16” X 8” RHS STEEL
1/4” FIBER CEMENT PANEL
DOUBLE GLASS GLAZING
5” METAL STUD WITH
CONCRETE FLOOR
20” X 12” RHS STEEL
1/2” FIBER CEMENT PANEL
1” STEEL CABLE
WATERPROOF MEMBRANE
1/4” FIBER CEMENT PANEL
DOUBLE GLASS GLAZING
16” X 8” RHS STEEL
1/2” FIBER CEMENT PANEL
5” METAL STUD WITH
CONCRETE FLOOR
PROJECT 6
PAGE 202
COURSE Thesis Project
PAGE 203
TITLE The Swell: An artificial wave park with desalination facility
