Santa Rosa’s Evolving City Center

Santa Rosa Courthouse Square, Downtown Revitalization, City Center

Santa Rosa’s city center has long been known as Courthouse Square and it carries a long, rich history. Originally laid out as a plaza in the early 1800’s, it later became the site of a grand County Courthouse. The Square was a lively center of community and political activity and a place where young and old gathered. The 1906 earthquake destroyed the Courthouse and a new one was built on the same site as part of the reconstruction efforts.

By the 1960’s county government had outgrown the Courthouse and it was razed. In the midst of urban renewal, the Square was divided into two parts by varying interests and Mendocino Avenue was routed through the middle. Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, TLCD Architecture, Reunification of Courthouse SquareSeveral decades and many City Councils later, the City of Santa Rosa is moving forward with the Reunification of Courthouse Square. This plan reunifies the Square and creates an urban park and gathering space for residents and visitors alike. With proximity to great dining, shopping and events like the Wednesday Night Farmers Market, it will also serve as an economic boon to local businesses.

TLCD Architecture has been a downtown Santa Rosa business for over 50 years and the architect on many key public projects. In February 2016, the firm moved to our new office at 520 Third Street, which fronts Courthouse Square. The building, a former telephone switching facility, had been abandoned for decades. TLCD’s team recognized the potential to transform it into a contemporary building with urban office space and retail opportunities. Working as part of the development team, this building was designed with the reunification of Courthouse Square in mind as a way to reinvigorate the city center.

Recognized for our role in the revitalization of downtown Santa Rosa, as well as other community projects, the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce recently named TLCD Architecture Small Business of the Year. Principal Don Tomasi, accepted the award and spoke to our firm’s commitment and work culture.

Furthering this exciting momentum are key infrastructure projects including the SMART Train, which is set to begin passenger rail service in late 2016. With stations that include the Sonoma County Airport (also in active expansion mode) and Railroad Square, there will be non-vehicular transportation directly to downtown Santa Rosa. This connectivity will bring a new level of energy and activity to the city center… aka Courthouse Square!

City of Santa Rosa, Downtown Station Area Specific Plan, Courthouse Square To learn about the City of Santa Rosa’s vision, see the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan.

For more about the history of Courthouse Square, read Gaye LeBaron’s article: Old Courthouse Square has divided Santa Rosa for 160 years.

Carl’s Excellent Adventure: Leadership Santa Rosa Part 3

Carl-composite

My story about the second Leadership Santa Rosa program day, Government and Politics, truly began several months ago at the Class XXXII retreat where several of my classmates and I had a discussion about the reunification of Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, an important and contentious project which has been in the works for many years.  That spirited discussion inspired me to complete our homework assignment by attending the City Council meeting in September where the City Council decided to move ahead with funding the project, and that meeting became a tipping point for me to speak out in support of the City Council’s decision by writing a letter to the local newspaper, the Press Democrat.

And so, with my freshly inspired spirit for civic engagement, I entered the City Council chambers again in October to learn all about government, policy, and politics during our program day.

Continue reading “Carl’s Excellent Adventure: Leadership Santa Rosa Part 3”

Carl’s Excellent Adventure: Leadership Santa Rosa Part 2

SelfieWithACow

The topic of Class XXXII’s first Leadership Santa Rosa program day was Agriculture.  After our fascinating pretour of a mushroom farm in Sebastopol, I was excited to see what the day would bring, but not so excited about starting at 6am.  Ugh!  I can’t complain too much though, since our first stop was the Bucher Dairy, a 2nd generation family-owned organic dairy farm on 360 acres near Healdsburg, where they are up every day at 1am to start milking the cows. Yikes!  They have 700 dairy cows producing milk for Clover Storneta, and in recent years planted a 40 acre vineyard to support their own wine label, Bucher.  I learned a lot about how the farm operates and how they have integrated new technology over time to increase efficiency, including creating their own “plate cooler” that works like a heat exchanger to passively cool the milk with stored water.

Our next stop was Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm for a panel discussion with Tony Linegar, the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner, Karissa Kruse, the President of the Sonoma County Wingrowers, and Doug Beretta from Beretta Family Organic Dairy.

