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Architecture, Design & Drinks — July 2026
Sat, Aug 1, 1:00 AMArchitecture, Design & Drinks is a casual monthly gathering for people who work in, around, or are inspired by design. We meet on the last Friday of each month to unwind, trade ideas, and connect. No agenda, no pressure. Whether you’re an architect, designer, creative, or simply design-curious, this is an easy way to expand your circle and have meaningful conversations in a relaxed setting. New faces are always welcome. Grab a drink, join the conversation, and stay as long as you’d like.
Julia Morgan in SF,her Work in Pacific & Presidio Hts. & Lunch@Golf Course
Wed, Jul 29, 5:30 PM(Photo above JM in Paris, 1900, Cathedral Notre Dame in the background.) Julia Morgan houses and buildings (at least **24** of the 700 commissoins in her life-time are located in SF) are scattered throughout the City. About a third of these are located in Pacific and Presidio Hts. We'll do a combination hike, with a leg on the Presidio side of the Presidio Wall to make it interesting and where we can [Then lunch at Presidio Golf Course restaurant](https://www.presidiogolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ironwoods-Brunch-2026.pdf), *at the end*\*\*.\*\* We can dine outside overlooking the beautiful Golf Course. The restaurant is called the **Ironwoods Bar & Grill.** If pricey for you find someone to split something with. (I like doing that because I eat less.) **\*(Don't be a no-show or your membership will be cancelled.)** It's good to give out name tags which I will do. I fill out the name tags 24 hours before I leave for the tour. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile, (only visible to the organizer) you'll be cancelled from this Meetup. (To cancel your RSVP beforehand [please at least 24 hrs. or a no-show is recorded.], look for the, **"Edit Attendance",** tab at the bottom right hand corner of the screen on a notebook and left bottom on a phone.) Along the way we'll stop to see two of Bernard Maybeck's, finest SF houses. Morgan graduated UC in 1894 with a degree in Civil Engineering, one of her specializations was structural engineering. (This benefited her clients greatly, as was seen after the 06' earthquake in her still standing buildings.) She arrived in Paris in 1896. A few years later it was reported in the San Francisco Call: **Paris, Oct.30,1902** - *Julia Morgan of San Francisco passed the examination with honors at the Architectural section of the School of Fine Arts (Ecole de Beaux Arts, Paris France.* The first woman to do so. Ironically one of the greatest architects in history, was made to wait two years, taking entrance exams before admission. By the end of her 45 yr. career she had received over 700 commissions. On average a new building every six weeks. It was said, "Her rational approach to home design and the public success of her large commissions gave Julia Morgan a solid reputation. It also won her the confidence of her clients. With the hard work, genius, inspiration and true artistic perception to create memorable works. Over the course of her career, Morgan designed nearly one hundred buildings across California and the nation for women’s organizations. Her commissions included social and civic clubs for women; academic, residential, and recreational buildings; primary schools; orphanages; hospitals, sanitariums,and nursing residences. She also designed more than thirty YWCA buildings, including those in San Francisco and Berkeley. In fact when JM bought her own house at Washington & Divisadero in SF in 1925, she bought a pair of houses there. To read more about the many Julia Morgan public buildings, such as the Hearst Castle etc. go to wikipedia. She was California's most prolific architect. The first woman to receive the American Institute of Architects highest award, the AIA Gold Medal, awarded posthumously in 2014. The three projects that immediately solidified her future career as a great architect, engineer and fully capable project/construction manager were the rebuilding of the new Fairmount Hotel after its semi-destruction following the earthquake. The design, engineering and building of the beautiful Bell Tower at Mills College and Carnegie Library there, both of which survived the earthquake without a crack. And the completion on time and within budget of the construction of the Greek Theater at UC for John Gayland Howard, campus architect. Option for lunch afterward. Here are some links if you would like to help with Meetup expenses. [Here is a Venmo link.](https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3262702482882560580&created=1757371525), for my account. Here is my Paypal account. '[herrmann48@comcast.net'](http://herrmann48@comcast.net'/) *Or use the Donation feature above.*
Alamo Square-Architectural Walking Tour & Art Gallery Visit After
Sun, Aug 2, 5:15 PM**\*Don't be a no-show. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. Attendance is always taken and no-shows recorded. After our tour of the neighborhood Victorians we'll head over to the Blue Painted Lady on Alamo Square where it becomes an art gallery today as famed London artist David Wills displays his work from over a career of sixty years. Particularly apropos is being near the Haight for this display of his fabulous work from that counter-culture era. [Click here for a ticket. Choose 1:00pm, Sunday. ](https://victorianalliance.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd91bb2ee7e8b396b9f939fcd&id=20aaf808b7&e=48a00e0ad1) (The photo above of his work is automatically cropped by Meetup.com. To see a complete rendering, look in the photos below.) [For a lot of photos of Part 1 click the link.](https://www.relive.com/view/vdORBznP7KO) (It was similar Meetup in the Mission, May 8th.) As usual I'm not permitting guests or pets. You'll have to have your guest join, to bring a "guest". About parking: Parking tickets are up to $105, I know first hand. Don't be lured by a close by empty spot . Be sure to check carefully for any No Parking signs. Don't be a No-show and lose your membership in this group. I carefully take attendance and Meetup.com records every RSVP and attendance results per person as I record it.
