{"id":215422,"date":"2026-09-22T07:35:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=215422"},"modified":"2026-09-21T14:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T18:35:32","slug":"mass-timber-anchors-a-new-san-francisco-recreation-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/mass-timber-anchors-a-new-san-francisco-recreation-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Mass timber anchors a new San Francisco recreation center"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Modern<\/a>
The building takes a park-focused approach. Photos by Bruce Damonte<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A recreation center that opened earlier this year at the edge of San Francisco\u2019s John McLaren Park uses mass timber and indoor-outdoor connections to reflect its natural setting.<\/p>\n

The 1,161 m2<\/sup> (12,500 sf) Herz Recreation Center serves as a gateway to the city\u2019s second-largest park and provides the Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods with recreation, gathering, and fitness spaces.<\/p>\n

The design integrates the building with its park setting. Large indoor-outdoor connections reinforce that approach, while exposed wood and mass timber shape the interior.<\/p>\n

The center includes a gymnasium with a full-size basketball court and bleacher seating, as well as a multipurpose room for community events and supporting spaces.<\/p>\n

Outside, an accessible community fitness plaza, a nature exploration area, and gathering spaces extend the facility into the park. The landscape and building design create a continuous connection with the surrounding setting.<\/p>\n

Leddy\u00a0Maytum\u00a0Stacy Architects provided architectural and interior design services. The firm used exposed wood and mass timber throughout the interior to complement the recreation center\u2019s park setting.<\/p>\n

The San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, Mercy California, and Related comprise the ownership team. KPFF Consulting Engineers provided structural and civil engineering services.<\/p>\n

\"Players<\/a>
Wood and mass timber are used key elements of the interior experience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

See how the Herz Recreation Center uses mass timber and indoor-outdoor connections to reflect its natural setting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35591,"featured_media":215423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1029],"tags":[9762,4459],"class_list":["post-215422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-leddy-maytum-stacy-architects","tag-san-francisco","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMass timber anchors a new San Francisco recreation center - The Construction Specifier<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"See how the Herz Recreation Center uses mass timber and indoor-outdoor connections to reflect its natural setting.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/mass-timber-anchors-a-new-san-francisco-recreation-center\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mass timber anchors a new San Francisco recreation center - 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