Continue reading “Carl’s Excellent Adventure: Leadership Santa Rosa Part 2”

Carl’s Excellent Adventure: Leadership Santa Rosa Part 1

I recently began my two-year participation in Leadership Santa Rosa, an “educational program intended to develop and equip effective community leaders via exposure to pertinent issues, broad thinkers and the richness of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County.” The program was created by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and as a part of Class XXXII, I hope to join the distinguished group of community leaders who have graduated from the program over the years, including TLCD Architecture’s own Don Tomasi (Class VIII) and Jason Brabo (Class XXIV). Through a series of full-day educational and interactive seminars, I will learn directly from experienced leaders about various aspects of our community including challenges we face and opportunities for our future.

mushrooms, gourmet mushrooms, mycopia, leadership santa rosaThe topic for our first program day was “Agriculture” and our first official activity was a tour of Gourmet Mushrooms, a mushroom farm off of Gravenstein Highway north of Sebastopol. Justin Reyes, the Manager for Sales and Marketing, led us on a tour through the facility where they grow seven varieties of gourmet mushrooms that are sold under the Mycopia brand at groceries throughout the United States, including our local Safeway, Raley’s, and Whole Foods. The mushrooms are grown in bottles packed with a special wood based substrate that is first “seeded” with mycelium, then incubated for several months, and finally moved to harvest rooms where the mushrooms grow. Their mushrooms have been certified organic and their operations are highly sustainable, including using very little water and producing very little waste. All of their used wood substrate is sold to local farms for compost and the approximately 1 million bottles in circulation at the facility are continuously reused.

Mushroom Mycelial Biomass, mushrooms, gourmet mushrooms, leadership santa rosa
Photo courtesy of Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc.

The tour was incredibly fascinating and I learned a lot more than I ever thought I would while wearing a hairnet. I can’t wait to see what other experiences this journey will bring and I promise to keep sharing them with you! For now, I’ll leave you with a few fun facts about mushrooms:

  • The largest living organism on Earth is a mushroom in Oregon that is over 2,000 acres and can be seen from space.
  • Fungi are their own kingdom, but they are closer to animals than plants.
  • Nearly all plants have a symbiotic relationship with a partner fungi.

Stay tuned for more in my Leadership Santa Rosa Series – there are a lot more adventures to come!

To learn more about the farm Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc. watch this video.

Architecture Reborn: Fading Past to Vibrant Future

DeTurk Round Barn, City of Santa Rosa, TLCD Architecture, Adaptive Reuse, Historic Round Barn

By Kevin Teel, Project Architect

KevinTeel_TLCD ArchitectureTLCD Architecture has had the opportunity to work on several diverse historic projects over the last decade – from the 1912 stone Vintage Hall at St. Helena High School – to the 124 year-old DeTurk Round Barn in Santa Rosa. We are set to begin work on another storied historical structure in Healdsburg – a 1920’s warehouse called the Cerri Building. Historic projects are of particular interest to me because we each have our own way of “seeing” the character of a building, leading to unique interpretations and end results.

abandoned barns and mines, southwest, arizona, colorado, architecture, kevin feel

My personal journey began in Colorado and Arizona – places where I honed my own process for interpreting the history of buildings. Though most buildings I refer to are not historic landmarks, the process of revealing their inner character is the same.

I began to roam old mining towns and backcountry while attending college in the Southwest. There is a romance for the bucolic nature of dilapidated barns and mining structures in this area, but for me the real excitement is in imagining these places in their heyday. What was happening on any typical day? I pull each of my senses into the story and build around the experience. While none of these mental images may have happened, they help set basic parameters for how I would investigate design decisions in future projects. This same philosophy governed my thesis work in Arizona, when exploring adaptive reuse ideas of mining ruins near Prescott, Arizona.

prescott arizona mine ruins, kevin teel, tlcd architecture

Adaptive Reuse in my mind, is a process of inspiration and evaluation that allows the original building to shine, while simultaneously providing for current needs, regulations and community desires. It attempts to fuse, not separate, these elements into a lasting whole that, when done well “just seems right.” This approach doesn’t lessen the importance of the original building – it simply highlights it. It doesn’t suggest superiority of contemporary materials and methods; it attempts to show commonality of past and present construction means. This is why initial observations are so important to maintain, even in the presence of often complex and competing concerns.

DeTurk Round Barn, City of Santa Rosa, Historic Round Barn, TLCD Architecture

My first visit to DeTurk Round Barn in Santa Rosa was not unlike entering the old mining structures in the Southwest. The barn was boarded up and in quite a state of disrepair, but I felt an immediate connection. After I got over wanting it for myself (yes, adaptive reuse can be a residence), I was immediately struck by what a calming space it was. This is when I began to consider the original function – the barn was built for horses, but they were trotters, not barrel racers. I imagined a well-lit space with beautiful horses steadily moving around the inner ring, clean horse stalls around the edges and hay carefully stacked overhead. This spirit of calmness would be fundamental to the success of this project, no matter the amount of chaos in getting to the finish line!