Victorians in Pacific Hts.-SF Tour-Alta Plaza Park to Lafayette Park
Sun, Aug 9, 5:30 PM**\*Don't be a no-show. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. Attendance is always taken and no-shows recorded. *Paraphrasing William Faulkner from Requiem for a Nun, "The past isn't gone , it's not even past."* At least it looks that way in parts of Pacific Heights. There is available free **parking** around the neighborhood, be prepared to drive around a little bit, but it is early morning and there are no restrictions on weekends. (Don't park by a meter like those on Fillmore.) Restrooms are located at the top of Alta Plaza Park behind the kid's playground. About 2/3s of the way through the tour we'll stop for a break atop Lafayette Park. For restrooms and views and describe the surrounding houses and the saga of Samuel Holladay and his mansion, questionably located atop Lafayette Park. *(Afterwards one of my go to's for brunch is La Mediterranean Cafe at Sacramento and Fillmore. Great food, drinks and service in a cute little iconic SF restaurant. Also Mayflower Market has great picnic items to go, to take over to Alta Plaza.)* Pacific Heights is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco. This tour highlights the Victorian architecture, and the architects, builders and people who owned and built, occupied and maintained these grand properties. About 30 of which will be on our tour with a few sentences of information about each property. The walking tour is 2.5-3.5 miles. With some typical SF hills for short distances. **Looking at a San Francisco Victorian, what to look for:** *(There are five Styles)* 1. Flat front Italianate- (earliest Victorians). 2. Italianate with slanted bay windows. 3. San Francisco Stick Style (also called East Lake). Simpler square bay windows now used. Overall more elaborate decoration. 4. Queen Anne Tower House&Witches Cap, with angled or rounded bay windows & front gable 5. Queen Anne Row House"Cottage", 1, 1-1/2 or two stories. Large front gable. Possible moon-gate entry. * Features & "Gingerbread" * Floral Decor-Garlands (one of many types of decorations known as \*"Gingerbread") * Fish scale&Diamond shingles- * Towers & Witch's Cap- * Stained Glass or Beveled Glass- * Carvings of grotesque faces- * Sunbursts- often painted gold color, half or full. * Gables (Queen Anne's) in a variety of material- (mainly redwood) * Newel Posts and Finials on Tower tops and roof peaks- We'll see clusters of Victorian homes systematically built for the average working person by a development company, "The Real Estate Assoc." THEA, in business from 1870 to 1880. Not quite magnificent but many still standing. *Periods* **1860 - 1870s *Italianate*:** Buildings were vertical in emphasis with rounded classical detail. Earliest had flat windows, with false roof fronts. **1880s *Stick Style* (also called East Lake):** Squared off bay windows appear. **Late 1880s and 1890s *Queen Anne*** : Gingerbread would be applied to both the Stick and Queen Ann styles in San Francisco. Sloping roofs appear. With gables and towers. *Rooflines in the Queen Anne were irregular, combining the witches hat rooftop on a rounded or octagonal tower*. [If you would like a scholarly and detailed explanation with photos, click.](https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/preserv/bulletins/HistPres_Bulletin_18.PDF)
The Liberty-Hill/Southwest Mission Victorians, & SF Earthquake History Tour
Sat, Aug 8, 5:30 PM**\*Don't be a no-show. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. Attendance is always taken and no-shows recorded. As we do these tours it's nice to see and learn about the Victorian houses and SF history. But it's always kind of sad that we can't see the fabulous interiors many of the houses have. And in most cases see how sturdily they were built. But a special day is coming. On **Sunday, October 18th** the Victorian Alliance of SF will be holding an open house tour in this neighborhood. Let me know if you are interested in being a volunteer docent and I can hook you up. But reserve Oct. 18th and see the interiors. Something new has been added to the tour as we discover another facet of the 20th St. fireline history. *A neighbor advised us that the 1900 block of Lexington St. suffered partial burning in the 06' fires. Evidence remains and we will take a look.* We'll visit the *"Golden Fire Hydrant"* and walk the 20th St. Fire Line where fire-fighters and citizens held the line and saved the Mission from going up in flames. Actually the north side of 20th St. starting at Dolores St. was demolished to create a fire break. The difference between the north and south side of 20th St. here is startling. [3755-20th St. is on our tour today. It is a beautiful 1889 Victorian. These interior photos show some of the beautiful interior details typical of a Victorian of this era.](https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Francisco/3755-20th-St-94110/home/713440) [Here is a link to detailed histories of seven Victorians East of Noe Valley.](https://archive.org/details/victorianallianc1093unse/page/n19/mode/2up?view=theater) We'll see some of these and many others on today's tour. [Another link to one of the oldest houses on today's tour.](https://noehill.com/sf/landmarks/sf136.asp) [Here's a simple link that will allow you to support the Meetup and add a thank you.](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=TJ8W6VVEGJ6BS&no_recurring=1&item_name=%0AIt%27s+very+nice+of+you+to+respond+and+give+support.