-By Holly Richmond, Photography by Kodiak Greenwood, Steven Rothfield, David Wakely

What could be better than a destination that showcases the harmonious yet distinct beauty of the land and the sea, the city and country, the old and the new? Nothing, if you ask the designers and developer of the elegant and environmentally sustainable Cavallo Point—the Lodge at Golden Gate. Blending historic conservation with adaptive reuse and new construction, three visionary, San Francisco-based design firms—Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (LMS), Architectural Resources Group (ARG), and Brayton & Hughes Design Studio—have created the ultimate resort destination that is as big on comfort as it is on conscientiousness.

Located on Horseshoe Cove in the Marin Headlands, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, Cavallo Point has captured the magic of a 27-acre site that sat unused for years as the decommissioned Fort Baker army base. Now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Cavallo Point consists of 68 historic and 74 contemporary rooms and suites, the Michelin star Murray Circle restaurant, Farley Bar, the renowned Cooking School, as well as the Healing Arts Center & Spa. Additionally, there is approximately 29,000 sq. ft. of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.


Fort Baker, a National Register Historic District, originally took shape between 1901 and 1915 when barracks and single-family dwellings were built around a horseshoe-shaped central parade ground to house troops manning coastal fortifications. The rehabilitation of the historic buildings was designed to meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic properties. Deborah J. Cooper, project manager for ARG, the firm responsible for the project's master plan and restoration, explains the challenge of being sensitive to the site's historic context and existing structures while providing the comfort that today's guests expect. "We worked within the existing envelope to create the ideal balance of historic character, through the preservation of original architectural features, and contemporary functionality of a 21st-century, high-end resort," she says.

Add to that the challenge of incorporating sustainable measures to obtain LEED certification, and the grand-scale project blossomed into something truly monumental. "We had a vision," states Tom Sargent, principal of San Francisco-based Equity Community Properties, the site's developer. "It took eight years, but the mission was absolute and held fast by every member of the team."

It is this teamwork—the sense of one cohesive mission—that each of the design firms reasserts. Stanford Hughes, principal at Brayton & Hughes Design Studios, explains the link to the interiors. "Seamless continuity between the historical and contemporary contexts was of utmost importance," he remarks. "However, our goal was to have the spaces complement each other in a truly elegant way, not mirror each other." To that end, similar coloration, accent fabrics, and artwork are used in both the historic and new buildings. A feeling of serenity, warmth, and design continuity flows from one structure to the next, in both guest quarters and public spaces. Organic colors like sage, butter, and olive offer a subtle backdrop to each space's architectural and design features. "In the historic buildings we couldn't change the envelope so we looked for eclectic furnishings to amplify the historic experience, yet in a fresh way," Hughes adds.

Of course, sustainability also played a huge role in the design process. "These were abandoned historic buildings. What could be more green than renovating them?" Hughes quips. Special care was taken with historic features including original wood floors, fireplaces with ceramic tile hearths and ornate wood mantles, and wood frame windows. However, the feature that proved to be the biggest challenge to the restorative process was the decorative pressed-metal (tin) ceilings. Each piece of tin, which Hughes describes as pieces of a grand puzzle, was painstakingly removed to allow for the creation of an acoustic separation between floors. However, to remove layers of paint that had built up over the decades, each piece was frozen and "twisted" as the metal contracted, and finally reinstalled. "The tin ceilings were an integral part of the design that we were determined to preserve," Hughes says. "They turned out to be even more beautiful than we imagined."

Rehabilitation of the historic structures also included seismic strengthening, new mechanical and electrical systems, and accessibility upgrades. Both the historic and new buildings feature daylighting, energy-efficient lighting, hydronic radiant heating systems, and numerous renewable and recycled materials including cork, bamboo, and recycled cotton insulation. The merging of the old, new, and green features throughout Cavallo Point is almost imperceptible, which was the initial and commonly held goal.

Marsha Maytum, principal in charge of new construction for LMS Architects, believes the developer and design partners found a solution that preserves the magic of the site while communicating its sophistication and that it is "of our time." The new buildings were kept small to maintain a sense of intimacy, most with only four units each. Additionally, they were built on a hillside as to not disrupt the circulation of the original parade ground. Maytum says, "The new guest quarters and the Healing Arts Center & Spa offer another level of comfort and amenities, yet they do it in a way that supports and complements rather than overwhelms or outshines."

Though the historic structures and new buildings are remarkable in numerous ways, each of the players involved in the project agree that, in essence, Cavallo Point is merely a backdrop to the natural marvel of the national park. "It is compositionally and aesthetically unique. Guests are not bombarded by the exteriors or the interiors," Sargent maintains. Hughes agrees, concluding, "The function of the design is its subtlety and cohesion so that guests can appreciate its serenity. This is not a 'look at me' place; it's a look around you haven."