Next, I was amazed at the light quality of the barn considering every ground floor window was boarded up and covered with plastic. The only light was from the original, dusty skylights above. Clearly this space could be light and bright again. Sometimes seemingly mundane ideas, such as seismic mitigation, take over my thoughts, but this is almost without exception an opportunity to enhance our interpretations. DeTurk Round Barn, TLCD Architecture, Historic Round Barn, For example, wooden posts carrying the weight of the loft would not be adequate to meet modern codes and would need retrofitting. These materials could simply be construction waste, or we could find a way to “carry history forward.” Spectacular old growth redwood (a huge piece of our local history) was resawn and used as interior finish in the barn, exposing its beauty for future visitors to enjoy.

With this inspiration in mind, and as a foundation, the question becomes “What is the vision for this building now and in the foreseeable future?” This is where public input and design team coordination comes into play. Although the community’s feedback reduced the project scope considerably, it didn’t reduce the challenges TLCD Architecture would face. The firm still needed to rehabilitate an extremely unique and dilapidated 8,300 square-foot round barn while maintaining its historic integrity. We were also tasked with seamlessly incorporating a kitchen, restrooms, mechanical/electrical and storage rooms, as well as integrating 21st century technology to ensure DeTurk Round Barn would become a popular event space for the City of Santa Rosa.

DeTurk Round Barn, National Registry of Historic Places, TLCD Architecture

TLCD now has another wonderful opportunity to play a role interpreting the history of the Cerri Building in Healdsburg. This is another building with a long, storied history and most certainly a quite different future. It will not be possible without community input, technical expertise and a fundamental understanding of the nature of the space and surrounding environment.

DeTurk Round Barn has been one of TLCD’s most published and recognized projects… I hope you will find the following links of interest:

AIA California Council, Adaptive Reuse Merit Award 2014

Retrofit Magazine Article “Barn Raising”

GreenSource Magazine Article “Uplifting a Round Barn”

Big Ass Fan Case Study DeTurk Round Barn

View video below for more background on the DeTurk Round Barn 

After the Napa Earthquake: Rebuilding and Connecting a Community

 

Brian c. wright, tlcd architecture, principal, project manager, napa county earthquake repair projectsBy Brian C. Wright, Principal | Project Manager

We live in earthquake country and for most Northern Californians’ the possibility of a major earthquake is etched into our consciousness. When the Napa Earthquake struck last August, the 6.0 magnitude quake made national headlines. Images of damaged downtown buildings, wine barrels collapsed into piles and homes leaning sideways were everywhere on the media.

Napa Earthquake 2014, damage to homes, chimney and overturned furniture

For those of us with friends and family in Napa County, our first reaction was to make sure everyone was safe and to offer our help. I grew up in Napa and the recovery effort began on a personal note for me. Within hours of the earthquake, my sister and I were cleaning up damage and debris at our 94 year-old father’s home. Even without structural damage, it was amazing to see how devastating an event like this can be. There was overturned furniture, dislodged doors, contents literally thrown out of the refrigerator, and of course broken glass everywhere. One of our clients at Napa Valley College had his chimney collapse into his living room – something you don’t see everyday.

In the immediate days following the earthquake, my involvement would take a turn, as TLCD Architecture was selected to work with the County of Napa to assess and repair their damaged buildings in the downtown core. The team assembled for the earthquake repair projects was more than just a slate of companies able to perform the work. This quickly became a close-knit team that worked tirelessly to meet the constantly evolving and unforeseen issues that arose in the days and weeks following the earthquake.

Downtown Napa, earthquake damaged buildings, County of Napa, Carithers Building, Main Administration Building

TLCD Architecture, County of Napa, Napa Earthquake 2014, earthquake repair projects, jason campbell deputy director of public works

In any emergency, citizens rely on County services for help and support. Many of these important functions were housed in two critical buildings that were damaged – the County’s Main Administration Building and the Carithers Building. In addition to the actual repair work, we were tasked with moving people into swing space to ensure minimal disruption of services. Fortunately, TLCD had been working with the County on a tenant improvement project for the Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), and this large-scale campus provided the space needed to accommodate teams that were displaced. Juan Arias, the County of Napa Capital Projects Manager shared his thoughts: “The work product and flexibility shown by TLCD in program and project development for our Health and Human Services Agency has been second to none, particularly in light of the earthquake-related needs for relocation of people and departments.”

