San Francisco Public Works appointed a new city architect on Monday, the first-ever woman to take on the title since it was created over a century ago.
Public Works Director Carla Short selected Julia Laue for the role after the previous city architect, Ronald Alameida, retired from the position after four years.
The position was originally established in 1907 to help contribute to the rebuilding of the city after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
The city architect is an honorary role that has influence over the design and renovation of public structures, especially historic and civic buildings. There is no expiration date for how long a person can be the city architect, public works spokesperson Rachel Gordon said in an interview.
“There’s a lot of thought that goes into the design of a building,” Gordon said. “Not just how the air conditioning and heating is going to work and how people get in and out of the building, but how it fits in with the surrounding community and the purpose that it’s serving.”
Laue has been with the department for nearly 12 years. She has served as principal architect and manager of its Bureau of Architecture, where she oversees over 65 architects and support staff to design a large variety of civic projects such as public parks and fire stations in San Francisco.
She will continue her role as the head of the Bureau of Architecture while simultaneously serving as the new city architect.
Laue’s “background and her drive to deliver exceptional projects to benefit the people of San Francisco make her the right choice for City Architect,” Short said in a news release.
“There’s a lot of thought that goes into the design of a building. Not just how the air conditioning and heating is going to work. …” Rachel Gordon, San Francisco Public Works spokesperson
Before joining the department, Laue worked in the private sector on design projects including the Santana Row shopping center in San Jose, the Gates Computer Science Building at Stanford University in Palo Alto, and the Ritz-Carlton resort in Kapalua, Hawaii.
“Julie has been very involved with public architecture at the national level,” Gordon said. “She’s really tried to advance and elevate the importance of public buildings.”
