Awards

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University of California, San Francisco, Child, Teen & Family Center, and Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building

The Woodwork Institute has selected Northwestern Design for the work on University of California, San Francisco, Child, Teen & Family Center and Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building as the winner of the 2025 Ralph B. McClure Craftsmanship Award. The McClure Award honors a Woodwork Institute certified project for exceptional craftsmanship and installation of architectural millwork.

Mental health is at the forefront of one of the most pressing issues facing the world due to the lack of facilities, stigmatization and funding challenges. Providing a welcoming environment to transform this underserved area was the focus in considering the overall design and functionality of the new University of California, San Francisco Child, Teen & Family Center and Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.

Philanthropists and longtime supporters of UCSF – John Pritzker and Lisa Stone Pritzker – helped turn this vision into a reality, thanks to a gift of nearly $60 million. The building is named in honor of John’s sister, Nancy Friend Pritzker, who died by suicide.

Bringing research and mental health services under one roof, while offering treatment for all ages was a focus of the project. Creating a warm and inviting space where patients and practitioners could engage in a healthy and safe environment was ultimately achieved. The 173,000 square-foot, five-story building includes a stunning atrium where natural light permeates from the skylight baffles all the way into the ground-floor lobby area.

The extensive use of natural lighting and an open concept design helps normalize the mental health care setting, while creating a uniquely uplifting environment for visitors.

Coordination among the trades to achieve precise alignment of adjacent finishes during installation was the most challenging aspect of the project, given the tight tolerances across multiple material systems. This was especially evident in the atrium lobby, where a high level of finish and extensive coordination was required.

The lobby paneling demanded close integration with the storefront, steel and lighting systems. Installation of the radius panels demonstrated exceptional craftsmanship with all reveals and inside/outside corners aligned seamlessly with integrated light fixtures.

The success of the atrium lobby is a testament to the collaboration of all project partners, with each trade contributing to the creation of a space that is both technically impressive and welcoming for all who enter.

General Contractor – Hathaway Dinwiddie
Architect –  ZGF Architects