Proud Moment for TLCD Architecture

December 15, 2011

I feel very fortunate to have attended the annual North Bay Business Journal Top Projects awards last night with Don Tomasi, Suzanne Nagorka, Kevin Teel and his wife Carolyn. This was a very special event for all of us because 2 of the 11 winning projects were Civic projects led by Mark Adams.

DeTurk Round Barn was honored in the historic renovation category, and the City of Santa Rosa’s Utilities Field Office was honored in the green/sustainable category.

Don was able to present both awards to the owners and he was very eloquent in his praise of Mark’s leadership skills, his passion and dedication to these two very diverse projects, and his ongoing focus on design excellence in the built environment. For all of us who attended, it was apparent that this was far more than just a simple awards ceremony, it was a tribute to Mark’s work and achievements.

Marc Richardson with the City of Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks department, commented on Mark’s amazing skill at leading multiple neighborhood meetings and gaining community consensus to move the renovation of the DeTurk Round Barn forward. Miles Ferris with the City of Santa Rosa’s Utilities department commended Mark for pushing them to design a building that was more than just functional. The Utilities Field Office (UFO) is a model of sustainable design and is the first commercial project approved within the City’s new Green Building Development program.

From Don’s heartfelt words, to the high praise from our clients, it was an affirmation of Mark’s work and the legacy of his projects in the North Bay. It was one of the proudest moments I’ve had with TLCD Architecture and I know Mark is smiling on us all.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


TLCD Architecture Recognized for 2 Top Project Awards

November 11, 2011

The North Bay Business Journal announced it’s selection of the 2011 Top Projects in real estate that will be honored at their upcoming awards event in December. TLCD Architecture was the design architect for the Santa Rosa Utilities Field Office selected for the Green Category, as well as the DeTurk Round Barn selected for the Historic Renovation category.

“We’re excited about this recognition because these projects represent the City of Santa Rosa’s commitment to the quality of the built environment”, said Mark Adams who oversees TLCD’s Civic practice.


Family Justice Center Sonoma County Opens it’s doors!

October 13, 2011

I was thrilled to be at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Family Justice Center Sonoma County yesterday with my team-mates Mark, Dennis and Leslie. It was quite a turn-out with lots of folks who had a hand in the project at various stages and quite a number of our Sonoma County political representatives.  The high point for me was seeing the end result of a project that started with sketching out the vision of the Site Committee in charette sessions in early 2010.  Those sketches morphed their way into 3D drawings of the space, which we fine-tuned and fitted out with color, material and lighting solutions.  The result is an amazing facility that provides a warm, welcoming and safe environment for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse. My favorite room in the project is “The Nest” which lies in the exact center of the building.  The oval shape, dome ceiling and soft lighting represent the vision of the service providers and community based organizations that want victims in our community to know that people care enough to provide a special place for them as they journey through a challenging time in life. To read more about the project check out the recent article in the Press Democrat.


TLCD Architecture receives bids for Mendocino Transit Authority Maintenance Facilities

August 29, 2011

Bids were received on Friday, August 19 for the MTA Bus Maintenance project. There were a total of 5 bidders and we are pleased that four of the five came in below our estimated cost of construction for the base bid and four alternates.  The low bid, submitted by Arntz Builders, came in at just below $5,000,000 for the total project.   On August 25, the MTA Board agreed to award the base bid plus two of the Alternates, with the option of adding the other two Alternates at some time in the future.  Construction should commence in early September.


TLCD Architecture Nears Completion of Family Justice Center Sonoma County

August 1, 2011

Just weeks away from completion, the Family Justice Center Sonoma County will soon be available to assist victims of family and domestic violence, sexual assault, and child and elder abuse. The center is designed to be a single source location offering comprehensive services for victims of family violence. Currently, clients must travel between numerous county locations to obtain assistance and support related to an assault. The Family Justice Center services will include assistance in shelter and housing, counseling and advocacy, and legal assistance, as well as on-site access for law enforcement investigation and prosecution attorneys. Clustering the services together provides a client-centered approach that will improve the quality of support, minimize travel between services and enhance prosecution success while reducing operation costs.

Community based support organizations to be located in the building include the YWCA, Catholic Charities, Council on Aging, Verity, Family Youth and Children Services, and Legal Aid of Sonoma County. County support services will include the District Attorney’s domestic violence advocates and attorneys, victim’s claims assistance specialists, child protective services, and County Sheriff’s investigative detectives. Local law enforcement investigators, including the Santa Rosa and Sebastopol Police Departments, will also be on site.

“The design approach is to provide a place of safety, healing, advocacy, confidentiality and change within a warm and nurturing environment”, said Dennis Kennedy of TLCD Architecture. Clients will be greeted at the entrance and escorted into the ‘nest’ where an intimate and homelike atmosphere will be provided. Inside the nest are quiet rooms for conversation between victims and their advocates, with two rooms overlooking the children’s area. A space to research support services on-line with assistance from advocates is adjacent to the quiet rooms. Victims will remain in the nest while obtaining services. Advocate spaces surround the nest, providing staff direct access to the safe area where they may meet with the victims.

For additional information on Family Justice Centers worldwide, please visit http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/.

Other referenced links:

County of Sonoma – http://www.sonoma-county.org/

YWCA – www.ywca.org/sonomacounty

Catholic Charities – http://www.srcharities.org/

Council on Aging – http://councilonaging.com/

Verity (formerly United Against Sexual Assault) – http://ourverity.org/

Legal Aid of Sonoma County – http://legalaidsc.org/


TLCD Architecture Featured in DeTurk Round Barn Video

July 18, 2011

The recently completed DeTurk Round Barn for the City of Santa Rosa, is the focus of this beautifully produced video that offers vignettes by local historians, and interviews by the team responsible for the renovation of this community treasure. Don Tomasi, Mark Adams and Kevin Teel of TLCD Architecture are featured in the video and guide the viewer through the careful process to transform a derelict building into its current use as a museum and meeting venue.

Produced by Daydreamer Cinema, Santa Rosa, California.


MTA Maintenance Facilities Roll On

May 31, 2011

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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.


TLCD Leads Tour of Santa Rosa Utilities Facility

May 20, 2011

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.

DeTurk Round Barn – open for business!

March 18, 2011

St. Pattys Day was more than Corned Beef and Guiness this year. The DeTurk Round Barn, after a much needed restoration, was officially dedicated and opened for business. Under the care of The City of Santa Rosa, Recreation and Parks Department the barn went from a tired 120 year old building to a vibrant public space, ready for another 120 years of memories.

There were two events of interest on this day. A wonderful ceremony, complete with bagpipes, occured at the new dog park. A new memorial for “Maverick”, a K9 killed in the line of duty in 2000, was dedicated. With generous financial support from TLCD Architecture and the general contractor on the project, GCCI, a suitable plaque was unveiled, that will honor Maverick well into the future.

DeTurk Dog Park Memorial Dedication for "Maverick"

DeTurk Round Barn Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The second event was the ribbon cutting for the round barn. Approximatley 250 people attended, and were entertained with videos, drink and wonderful food from On Q Events and Catering. A really special part of this event was mingling with the guests and talking about the what it took to get to this point:

1. Community support and involvement, especially from the citizens that live near the barn in the West End Neighborhood and Historic District.

2. Understanding and cooperation from the varied departments within the City of Santa Rosa as the project was navigated through the approval process.

3. Wonderful programs, like the California Cultural and Historical Endowment , meant to save important architectural landmarks like the DeTurk Round Barn.

4. A collaborative atmosphere during the project between Design Team and contractor. A project like this, where so much is about maintaining the origianl character of the barn won’t be successful if the trades in the field aren’t seen as a big piece of the solution. From the custom stair elements, executed wonderfully by The Welding Shop, to the large amount of exposed conduit for electrical, placed in a craftman like manner by Lunardi Electric, to the reclaimed oak flooring installed by H.Y. Floor and Gameline Painting, Inc. this project is successful in large part by dedication of workers in the field. Contact GCCI for a list of all sub contractors on the project.

A fitting end on St. Patty’s Day: “May your home always be too small to hold your friends”


Incredible Walk

January 26, 2011

Trying to take advantage of our recent fabulous January weather, on Sunday I took one of the most beautiful urban walks in the U.S. The walk from the Palace of Fine Arts along the Chrissy Field waterfront to Fort Point  in San Francisco was just incredible. The walk ends under the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge and  the bridge is in view  the whole time. It is two miles each way and an easy flat walk. Worth a trip to San Francisco.

Two mile route from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Golden Gate Bridge

The Palace of Fine Arts has just been restored and is absolutely beautiful. It is well worth a visit in itself. The scale of  the structures is immense and the reflecting pool provides a beautiful vista of the complex.


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.