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Posts by Bridgett M

Nov 16

SMPS Mixer at TLCD’s Office

Last night TLCD Architecture hosted a mixer for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) North Bay and San Francisco Chapters.  The event provided an opportunity for Marketing and Business Development professionals within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry to network with one another and learn about what SMPS has to offer.

Throughout the last year, the SMPS North Bay Chapter organized a number of professional enrichment and educational events and I have found each of them to be extremely engaging and valuable.  It was great to share my experiences with other members and their guests.

Check out photos from the event below.

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Oct 12

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Reflections on the Monterey Design Conference

Over the weekend, eight members of TLCD Architecture travelled down California’s coastline to the AIACC Monterey Design Conference. As a non-architect (though somewhat of a closet arch-geek) I was thrilled to be invited to attend the conference as a TLCD representative. After a couple of days back in the office and some time absorbing and reflecting, I thought I would share a little from my experience…

The Monterey Design Conference is held every two years at the epically beautiful Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove and draws some of the most renowned architects of our time.  As a first-timer to the event, one could image that I was a bit nervous.  Like a rookie ballplayer joining a team mid-season, I walked into the main hall with the knowledge that I was amongst a group of well-established friends and colleagues who have partnered, collaborated, and competed with each other for years.  Though I was admittedly somewhat tongue-tied and star struck by the talent surrounding me, I was quickly assured and encouraged by the general camaraderie and openness amongst all of the attendees.

The list of speakers was impressive to say the least.  From Tom Kundig’s exploration into the interaction between building and landscape to Dr. Dickson Despommier’s response to global food shortages and environmental degradation through vertical farming, the key focus of the conference seemed to orbit around the larger concepts of sustainability.

But for me, listening to Jeanne Gang was the true highlight of the entire conference.  As she began to show her work, Gang intricately guided us through a complexly deep and thoughtful approach to design (it is no surprise that she was honored as a MacArthur Fellow this September).  From finding balance in urban ecology to creating a vision of communities in a postindustrial landscape, Gang realizes projects that few could even conceive possible.

Looking back on the conference, I see how it has changed and expanded my understanding of the impact of design on our world and when Monterey Design Conference 2013 comes along, count me in!

-Bridgett McGrath, TLCD Marketing Team Member

Sep 2

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Construction Begins on Luther Burbank Savings Headquarters

Over the past week, Wright Contracting began the demolition of portions of the former Traverso’s building in downtown Santa Rosa.  This busy street corner will be transformed into Luther Burbank Savings‘ new Headquarters Branch.

The building, which has been unoccupied for years, will be clad in an elegant wood veneer rainscreen system.  Silver aluminum fascias, doors, windows and sunscreens will complement the rich reddish-brown wood veneer.  The parking lot will be constructed of colored concrete and enclosed by a perforated aluminum fence.  Natural stone and other landscape materials will contribute to a very sophisticated streetscape.   Local artist Ellen Blakeley will incorporate landscape materials from nearby Luther Burbank Gardens into an art glass installation on the B Street Façade.

The Headquarters Branch will open for business in Spring of 2012.  Throughout the construction process we will be posting regular photo updates, so stay tuned!

Jul 25

Chris Receives the REVIT Architecture Professional Certification

A big congratulations goes out to Architect Chris Bambauch, who recently passed his Revit Architecture 2011 Certified Associate and Professional exams.  The Autodesk certifications are industry-recognized credentials that validate the skills and knowledge of the tools, features, and common tasks of Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011.  His expertise is a valuable resource at the firm and we are all happy to see his knowledge recognized!

TLCD Architecture is a leader in the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and uses Revit extensively for all of our projects.  Read more about TLCD’s BIM Technology and Services.

May 31

MTA Maintenance Facilities Roll On

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The Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) Board approved TLCD’s Design Development Phase last month and we are closing in on the wrap up of the Construction Documents.  This 16,000 square foot facility, located in Ukiah, is the core maintenance facility for the entire County’s bus fleet.  It includes shops, storage, fueling, and vehicle wash facilities.  The project gained support from the MTA Board, who showed a strong interest in the project’s many sustainable design features, which include photovoltaic power generation, daylight harvesting, radiant floor heating, and high-efficiency evaporative cooling.

The current schedule anticipates construction starting in the fall this year.

