UC Law San Francisco The Academe at 198

San Francisco, California

A multi-disciplinary hub for education and community living in the heart of San Francisco

The 656-unit Academe at 198 is the newest addition to UC Law’s Academic Village where students from different disciplines—including business, law, and medicine—can work together to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges and recognize their shared purpose.

Anchored by residential life for graduate students and faculty in a range of unit types, the Academe at 198 features distinctive common spaces, academic classrooms, two courtrooms, and food and retail options.

The project embodies an innovative approach to housing for multi-disciplinary learners with intentional placemaking, and is a transformative investment intended to catalyze growth by providing an affordable place to live in an economically challenged community.

Client: UC Law San Francisco
Size: 365,000 square feet
Completion Date: 2023

Design, Learning, and Community

Take a closer look inside The Academe at 198 and learn about its impact on the Tenderloin neighborhood from our design team, client, notable alumni, and local business owners.

A ribbon of transparent public spaces winds its way across the buildings via a series of windows. The transparency provides a connection between the inner workings of 198 McAllister and the public realm, ascending to show a number of study rooms before culminating at a skyline lounge and terrace.

What Makes It Cool

The building’s residential façade is composed of custom concave aluminum panels that are an abstraction of the depth and texture of the fluted classical columns found in traditional judicial design.

A mix of public uses define the entry to 198 McAllister, highlighting the overlap between the Academic Village and the community.

The LexLab, an innovation hub for connecting with local tech companies, overlooks the lobby atrium.

“We want to create an academic village where students and potentially faculty from multiple campuses can be housed. This is our biggest project ever."

David Seward, CFO, UC Law San Francisco

Appellate and Trial moot courtrooms provide space for students to practice law in the physical layout that they will encounter in the real world.

198 McAllister will anchor the Academic Village on the southern and eastern edges of campus.

Project Team

John Long

David Damon

Matthew Pierce

Anders Carpenter

Tom Butcavage

Stephen Sefton

UC Law San Francisco The Academe at 198

Project Team

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