hayes valley hero

a month or so ago i noticed this building on linden street:

i loved the look of it (the bi-fold doors, the organic/urban symmetry) and wondered who lives/works there? what's this place about?
so, imagine my gratification in discovering there's just as much quality inside it as on the facade:

today the new york times, much to my delight, has an entire story on the man behind the same building that i was so fondly curious about. serendipity provides!

loring sagan is a guy with a vision, and it's a vision i can relate to. he's a san francisco architect, entrepeneur, and artist who bought-up a building in a run-down hayes valley alley and turned it into an insirpiring live/work space and gathering place for like-minded folk.

once i started exploring, i realized it's quite in the news lately, so i guess i'm not the only one who's impressed.

sf.curbed calls it "roman holiday in hayes valley".

socketsite says it's "a building, coffee and movement that we love in hayes valley".

sfgate explains "at a hayes valley salon of artists and designers, an architect shows links between back alleys and an organic new urbanism".

sagan's ultimate vision is to upgrade linden alley:

in to the likes of seattle's post alley:

& rome's trastevere:

he's even acquired grant money to get the revamp going. i'm so excited to see how it develops.

loring's companies, sagan piechota architecture and build inc., (both blog post worthy all on their own) have their offices located in the enchanting building, which also has a living space loft to die for, a fabulous conference/meeting space for community gatherings, and a hip-funky-cool blue bottle coffee kiosk. many thanks to the nyt for these sneak-peek photos inside:

oh, yeah, and loring sagan's furniture d'art can be seen at edith caldwell's gallery in sausalito: