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Posts from the ‘Construction Updates’ Category

Mar 29

Mendocino College North County Center construction progress

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Construction is progressing in Willits on the new North County Center for the Mendocino-Lake Community College District.  Midstate Construction is scheduled to complete the project this summer so the new campus can be open for classes in the Fall.

At this point in the construction process, the building has really taken shape;  steel is erected and wood framing is nearly complete.  In the coming weeks the weathering steel panels are scheduled for installation and the exterior will really come to life as the panel faces begin to oxidize.

Mar 8

Napa County Administration Building Renovation

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TLCD  Architecture is nearing completion on a renovation of the Napa County Administration Building on Third Street in downtown Napa. See the article posted in the Napa Valley Register.

Oct 2

Art Glass Installed at Luther Burbank Savings

Twenty-one art glass panels have been installed at the nearly completed Luther Burbank Savings Headquarters Branch in downtown Santa Rosa.  This installation, by local artist Ellen Blakeley is the result of a close collaboration with TLCD Architecture to integrate the panels into the design of the building.

The individual art panels are the same dimensions as the exterior wood panels.  Together they form a flowing, naturalistic design pattern.  Ellen Blakeley’s glass panels begin with a sheet of clear tempered glass that receives a light dusting of colored lacquer.  Leaves from approximately a dozen plants and trees were then placed on the glass panels.  Fragments of broken, tempered glass were then applied with a clear adhesive, sandwiching the leaves between two layers of glass.  The side with the broken glass is then grouted.

Viewed from inside, Ellen’s glass panels enliven the space and create a link to Luther Burbank; many of the leaves were gathered from horticulturalist Luther Burbank’s nearby home, now a historic landmark.  The character of the glass evolves throughout the day, reflecting changes in the weather and angle of the sun.  When the building opens in December, the glass will be internally lit so that it may be viewed from the exterior.

Ellen Blakeley has completed a wide variety of glass artwork, including panels, installations and glass tile.  More information about Ellen is available on her website at http://www.ellenblakeley.com/

Don Tomasi AIA

Sep 18

Mendocino College Opens New Library and Learning Center

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Last Friday afternoon, September 14,  Mendocino College held an Open House for the recently completed Library/Learning Center at the Ukiah campus. A crowd of about 200 people, including community members, college staff, and representatives of the design and construction team attended the festivities held in the new Library plaza. Roe Darnell, the President/Superintendent, served as the master of ceremonies for the formal dedication of the building, which included comments by Board President Joel Clark, Chair of the Oversight Committee Richard Cooper, Dean of Instruction Virginia Guleff, and Student Body President Morgan Shippey.  Building tours followed, and the event was concluded with a vast spread of delectable refreshments prepared by the college’s Culinary Arts program.

The new 48,000 square foot building, designed by TLCD Architecture and built by Midstate Construction, includes a Library, Group Study rooms, Learning Center, MESA, Language Lab, and general classrooms. The Library, which provides spectacular views of the Ukiah Valley to the south, has been open for one month, and has averaged over 300 visits per day, almost ten times the typical gate count at the old facility.

Aug 2

When is a Green Roof not Green?

When it’s burgundy.  And gold.  And pink and yellow and, perhaps, four or five shades of green.

Vegetated (“Green”) roofs have historically been used to reduce storm-water run-off, to replace vegetation that would otherwise be lost at the building footprint, to provide energy savings by buffering the roof membrane from the ambient air temperature and to extend the service life of the roof membrane by shielding it from UV exposure.  Originally seen as one of several features of the project to reduce the water-quality impacts of impervious surfaces on the project site and to improve energy performance, the vegetated roof on the Mendocino College Library Learning Resource Center is an example of how a design decision made in support of sustainability goals can also yield extraordinary aesthetic results.

The roof is comprised of a single-ply roof membrane and tapered insulation with the plants contained in 12 by 24 inch LiveRoof trays provided by Florasource, Ltd. installed over a protection membrane.  Heavy-weight roof pavers and ballast complete the roof components.  Working with Landscape Architect Quadriga, the decision was made to use the tray module as an organizing element.  Selecting from the 300 or so species of sedum available, trays containing five different sedum species have been arranged mosaic-like into a design featuring waves of color spreading across the roof surface. Pavers and ballast are used to bound the edges of the plant material and essentially providing a frame for the composition.

Located immediately outside a class room and adjacent to an outdoor terrace area, the vegetated roof provides both welcome views from inside the classroom and a colorful foreground element for the views of the hills rising to the south west of the site.

Jul 13

Bellevue District Office Dedication – Taylor Mountain School is Completed!

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The Bellevue Union School District held a dedication ceremony to formally open their new district office and dedicate the boardroom to long time Board member Yvonne Kennedy. The district office is located at Taylor Mountain Elementary School and its completion ends 5 years of phased construction projects designed by TLCD Architecture at this new $19 million campus located in southeast Santa Rosa.

The design of Taylor Mountain Elementary includes a central courtyard with focused views to its’ namesake mountain to the east. Classroom pods ring the courtyard and lead to the library/media center. TLCD worked with the teaching staff to refine the pod design in support of the District’s teaching philosophy.

In response to wetlands and a tiger salamander habitat, the site design includes enhanced wetland study areas, bioswales, and stormwater detension basins. The interiors include many energy efficient lighting and mechanical systems, and extensive use of sustainable materials.