Every project we work on is a team effort with our clients, but the circumstances surrounding the Napa earthquake took this to another level. The degree of communication, coordination and oversight required to keep so many moving pieces in motion was truly extraordinary. Project Architect, Dennis Kennedy, has been with TLCD for 28 years and played an integral role throughout the scope of these projects. He summarized his experience best: “I feel very fortunate to work for a firm that values relationships and puts resources where they are most needed. My priorities for the last year were the projects for the County of Napa and I feel an immense sense of pride and accomplishment in what we’ve achieved.”

Reflecting back on this last year, the word that most encapsulates my experience is “connection“. In addition to growing up in Napa, a big portion of my career with TLCD Architecture has been focused in Napa County – from major campus bond improvements at Napa Valley College, to the historic renovation of Vintage Hall at St. Helena High School, and in recent years, our work with the County of Napa. When this disaster struck last August, the quality relationships we had formed with the County were only made stronger through the rebuilding process. The entire project team has connected on a deeper level because we came together to do the right thing. We also learned many lessons, which we will share with our existing and future clients. The biggest take-away is the value of implementing current codes that require proper bracing of ceiling systems, ductwork, piping and even furniture systems. For more technical information TLCD’s work on the County Buildings, click here.

Interesting Links…

What to do before, during and after an earthquake

Family Communication Plan

Earthquake Safety Checklist

How to Build a Kit

Drone’s Eye View of Earthquake Damage

 

 

An Architect’s Perspective on Napa’s Earthquake Repair Projects

 

Brian Wright AIA

The 6.0 earthquake that shook Napa last August was a devastating blow to many people and businesses in the region – including the County of Napa’s office buildings and employees. After an expedited RFP process required by FEMA, TLCD Architecture was selected to work on the Main Administration Building and the Carithers Building, both County buildings in downtown Napa.

County Administration Building

The County Administration Building is a three-story building housing Public Works, the Planning and Permit Department, the Board of Supervisors, the County Counsel and the CEO’s office among others – some of which were shut down after the earthquake hit. Although the media showed severe structural damage on many historical buildings and homes, modern buildings such as the Administration Building fared much better, suffering mostly from interior damage from broken water pipes and HVAC damage, with some damage done to the exterior shell of the building. Phase 1 work on the Administration Building was limited to the Third floor, which housed the CEO, Board of Supervisors, and County Counsel. Phase 2 included structural and exterior repairs of the building.

The Carithers Building

The Carithers Building, which houses services such as the District Attorney, Public Defender, Child Support Services and the Assessor/Recorders office suffered similar damage. Broken sprinklers flooded half of the building with an estimated 7,500 gallons of water on two floors, and in turn destroyed the ceilings, carpet, drywall and furniture. Additional interior damage to HVAC units and electrical systems resulted, all of which made the process of rebuilding very complex. Phase 1 for the Carithers Building included portions of the first floor, which housed the District Attorney’s office. Phase 2 included the remainder of the work on the additional floors and offices in the remainder of the building.

By the time TLCD Architecture was retained in September, the buildings had been stripped down – carpets ripped out, ceiling tiles pulled down and all damaged furniture removed. We were then tasked with fast-tracking a very detailed project that included unearthing additional “surprises” as we dug deeper into the ceilings and walls of the building and marking up as-built drawings to include all of the damage found.

The first task for our team of consultants was to inspect the building and prepare a damage assessment along with repair recommendations for both buildings. Our marked up as-built drawings were then modeled in Revit, which helped coordinate the efforts of our consultant team. The detailed damage assessment reports, including estimated repair costs, were necessary both for developing repair construction documents, and for submitting to FEMA and Cal OES for potential reimbursement to the County.

TLCD had been working with the County on a large tenant improvement project in South Napa for the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Campus prior to the earthquake. This space proved to be a huge asset for the County and acted as swing space for temporarily displaced programs. TLCD and its consultants provided move management services that helped the County accomplish a complicated series of transfers to ensure all of their staff had a place to work while repairs were being accomplished at the two downtown buildings, as well as work still being completed at the HHSA campus.

