Operating under the motto “HERE FOR NOW,” PROXY is an investigation into the potential of impermanence. Too often, the slow process of developing underutilized properties and civic spaces leaves communities in limbo. A placeholder for a more permanent building, PROXY is a temporary two-block construct by the architecture and design practice envelopeA+D that sits on city-owned vacant lots in San Francisco—a hybrid form of public space as well as an engine of micro-commerce. A vibrant focal point for commerce, community, and culture, PROXY serves as a live experiment in the creation of new kinds of urban spaces and the role that the architect can play as a steward, curator, and civic risk-taker.