TLCD also played a key role in assisting Chevron Energy Solutions with the design and installation of a 176Kv photovoltaic power generating system that will generate a majority of the campus’ electrical power needs.

The later phases of construction used the Lease-Leaseback project delivery method. This provided an opportunity for the General Contractor and major subcontractors to provide valuable input during the design process and a guaranteed maximum construction cost to the District.

Taylor Mountain Elementary School is TLCD Architecture’s second new school completed with Bellevue Unified School District. Our collaborative effort and commitment to providing inspirational learning environments for the students resulted in a project that will serve this growing community for many years.

Jun 28

Mendocino College Lake Center Construction Progress

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Construction progress for the Mendocino-Lake Community College District’s new Lake Center Campus in Lakeport, California has reached 50% completion. General Contractor Wright Contracting is scheduled to complete the project early next year 2013. The Lake Center is 15,500 square-feet of new Classrooms with campus Administration and will serve the communities of Northern Lake County.

The slideshow above shows progress on the Center’s 3 new academic buildings. The Student Commons will occupy the heart of campus. The Commons is connected to outdoor gathering spaces, with access to General Instruction, Science, Art, Music and Computer lab Classrooms. The Center is organized to capture views of the adjacent ranges to the West and Mt. Konocti to the East. A few model images are also included.

In addition to the Lake Center, the District is beginning construction on a new Learning Center in Willits, California later this year, also designed by TLCD Architecture. The Willits Center will be bidding during the month of July 2012 with completion scheduled for August of 2013.

Jun 19

Wood Veneer Cladding being Installed at Luther Burbank Savings

Wood veneer cladding is now being installed on TLCD Architecture’s downtown Santa Rosa Luther Burbank Savings Headquarters Branch project.  These panels, manufactured by Parklex, are a “high-density stratified timber” product.  This will be only the second concealed fastener installation of Parklex in the country; the panels are being attached from behind, with no visible fasteners in order to achieve a precise, clean aesthetic.

Parkex is a class of exterior cladding products referred to as “rear-ventilated rainscreen” systems.  The panels are installed over an aluminum framing system that is in turn installed over a waterproof membrane.  Since the waterproof membrane will keep the building dry, these panels serve a function that is strictly aesthetic. The space between the waterproof membrane is “ventilated” and is open at the top, bottom, and at panel joints.

Tim Maloney of Technical Imagery Studios in Santa Rosa is documenting the construction of Luther Burbank Savings Headquarters Branch with time sequence photography.  This “time-lapse” documentation of the construction process can be viewed at:

http://www.technicalimagery.com/proofs/lbs031212/

Don Tomasi AIA

May 18

Downtown Project “Going Black”

By Don Tomasi AIA

TLCD Architecture’s downtown Santa Rosa Luther Burbank Savings Headquarters Branch project is beginning to change colors, going from bright yellow to black. The “black’ is a spray-applied waterproof membrane, the first installation step of an innovative building exterior referred to as a “rear-ventilated rainscreen” system. The black waterproof membrane will keep the building watertight.

In the next few weeks black aluminum channels will be installed over this membrane, then overlaid with stunning wood veneered panels. The panels will be attached to the aluminum from behind, with no visible fasteners. Since the waterproof membrane will keep the building dry, these panels serve a function that is strictly aesthetic. The space between the waterproof membrane is “ventilated” and is open at the top, bottom, and at panel joints. In the case of this project, the freedom to design exterior panels with open joints and without any visible means of attachment allows for a precise, clean aesthetic.

Tim Maloney of Technical Imagery Studios in Santa Rosa is documenting the construction of Luther Burbank Savings Headquarters Branch with time sequence photography.  This “time-lapse” documentation of the construction process can be viewed at:

http://www.technicalimagery.com/proofs/lbs031212/

Feb 9

Mendocino College Library Learning Resource Center Progress Update

Progress continues on the Mendocino College LLRC, with completion now scheduled for May 2012.  Midstate Construction has averaged 40 mechanics onsite daily recently with work proceeding in virtually every corner of the building and all across the site.

The dry winter has allowed work on the site to proceed unabated, with the concrete site walls and flatwork complete.  The stage is complete and work is underway on installation of the seating platforms.  The favorable weather allowed the exterior work on the building to progress, with the sun shading devices on the south widows now complete and installation of the support system for the cementitious panels underway.  The planting trays for the vegetated roof are onsite, with the plants acclimating to the College’s micro climate while the irrigation and other preliminary work is completed  to prepare the roof for their installation later in February.

With the access floor in the main library space complete and with interior storefront installation underway, you can get a sense of the space in its final form. The main library space (the “book box” as it has come to be known) is a very powerful space, with a ceiling that slopes to 25 feet at its high point and north-facing clerestory windows balancing daylight in the space  with the large windows facing south.  Both the north and south windows feature power operators to allow coordinated opening for natural ventilation.  The views to the south from the library are truly extraordinary.  Off the main library to the east is a balcony overlooking the plaza bounded by the new LLRC and the Lowery Building, which will be converted into a new student services center as soon as the LLRC is complete and occupied.

While the construction work onsite is progressing, the furniture packages for the building have been bid and awarded, with the submittal process well under way.  Suzanne Nagorka, our Interior Design Director, has been reviewing the vendor’s submittals and expediting their coordination of power and data requirements in order to ensure that the furniture will arrive and be installed in time for the building’s opening.

The new LLRC will be open to students for the start of classes in the fall of 2012.

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