We are happy to say we met the County’s Phase 1 deadlines of getting the District Attorney back into their offices on January 3, and the Board of Supervisors back into their new Boardroom by May 5. We are currently working on Phase 2 of the Carithers building and expect to complete the project in September.

Through this process we have learned many lessons, which we will share with our existing and future clients. The biggest take-away is the value of implementing current codes that require proper bracing of ceiling systems, ductwork, piping and even furniture systems.

We are very proud to have been able serve the County of Napa in their time of need. Our commitment and the strong relationship we had developed with them drove our team to accomplish this tremendous goal in a short period of time. Ultimately it was about getting them back into “their homes” as quickly as possible.

Our outstanding team is comprised of:

Carl Servais Takes on Winter in DC for AIA Grassroots Conference

As the 2015 President of the AIA Redwood Empire Chapter (AIARE), I recently had the privilege of traveling to Washington DC for the annual AIA Grassroots Conference. Over 600 architects and administrative staff gathered together to advocate important legislative issues with our representatives on Capital Hill, to receive leadership training, and to network and collaborate with each other to find ways of better serving the AIA membership. I met with AIA leaders from chapters all around the country, from coastal Louisiana to northern Minnesota. Many of the folks I spoke with had issues similar to what our local chapter faces: how to best serve a diverse set of professionals from a vast geographic area with limited resources and how to motivate and inspire the emerging professionals who will carry the leadership torch of our future. There are no simple or easy answers to these questions, but I met lots of inspiring colleagues and I returned with a renewed sense of focus and energy, and with a handful of ideas that I will bring to my fellow directors on the AIARE Board.

Here are three of the highlights of my trip:

As an architect, of course the first thing I had to do after arriving was to walk the Mall. What I hadn’t realized is how beautifully the many historical buildings and monuments are lit up at night. I grew up in Wisconsin, so the cold winter night was no problem for me.

On the first day of the conference, my schedule didn’t start until the afternoon, so I took advantage of the free time by waiting in line to see oral arguments of the so-called “Obamacare” law at the Supreme Court. I waited for about 2-1/2 hours to get in, and I only got to sit for about 3 minutes in the courtroom, but it was well worth the wait to see the court in action. Fortunately, there were about 200 protestors providing entertainment for everyone waiting in line.

Finally, Wendy Young, the AIARE Executive Director, set up meetings for us to meet with 5th District Congressman Mike Thompson, and 2nd District Congressman Jared Huffman. After receiving training from the AIA federal advocacy team about the important legislative issues that were on the table, I was prepared to discuss the following:

1. Protect and enhance the Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC).

2. Cosponsor the Safe Building Code Incentive Act, which encourages states to voluntarily adopt and enforce nationally recognized model building codes for residential and commercial structures in order to qualify for additional post-disaster FEMA grants.

3. Cosponsor the National Design Services Act, which extends to architecture graduates student debt relief in exchange for work in underserved communities.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature intervened and dumped 6 inches of snow the day of my meeting, thereby effectively shutting the government down for the day. We still made the trek up to Capital Hill and had the opportunity to meet with Scott Rasmussen, Congressman Huffman’s Legislative Assistant. I think I made a good, confident presentation of the legislation we were there to promote and I went away feeling great about having advocated for our profession.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Transit Facility in Chico

At a formal ceremony earlier in October, ground was broken for the new Butte Regional Transit Operations Center In Chico, California. The new 10-acre, 41,000 square foot facility, designed by TLCD Architecture, replaces the current, outdated and undersized 3-acre bus operations and maintenance facility.

Butte County Association of Governments, Butte Regional Transit Operations Center, Chico, CA, TLCD Architecture, Groundbreaking Jon Clark Executive Director
Jon Clark, Executive Director BCAG
Butte County Association of Governments, Butte Regional Transit Operations Center, Chico, CA, TLCD Architecture, Groundbreaking
Officials at Groundbreaking Ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

BCAG is an association of all the local governments within Butte County. It is responsible for development of federal and state transportation plans and programs that secure transportation funding for the region’s highways, transit, streets and roads, pedestrian and other transportation system improvements. BCAG is also the administrative and policymaking agency for the region’s public transit “B-Line” bus service.

The 10-acre Butte Regional Transit Operations Center will provide administrative, operations, maintenance, as well as bus wash and fueling. An orchard-like grid of trees responds to the extensive orchards that surround the city of Chico, and firmly place the project in its regional context. This “orchard” provides shade to parking lots and areas around buildings. It extends to the street in lieu of street trees.

