Another Side rethinks death as a shared civic experience
Another Side Community Center is a civic architecture proposal by Hanqin Tang located in San Francisco’s Mission District, an area characterized by high density, cultural diversity, and a strong local identity. The project examines how architectural space can accommodate both everyday civic activity and ceremonial functions within a single, integrated framework. It proposes a reinterpretation of the funeral home by embedding spaces of mourning, memory, and ritual within a broader community-oriented program.
Conceived in response to the limited availability of inclusive civic spaces in dense urban environments, the project brings together educational, cultural, and ceremonial uses. The program includes classrooms, workshops, exhibition galleries, ceremonial spaces, and publicly accessible outdoor terraces. Rather than separating these functions into distinct buildings, the design organizes them within a unified architectural system that allows different forms of use to coexist while maintaining varying degrees of privacy and openness.
The architectural strategy is informed by the site’s sloped topography and surrounding urban fabric. The ground level is designed as an occupiable public landscape that extends existing pedestrian routes and open spaces into the site. This landscaped plane functions as a primary civic zone, supporting circulation, informal gathering, and daily public activity. Above this level, a lifted rectangular volume contains the enclosed programmatic spaces, establishing a clear spatial hierarchy while maintaining permeability and accessibility at street level. By elevating the main building mass, the project preserves ground space for public use and reinforces the relationship between architecture and the surrounding neighborhood.
the community center is integrated into a landscaped public park | all images courtesy of Hanqin Tang
Spaces of mourning and ritual are integrated into urban fabric
Environmental performance is addressed through a series of passive design strategies. Natural daylight is introduced through a combination of top lighting, side lighting, and a continuous skylight system, allowing light to penetrate deep into the interior. Courtyards and vertical light wells improve daylight distribution and visual connectivity between program areas. Cross-ventilation corridors and operable facade elements enable natural airflow, reducing reliance on mechanical systems and supporting indoor comfort.
The structural system consists of a steel frame that supports the elevated volume and allows for long spans and flexible interior layouts. At the base, recycled brick infill is used to anchor the building visually and materially within its urban context. The upper envelope is composed of translucent polycarbonate panels and perforated steel screens. This layered facade moderates light, supports ventilation, and filters views, contributing to both environmental performance and architectural identity.
Through its spatial organization, structural logic, and environmental strategies, Another Side Community Center, conceived by designer Hanqin Tang, presents a model for integrating public, cultural, and ceremonial programs within a single civic structure. The project demonstrates how architectural design can respond to complex urban conditions while supporting diverse forms of collective use and social interaction.
perforated metal facade wraps the elevated volume, filtering light while hovering above the public ground
by raising the primary program above the ground, the project reserves the lower level as a porous public zone
the corridor frames a slow, deliberate procession, marking the transition from public to ceremonial space
the elevated volume creates a shaded civic ground connecting indoor programs with the neighborhood
in the ceremonial hall, filtered daylight and warm timber surfaces create a calm, contemplative atmosphere
a circular opening in the interior courtyard introduces light and frames views toward the suspended structure
the exhibition gallery is designed as a flexible space for rotating displays and public events
project info:
name: Another Side Community Center
architect: Hanqin Tang
location: San Francisco, California, US
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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