%0AThank+you%2C%0AJordan¤cy_code=USD) One of our go to restaurants after the tour has been Udupi Palace for Indian vegetarian food at 21st & Valencia. Also across the street is Ritual Coffee Roasters. Tartine Bakery is four blocks away at 18th and Guerreo. And there is always Park Coffee at 18th & Dolores with Bi-rite ice cream across the street. *The information below is provided if you are interested in more details about SF Victorian architecture.* **Looking at a San Francisco Victorian, what to look for:** *(There are five Styles)* * Flat front Italianate- (earliest Victorians). (French 2nd Empire appear) * Italianate with slanted bay windows. * San Francisco Stick Style (also called East Lake). Simpler square bay windows now used. Overall much more elaborate decoration, ornament and gingerbread used. * Queen Anne Tower House&Witches Cap, with angled or rounded bay windows & front gable * Queen Anne Row House, 1, 1-1/2 or two stories. Large front gable. Possible moongate entry. Features & "Gingerbread" Type of Entry & Doorway(maybe a rounded or partial Moongate entry)- Decorative Ironwork- Floral Decor-Garlands (one of many types of decorations known as \*"Gingerbread") Fish scale&Diamond shingles- Towers & Witch's Cap- Stained Glass or Beveled Glass- Carvings of grotesque faces- Sunbursts- often painted gold color, half or full. Gables (Queen Anne's) in a variety of material- (mainly redwood) Newel Posts and Finials on Tower tops and roof peaks- Fernando Nelson built thousands of homes in SF. Over many, many decades. We'll also see clusters (2 to 17) of Victorian homes systematically built for the average working person by a development company, "The Real Estate Assoc." THEA, from 1870 to 1880. Not quite magnificent but many still standing. Development of woodworking mills South of Market provided the ornaments with which to add the "gingerbread" to the Victorian houses There was an Old English custom using fancy cutouts of gingerbread to decorate wedding cakes. The term gingerbread was subsequently used for the decorating of Victorian houses. The secret ingredient was redwood. It could be carved, sawn, or turned, or soaked and press molded into almost any design *Periods* **1860 - 1870s *Italianate*:** Buildings were vertical in emphasis with rounded classical detail. Earliest had flat windows & flat roofs with false roof fronts. **1880s *Stick Style* (also called East Lake):** The early buildings in this genre relied heavily on plane vertical board decorations. Squared off bay windows appear. **Late 1880s and 1890s *Queen Anne*** : Gingerbread would be applied to both the Stick and Queen Ann styles in San Francisco. Sloping roofs appear. Gables and towers. In Queen Ann surfaces are covered in a variety of patterns with fish scale and diamond shingles, lap siding and masonry, sometimes all in the same building. Victorians Around Dolores Park Explored, and Houses Burned in the 1906 EQ/Fire*Rooflines in the Queen Anne were irregular, combining the witches hat roof on a rounded or octagonal tower,* sometimes decorated with a spool work of gable braces. Frieze bands of foliated patterns wrapped around towers and tall chimneys. Horizontal proportions prevailed over the general vertical emphasis of the previous styles. [If you would like a scholarly and detailed explanation with photos, click.](https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/preserv/bulletins/HistPres_Bulletin_18.PDF) After the 06' earthquake apartments in substantial buildings became popular with well-to-do San Franciscans. [To check for a possible, for sale/open house tour, click this link.](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Mission-District_San-Francisco_CA/type-single-family-home/show-open-house)
Julia Morgan in Piedmont & Best Lunch in Oakland**
Sat, Jul 25, 5:30 PM*Don't be a No-show and lose your membership in the group.* Julia Morgan designed a total of approximately 31 buildings in Oakland and 19 in Piedmont. Houses, school buildings, commercial buildings, churches, a YWCA, and funerary architecture as well. We'll see about 20% of these, on our tour, which will center in Piedmont. Walking distance will be about three or four miles. Wear sturdy footwear, bring water, sunscreen up and protect by wearing a hat. And learn about Julia Morgan by starting with Wikipedia. (I'm working on finding a great, everyday, locals' favorite restaurant, not too far from the tour. If you have one of your own, please let me know, as an option for lunch.) **\*\***[ Here's a nearby, YouTube channel, restaurant recommendation. ](https://youtu.be/3HSgR915zSY?t=25) *They say it's the best in Oakland.*
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