Butte County Association of Governments, Butte Regional Transit Operations Center, Chico, CA, TLCD Architecture Rendering, Groundbreaking
TLCD Architecture Rendering

Large shade canopies are covered by a photovoltaic array capable of meeting most or all of the facility’s electrical needs, while providing shade for a significant portion of the bus fleet. The photovoltaic array is one of many sustainable design features of the project, which is targeting LEED certification at the Silver level.

To view a real time webcam of the project, click the Kitchell link below…

http://oxblue.com/open/kitchell/butteopcenter

Mike Hauser Algebra Academy: Mentoring Students in Math and Technology

mike Hauser algebra academy, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, TLCD Architecture, Student thank you

For the past 3 mornings, TLCD Architecture has hosted 30 freshman high school students attending the Mike Hauser Algebra Academy, now entering it’s 7th year. This is a tutoring program organized by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce to assist students in becoming proficient in algebra to meet graduation requirements. TLCD joined other local businesses – Agilent Technologies, Medtronic Cardiovascular, JDSU, PG&E and the City of Santa Rosa Utilities Department in providing classroom space within their companies. One of the primary goals of the MHAA program is to show the students the connection between math and technology and how it’s used in the real world work place.

Mike Hauser Algebra Academy, City of Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, TLCD Architecture demonstrationMike Hauser Algebra Academy, City of Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, TLCD Architecture models

Between instructional sessions, TLCD staff offered insights into the architectural profession with presentations on recent local projects, architectural rendering techniques, and 3D design and drafting with a laser cutter demonstration that created a personalized name plaque for each student. A previous MHAA session was held at the City of Santa Rosa’s Utilities Field Office, designed by TLCD and it provided an opportunity for staff to present the design and drafting efforts required to construct a physical space recently used by the students.

The MHAA instructor, Math and Science teacher Aaron Prysock called TLCD’s presentation “spot on” and hopes he can return with next year’s academy classes.

Dey Laboratories new site for County of Napa Health Services

Dey-Labs-campus-aerial-Google-Maps-500x296

TLCD Architecture began working with the County of Napa over two years ago on the master planning of their current site on Old Sonoma Road in Napa. The County ultimately selected the existing Dey Laboratories site at Napa Valley Corporate Drive as its base of operations for county health services. TLCD will be working with the County of Napa on renovations/tenant improvements for Phase I of the project.

Read full article in North Bay Business Journal

Mendocino Transit Authority Takes Advantage of Solar Purchasing Cooperative

Final Exterior 1

TLCD Architecture’s award-winning Maintenance Facility for the Mendocino Transit Authority was designed with a “sawtooth” roof with high, north-facing windows that allow a substantial amount of daylight into the interior, while providing the ideal orientation for photovoltaic (solar) panels.  In addition to the photovoltaic panels on the roof of the building, panels were installed on shade canopies at the complex.

Gaia Energy Systems installed 18 kilowattes of SolarWorld solar panels at the complex. Mendocino Transit Authority’s 18-kW installation of SolarWorld solar panels is the first in the nation to take advantage of a new local-government solar-purchasing cooperative. The program, Helping Governments across the Country Buy (HGACBuy), allows participating local governments to reduce the cost of going solar by sharing procurement contracts, pooling technical expertise and leveraging economies of scale.

“We appreciate having access to quality American-made solar panels at attractive prices. We thought the application process was straight-forward and reasonably fast,” said Dan Baxter, general manager for MTA.

Redwood Empire Food Bank Board Service Rewarding

REFB Farewell_croppedSix years ago my brother-in-law approached me and said “You should consider joining the board of the Redwood Empire Food Bank. They really need an architect”. I had no idea what those six years would entail when I said yes. This was my first real service on a non-profit board and it came at a time of great change for the organization.

I served the best way I could by helping them conceptualize, fund, and build out a new building to support their growing mission. The Redwood Empire Food Bank serves almost one in six residents of Sonoma County and the regions north. The issue in Northern California is not starving people but food insecurity. It means that the elderly and low wage earners run out of money for food three weeks into the month. It means that thousands of school children come to school hungry and do not have good diets. I means that poor diets are resulting in health problems such as diabetes and obesity that tend to compound the initial problems.

I’ve helped create a lot of buildings in my career but rarely has a project resulted in such immediate and profound results. With their new facility on Brickway Boulevard, more freezer space means that programs such as Range to Table will have a place to store meat products to add much needed protein to the selection of available foods. The newly opened Value Marketplace, the first of its kind in the nation, is a non-profit market serving the food bank’s clients with healthy food in a dignified and helpful environment. These are just a few of many possibilities now available with their new facility.