May 20

TLCD Leads Tour of Santa Rosa Utilities Facility

TLCD Architecture was joined by Winzler & Kelly, and Quadriga Landscape Architecture in hosting the local IFMA Chapter on a Sustainable Facilities Design Tour. IFMA (International Facility Management Association) members were invited to a presentation and site visit May 18 at the City of Santa Rosa West College Utilities Facility Offices.  Key presenters included Mark Adams, Suzanne Nagorka, Dan Reiter, and Bill Mastic. Around 30 people representing facility management groups and associated businesses were “wowed” by the impressive training room, crew rooms, and shops. The building is also designed to function as the City’s Emergency Operations headquarters. The tour provided a great opportunity for other facilities managers to talk about trends in facility design and some of the challenges and successes on this great project.

TLCD Principal Mark Adams leads the tour group.

TLCD Principal Mark Adams leads the tour group.

Apr 19

TLCD’s Earth Week Kicks of With Natural Cleaning Products Demo

In celebration of Earth Day, the TLCD office has planned a week filled with educational demonstrations, office challenges, and activities focused on environmental awareness.

Today’s activities focused on making our own homemade cleaning materials and body care products from environmentally safe, non-toxic ingredients commonly found in our homes.  We made everything from Chamomile Lavender Shampoo and Olive Oil Wood Cleaner, to Natural Bug Repellent and Vinegar and Baking Soda Surface Cleaner. It was great to see so many of our TLCD participants mixing and matching different essential oils for their custom scented cleaners.  I was amazed by how many ways vinegar, lemon, and baking soda can be used for cleaning clothes, furniture, and surfaces!

The Coddingtown Whole Foods Market also provided a fun demonstration bag of eco friendly products and great literature on how to look for organic and eco friendly body care products.  All in all it was a very fun and informative session!

Stay tuned for days two recap of TLCD’s Earth Week Activities!


Apr 1

TLCD Beer Brewers Share Their Wares

This week’s Wine Wednesday was all about beer!

Our Own take on a British Amber Ale

For those unfamiliar with this longstanding tradition, every Wednesday at 5:00 the TLCD Architecture office gathers in our “Garage” conference room for snacks, refreshments, and a fun presentation.  The topics range from updates on current project designs, the latest trends in architecture, current events in our community, slides shows of recent vacations, and sharing of our favorite hobbies.

Kevin, Dean, and I prepare to sample our homebrews!

It was a big turn out for our beer brewing presentation.  What started as a fun experiment, has evolved into a full-fledged obsession and it was great to share my experience with everyone in the office.  Dean Snodgrass, a fellow home brewer, helped describe the process of fermentation and the role that each ingredient plays in flavoring a brew.  We also discussed a brief history of microbreweries (there are over 1,482 microbreweries across the United States, Sonoma County boasting some of the best!) and the burgeoning home brew culture.

During the presentation, participants sampled a number of our homemade brews including a Carmel Colored British Amber Ale, California Pale Ale, and Milk Stout. Kevin brought his own special dark stout and awesome pale ale to sample as well.

All in all it was an exciting talk and a fun way to share some outside interests with the rest of TLCD Architecture folks.

Jan 10

McCarthy Library Receives 3form Contest Award

The McCarthy Library has earned the “Stone Cold Gorgeous” Award in the 5th Annual People’s Choice 3form Installation Contest. We are thrilled that so many people voted for the Library in this contest, which marks the third award recognition for the building!  3form was used in the ‘floating classroom’ that projects into the high-volume day-lit reading room of the Library. View all of the contest winners and check out what people had to say about the Library.

Nov 22

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McCarthy Library Receives Merit Award at the AIARE 2010 Design Awards

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It was a great win for TLCD this past Saturday at the AIA Redwood Empire Chapter 2010 Design Awards. Napa Valley College’s McCarthy Library, which was completed in 2009, received the Merit Award in the Built Category. With 57 entries in total, the 2010 competition was one of the toughest yet. Projects ranged from private residences to large education facilities, backyard studios to estate wineries. During the awards ceremony, local architects and their invited guests meandered through the banquet hall to view presentation boards for the submitted projects.

While we all settled into our chairs for the awards announcement, there was a tiny hum of excitement across the hall. Wendy Young, AIARE Executive Director, started off the awards by thanking the sponsors and expressing how great it was to have so many talent individuals gathered in one space.

When McCarthy Library was revealed as the winner of the 2010 Merit Award, a huge round of applause came from the TLCD peanut gallery.  Senior Principal Alan Butler accepted the award on behalf of the TLCD team and appreciated the hard work and creativity that made the McCarthy Library a reality.  Check out the submission photos for the McCarthy Library in the slideshow above. To view the full list of all of the Design Awards entries, visit the AIARE website.

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