LivingInUrbanSac: CA Natural Resources Headquarters Construction

CA Natural Resources high-rise as seen from the west

As this tower finishes up, I admire the street view of the building as seen when going west on P Street. The way some of the windows have brown fins rising off the glass, giving the exterior a texture and variation compared to the rest of the flat glass wrapped around the building. Thus far, the pedestrian plaza on the north side along O Street is a the least attractive view of the structure. Then there is the top of the building, the mechanical three story grey box on the roof that is only seen from the west, a giant box that sticks out in a terrible way. If you observe the same tower from the Capitol looking west, the mechanical level is wrapped with glass to disguise what’s on top of the high-rise. The State also did this when building the EPA building on I Street in 1999, from the rail yards you can see the ugly mechanical roof but it you view the same building from the south or the Capitol, there is a nice glass wrap to hide all the stuff on the roof. You might get the idea that these offices are designed to have the most attractive side face the Capitol where the political wonks see the city skyline.

CA Natural Resources high-rise reflections on P Street

The Bee recently wrote about how the building was originally designed for 3,200 workers but in the last year found a way to add an additional 1,200 workers because the building has been organized to allow employees to share space so workers can rotate between staying home and coming into the office. A total of 4,400 employees can now work in there.

CA Natural Resources high-rise as seen on P Street going west

The historic Heilbron House, built in 1881, will undergo some exterior improvements and will be preserved onsite. CA Natural Resources Headquarters size: 838,000 square feet, 339 feet tall, project cost: $598 million Completion Date: 2021