Yesterday I received my blue plate award for six years of service on the board of the Redwood Empire Food Bank, including two terms as President.  It has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and I’m grateful TLCD Architecture has given me the time to dedicate to this effort. I urge all of you to consider how your skills might benefit a non-profit organization like the Food Bank. It has changed the way I look at the world.  I know it has already helped many people and will continue to do so.

TLCD Architecture Partners with Chico High School Students

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For the past two school years TLCD Architecture has partnered with the ROP program at Chico High School in an evolving collaboration between students and design professionals. The “iTech” program teaches students about design and construction, and in particular how to use Revit, a Building Information Modeling (BIM) program that TLCD helped pioneer beginning in 2000.

When TLCD was selected to design the new 10-acre Butte Regional Transit Operations Center in Chico, we were given this unique opportunity to involve iTech students in the project in a meaningful way. Since that time the students have been actively involved in the project including participation in design workshops, developing solar shading studies, producing models with their 3-D printers, creating a Revit model, and video “fly throughs” of the project.

The link below takes you to one of these fly throughs, as well as the students’ final 3D model. TLCD Architecture used the iTech model when it presented the project to the Chico Architectural Review Board last week. Way to go students!

Screen Shot 2013-05-23 at 8.00.52 AM

Butte Regional Transit Operations Center Design Approved

 

TLCD Architecture’s design for the new Butte Regional Transit Operations Center in Chico, California was finalized last week. This 50,000 square foot project will provide administrative offices for the Butte County Association of Governments, along with state-of-the-art bus operational and maintenance facilities for its countywide B-Line bus system.

The project design was strongly influenced by nearby orchards and agricultural architecture. An “orchard” of trees will cover much of the site, reflecting the Almond and Walnut orchards that characterize the landscape in the surrounding area. This orchard provides shade to outdoor areas, parking, and buildings, and is a dominant visual feature. Linear plantings of shrubs and glasses recall row crops found in nearby orchards. Building forms are simple, with exterior materials that are inspired by local agricultural buildings.

This project is design to LEED Silver level. A highly efficient HVAC system design will greatly reduce summer cooling costs, and a photovoltaic array will provide most the electric power needs of the facility. Radiant floor slab heating will be used in the bus maintenance building to provide a comfortable work environment for mechanics, and displacement ventilation will be used in the project’s two administrative buildings.

This project is slated to begin construction in June of 2014 and is expected to be complete by summer of the following year.

Mendocino Transit Authority’s New Bus Maintenance Facility Dedication

The Mendocino Transit Authority’s (MTA) new bus maintenance facility in Ukiah was dedicated last night.  Representatives of MTA, TLCD Architecture, GHD, Arntz Builders, and members of the community attended the dedication, which included dinner for the guests.  Jeff Blechel, TLCD Architecture’s Designer and Project Architect led a tour of the impressive new facility.

This project serves as the core maintenance facility for Mendocino County’s bus fleet. In addition to maintenance bays the project includes shops, storage, fueling, and vehicle wash facilities. The project was designed to minimize operational and maintenance costs, and to provide a strong visual presence from the adjacent freeway. 

A dramatic, “sawtooth” roof defines the facility.  This configuration allows for north facing clerestory windows that maximizes daylight harvesting while providing the ideal orientation for rooftop photovoltaic panels.  Prefinished insulated metal panels are attached directly to the metal structure, a simple and cost-effective alternative to a traditional stud wall.  These panels do not require painting or maintenance and are one of many sustainable features of this project.  The metal panels sit on a base of patterned concrete block walls that provide protection from vehicles.  The north wall is constructed of hardwood “rainscreen” that references the local timber industry and nearby lumber mill.

DeTurk Round Barn Receives Two Awards in Single Day!

On Tuesday, May 1st TLCD Architecture’s DeTurk Round Barn received two prestigious design awards.  At the City of Santa Rosa’s afternoon city council meeting a California Parks and Recreation Society representative presented its annual facility award to the City and TLCD Architecture.  Later that same evening the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) presented an Award of Merit in the Excellence in Engineering Awards program to MKM Structural Engineers.

