Peterson Architects

it's a bit of an odd story, really, it's not what you'd expect,' explains John Peterson, principal of Peterson Architects in San Francisco, and founder of Public Architecture, a nonprofit organization devoted to pro bono design work. He's talking about the origins of ScrapHouse (www.scraphouse.org), a 700-foot demonstration house constructed on Civic Center Plaza across from City Hall in June in conjunction with World Environment Day 2005, for which San Francisco served as host. One might think the project was conceived by a design professional, but in fact it is the idea of filmmaker Anna Fitch, as the basis for a documentary. More

Most of the time, John Peterson, AIA, projects a laid-back personality—the kind you'd expect him to have after 15 years in mellow San Francisco. But get him talking about a project that Public Architecture, the nonprofit he founded, is working on, and suddenly he can't talk quickly or enthusiastically enough. More