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As The Real Story finishes up its week with Paul Woolford, Senior Vice President and Design Director for HOK, Paul talks about some of the changes yet to come in the San Francisco landscape. He calls the movement toward designing taller buildings and surrounding them with buildings of lesser height to fit them into the context of their neighborhood “constellation development.” He sees examples of this being built now along the East Bay BART corridor—with a tighter footprint, more mixed-use character, and transit-centric convenience. He also reminds The Real Story that there is already an existing study in place for a design rethink of Upper Market, from the Castro to Van Ness—a natural area for densifying the built environment.

Paul speaks with some pride about a project that HOK has undertaken with another National Historic Landmark: Pearl Harbor. Two enormous hangars are being repurposed as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Center, which will include a Tsunami Warning Center. Funded by federal stimulus money, Paul opines that this is an example of the government stepping in and doing the right thing. For visuals on the project, go to: http://www.hokrenew.com; for more information on NOAA, go to http://www.noaa.gov.

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One of the wonderful transformations in San Francisco is going on right now at the Old U.S. Mint building at Fifth and Mission. Built in 1874, this “Granite Lady” with walls three- to five-feet thick, stood up to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. When it closed in 1937, it had the title of having been the most active mint in the country. In 1961, it was named a National Historic Landmark, and in 2003, the City of San Francisco bought the building for one dollar.

In today’s The Real Story, architect Paul Woolford takes us through the vision for the Old Mint’s repurposing as the City Museum and Visitor Center for San Francisco. Paul, a Senior Vice President and Director of Design with HOK, talks about restoration and repurposing, all with such care for the preservation of materials, the use of natural daylight and ventilation, and the achievement of the goal of carbon neutrality that the LEED platinum design has already been called the most sustainably innovative National Historic Landmark in the United States.

Listen to Paul’s interview here or download it on iTunes, and check out the website at www.themintproject.org.

Thirty-one straight hours of continuous round-the-clock free entertainment and activities are in store this weekend at the newly transformed Oakland Museum of California, which has been closed since January 2008. Created in 1969 as a “museum for the people,” the refurbished museum features a more welcoming and dynamic exhibit environment. Here, in this landmark concrete building on Oak Street, it’s all about California.

“Just as California is not a ‘fixed’ place, but constantly evolving, this museum is embracing change and openness to new ideas,” said Lori Fogarty, OMCA’s executive director. “It’s in our DNA.”

The expanded and re-installed galleries and exhibition spaces offer a more participatory experience. The Galleries of California Art and History are designed with gathering places to engage visitors and provide a forum for them to share their own stories and perspectives.

Rene’ de Guzman, a senior curator of art, noted that “by transforming our collections galleries into spaces filled with ongoing activity and change, the Oakland Museum will better reflect the range of ideas that give California its vitality.”

What could be more dynamic and engaging than 31 straight hours of grand opening activities? Beginning Saturday at 11 a.m, the schedule includes aerial dances, marching bands, drumming, juggling, flashlight tours, gospel choirs and more! The expanded museum store will be open throughout. Remember, it’s all free. This IS the museum of the people, after all.

Photo credit:  ©Tim Griffith, courtesy of Oakland Museum of California.

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Paul Woolford of HOK is convinced that San Francisco has opened the door to conceiving of some of the great museum “rethinks” in the country. In his talk with The Real Story today, he reminds us that after 75 years of the status quo, the Palace of the Legion of Honor reopened its doors with a new look and feel, followed by the Public Library coming back to life as the Asian Art Museum, the birth of a new DeYoung, and the creation of a unified California Academy of Sciences Museum. Each museum is in itself a jewel, but when one gets to look at them as a body of work, it is truly a dazzling accomplishment.

In today’s podcast, Paul talks about the process of reinventing the Library and repurposing it as the Asian Art Museum. Where the pervasive feeling of the former was sealed up and gloomy, the new interpretation of the space instead leads toward courtyards and natural light. He calls the end result “an Asiatic approach to space in a Western shell” and the interplay of the two classic styles is a stunner.

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The Real Story is talking this week to Paul Woolford, Senior Vice President and Director of Design of the San Francisco office of HOK. Today, Paul takes on the subject of biomimicry, and offers a view on how architects are moving away from artifice.

Biomimicry reminds us that in our technological age, we live in a world in which we depend on artificial, often manufactured means to furnish us with what nature already provides. He explains the call to action to stop substituting technology for nature, and to realign our thinking along the lines of resources that are smart and sustainable.

The book that started this whole revolution is called Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, by Janine Benyus.  Required reading for The Real Story.

Whether you’re buying or renting, be aware:  your credit score will be scrutinized. These days, it’s scrutinized hard.

What is it? Your FICO score, a rating system developed by the Fair Issac Company, gives potential lenders and landlords a snapshot of how much you owe and if you pay your bills on time. Some employers check credit scores when hiring as a measure of reliability and discipline.

With onset of the current economic crisis—and so many mortgage defaults—lenders are raising the minimum acceptable credit score. What’s more, people with higher credit scores—who, therefore, pose less of a risk to lenders—are often offered the best interest rates on their loan.

FICO scores range from a low of 300 to a high of 850. Conventional mortgage lenders are typically looking for a score of 720 to qualify for the best rates. Fannie Mae just raised the minimum score they will accept from 580 to 620.

What’s in it? So the question remains, what factors are considered in the FICO score? Here’s a rundown of the five components:

1. Payment History—35%
Any lender will want to be sure the debt gets repaid. An indicator that this will happen is the borrower’s track record. Payment history has the most impact on your score. FICO watches your payment behavior on both revolving loans (credit cards) and installment loans (mortgages, car loans, student loans), so be sure to make payments consistently and on time.

2. Debt Amounts—30%
FICO looks at your total debt and how close you come to maxing out your credit cards. This illustrates whether or not you can handle debt responsibly. Keep those balances at 30% or less of your credit limits.

3. Length of Credit History—15%
A lender will want to know that you have handled your credit responsibly over a long period of time. If you’ve just recently taken out your first credit card, your score will be lower than after you’ve used it—and paid off the balance each month—for awhile.

4. New Credit—10%
Opening a lot of new credit accounts all at once is an indicator of financial difficulty. Stick to a few cards.

5.  Credit Mix—10%
Borrowers who have a mix of installment and revolving accounts are considered able to manage credit well and represent less of a credit risk.

There are any number of online resources for ordering your credit score.  Some charge a nominal fee, some are free.  If you’d like to take your score for a test drive, MSN Money has an estimator that will give you a range.

Sources:
personal-debt-management.suite101.com/article.cfm/do_you_have_a_good_credit_score

articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/the-new-math-of-FICO-credit-scores.aspx

articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/weston-raise-your-credit-score-to-740.aspx