A new condominium building in an old waterfront section of San Francisco sparks up the neighborhood with its serrated facade. 'When I was looking for an apartment, I saw the facade and immediately called my real-estate agent,' says Mark Chila, a resident of 616 20th Street in San Francisco. 'I was lucky: the condominiums were almost sold out.'

A low-income housing project brings together seniors and families in a residential development designed to respect its neighbors and accommodate the sub-tropical climate.

The reimagining of two city blocks is helping to shape a new identity for one of San Francisco's bleakest neighborhoods. Mention “the projects” to San Francisco residents and they are likely to think of long rows of low-rise apartment buildings, painted pink and other pastel hues, terraced along the hills on the southern edge of the city.

Kengo Kuma refers to the classic brewing process of a century-old Japanese soy sauce maker for a surprising shop in an urban mall.