Our Philanthropy Mission
At The Mashouf Group, we believe that successful businesses have a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of society. Our philanthropic initiatives focus on education and community development, creating spaces where people can thrive, learn, and grow together.
The Mashouf Wellness Center at San Francisco State University - Our flagship philanthropic initiative
The Mashouf Wellness Center
A $10 Million Investment in Student Wellness
Our flagship philanthropic initiative was a $10 million donation to San Francisco State University for the construction of the Mashouf Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art facility that promotes health, wellness, and community engagement for students and faculty.
Client
San Francisco State University
Location
San Francisco, CA
Size
118,560 sq ft
Completion
2017
Entrance view of the Mashouf Wellness Center with landscaped approach
Architectural Excellence
Located on a prominent intersection at the edge of campus, the facility is a vibrant center of student life and an iconic campus gateway. Its crisp, modern, fluid design reflects the forward-thinking ethos of the campus and the dynamic activity within.
Side view showing the sustainable landscaping and glass facade
Evening view highlighting the illuminated interior and climbing wall visibility
The facility's high visibility and transparent design create a welcoming atmosphere that weaves wellness into the campus fabric. The building's location, within easy reach of both residential and academic areas, encourages use by commuter and residential students alike.
"It was so enjoyable to have an architectural team with such a high regard for communication and getting it right for the students. The result is that now we have a building that is very functional, incorporated sustainable design at a high level, and is architecturally stunning."
Holistic Student Success
In a collegiate environment shaped by various pressures, the Mashouf Wellness Center offers a healthy, welcoming place for the campus community to find balance in body and mind, work and life. The project promotes a holistic view of student success, recognizing that physical, emotional, social, and mental well-being are essential.
Dynamic, Inclusive, Flexible Program
Mashouf's expansive program—swimming, climbing, yoga, group fitness, cardio, meditation, court sports, and social gathering—welcomes the university's diverse community with bright, open spaces that encourage both social interaction and personal recharge.
Visitors step into a double-height lobby, or mixer, where a climbing wall rises to a glass rooftop 'lantern' that floods the space with natural light, creating an immersive climbing experience. Light and views connect the mixer to the surrounding landscape, including nearby park.
Architectural Design & Planning
Site Plan
Building shape preserves optimum solar orientation for softball and soccer fields
Ground Floor
Like "stones in a bag" the large rooms settle into ideal placements and adjacencies
Upper Floor
Uncluttered open space for cardio training and jogging track (highlighted in purple)
Featured Spaces
Rock Wall
Standing at 41 feet tall, the Climbing Wall is one of the most iconic parts of the facility with is colorful rocks and facade. It offers a varying degree of difficulty for both new and experienced climbers!
MAC Gym
The MAC gym houses indoor soccer, basketball, badminton, and many other sports and also doubles as a special event space!
Natatorium
Our Natatorium houses two heated pools, a hot tub, sauna, deck shower, and fully equipped locker rooms. This naturally lit space serves as a hub for physical activity and hang out space in the MWC.
Studio Classrooms
We host a wide variety of fitness classes like Yoga, Zumba, Spin Cycling, Cardio Kickboxing and more!
Fitness Areas
We offer a wide variety of state-of-the-art cardio equipment including Treadmills, Ellipticals, Stepmills, Stationary Bikes, Rowers, and Ergometers.
Two Court Gym
The two court gym houses open recreation and intramural sports. The large court can be divided by a drop down screen, which helps separate or combine activities.
Sustainability & Environmental Design
LEED Platinum Certification
Students funded this project with a student referendum. They drove goal-setting and decision-making, inspiring an ambitious sustainability strategy that earned Mashouf LEED Platinum certification. This placed Mashouf among the few collegiate recreation and aquatics centers in the U.S. to achieve LEED Platinum—notable for a building type that typically consumes large amounts of energy and water.
Sustainable design diagram showing solar tubes, solar panels, fresh air intake, and air circulation system
Water Conservation
A greywater system recycles pool filter backwash and shower water for toilet and irrigation use, saving approximately 600,000 gallons annually.
The building's water management systems were designed to minimize waste while maintaining excellent water quality for all aquatic facilities.
Energy Efficiency
Most U.S. university recreation centers rely on energy-intensive mechanical cooling to manage high latent and sensible loads, but the design team leveraged San Francisco's mild climate to eliminate mechanical cooling in most spaces, using displacement ventilation instead.
This system, along with LED lighting and photovoltaics, offsets 20% of the building's energy use and 41% of its energy cost.
Heat Recovery
An air handler with a heat recovery run-around coil captures heat from exhaust air, reusing it to cut the facility's annual heating demand and carbon footprint.
Using 100% outside air, the system helps remove contaminants and odors like chlorine, supporting a clean and refreshing environment.
Sustainable Design Philosophy
Mashouf addresses the age-old challenge of uniting high design aspirations with the realities of public funding. The project shows that affordable, public universities can offer vibrant, uplifting spaces for a thriving campus life—environments that rise to the occasion of students' high potential.
The building's design demonstrates that sustainability and beautiful architecture can coexist, creating spaces that are both environmentally responsible and inspiring for users.