FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JAN. 16, 2013 

Contact: Rachel Gordon, DPW communications director 

(415) 554-6045 or rachel.gordon@sfdpw.org

Edgar Lopez named City Architect in San Francisco

San Francisco Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru today named Edgar Lopez as the new City Architect. Lopez also assumes the post of DPW’s Deputy Director for Buildings.

Trained as an architect at UC Berkeley, Lopez joined DPW 23 years ago as a draftsman and worked his way up the ranks. Before taking this new job, he led the project management group that is responsible for delivering a wide range of capital projects and programs with a combined worth of more than $2 billion.

“Edgar Lopez has grown with the department and shown great leadership on many of San Francisco’s most iconic projects, including the restoration of the national landmark City Hall, the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers and the early stages of the PUC’s new Civic Center headquarters,” Nuru said.

Lopez, 48, assumes DPW’s top architectural job at a crucial time, with major civic buildings under construction or in the pipeline: the new San Francisco General Hospital, the $500 million Moscone Convention Center expansion, the new Public Safety Building at Mission Bay, the renovation of the historic War Memorial Building, fire station upgrades, the new cruise ship terminal and more.

“I want to make sure that public architecture is of the highest quality,’’ Lopez said. “We build buildings that last generations. I want to ensure that these civic icons are not only functional, but beautiful, that they really help improve San Francisco’s landscape.”

Lopez and his wife are raising their family in San Francisco.

About DPW: DPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco’s streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and maintains City street trees; designs, constructs and maintains City-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; constructs curb ramps; removes graffiti from public property; and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services.