Built in 1891 for a prized racehorse, the DeTurk Round Barn is one of only two true round barns remaining in California and is listed on both the state and federal registries of historic places. After decades of use as a city corporation yard, this unique adaptive reuse project seismically upgraded and restored the building to its new life as a Community Center. During construction the entire barn was raised on hydraulic lifts for several months to allow construction of concrete foundations and a floor slab. In order to preserve the historic integrity of the barn, all interior wood framing was left exposed; no insulation or interior finishes were added. Existing redwood posts or beams that could not be reused, were re-milled into paneling at the stairwells.

The renovated building features a stunning, circular ground floor and open mezzanine totaling more than 7,500 square feet. The space accommodates weddings, receptions, parties, meetings and other special events. A catering kitchen, restrooms, and elevator were added, along with a high-tech audio-visual system featuring multiple projectors and a curved 18–foot screen. A radiant floor slab provides heat to the un-insulated historic building, and a 24-foot diameter overhead fan provides air circulation.

Historic DeTurk Round Barn Features Ultra Modern Fan

How do you cool a historic round barn built in 1891 without extensive air conditioning systems? With a modern, high efficiency 24 foot diameter fan of course! Big Ass Fans features the DeTurk Round Barn in it’s current “Donkey Tales” newsletter.

The City of Santa Rosa Recreation, Parks and Community Services Department worked with TLCD Architecture to lovingly renovate the DeTurk Round Barn, one of only two true round barns remaining in California.

Marina Starkey, Marketing Director

TLCD Architecture Projects Set to Receive Awards

We are pleased to announce that two projects designed by TLCD Architecture for the City of Santa Rosa will be receiving statewide recognition.

On February 28th the City of Santa Rosa Utilities Field Office project will receive an award for Outstanding Architecture/Engineering Project. The American Society of Civil Engineers will be presenting this award to GHD, TLCD Architecture’s engineering partner on the project. This project includes offices, maintenance shops, and a training center. Its design and engineering emphasize a quality workplace environment within the context of a healthy, sustainable facility.

 

Utilities Field Office

On March 20th the City of Santa Rosa will be presented with the California Park and Recreation Society’s annual Excellence in Design Award for the DeTurk Round Barn. This award recognizes projects under $5 million that demonstrate high standards of planning, design, community involvement, operation and maintenance, quality of aesthetics, usability, accessibility and versatility. Built in 1891 for a prized racehorse, the DeTurk Round Barn is one of only two true round barns remaining in California and is listed on both the state and federal registries of historic places. After decades of use as a city corporation yard, this unique adaptive reuse project seismically upgraded and restored the building to its new life as a Community Center.

DeTurk Round Barn

The North Bay Business Journal has also recognized both projects as “top projects”.

TLCD Architecture Recognized for 2 Top Project Awards

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!

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

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

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/

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.

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.

DeTurk Round Barn – open for business!

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.

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

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.

State of Ohio Goes to BIM!

Yet another major owner joins the growing group of entities that not only require BIM for their projects, they have a protocol in place.  Of particular interest is the chart for architectural service fees, indicating the difference between BIM & Non-BIM projects.  See link below:

http://www.das.ohio.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=VD8N3VDCjno%3D&tabid=305

Check out the Obelisk

The 60' Obelisk on Santa Rosa Avenue

It is not the Piazza di Popolo in Rome or the Place de Corncorde in Paris, in fact it is in front of the Nissan dealership on Santa Rosa Avenue. This weekend a 60 foot obelisk was set in place. It is a 52′ structure with a tube steel frame and welded bicycle parts sitting on an eight foot base.  The sculpture was  commissioned by Santa Rosa Nissan as part of their 1% for art contribution. The sculpture was created by Petaluma artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector. Former TLCD architect Danny Strening did the permit drawings and Kevin Zucco of  ZFA was the structural engineer. It is a pretty remarkable and sizable structure. Be sure to check it out. There was an article in the Press Democrat online version yesterday. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100824/NEWS/100829808/1349?Title=From-old-bikes-to-beauty-&tc=ar

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TLCD’s Luther Burbank Savings Project Hits the Press!

On Wednesday, July 21, Luther Burbank Savings announced to the public via a Press Release, their plans to relocate their Santa Rosa branch office to the former Traverso’s site at 106 B Street. TLCD Architecture has been working behind the scenes for months on the designs for this dynamic downtown remodel which will double the bank’s current space. The Luther Burbank Savings building in tandem with Museum on the Square project is part of what many hope will be a “downtown renaissance”. Check the following links to articles published today in the Press Democrat and North Bay Business Journal regarding this exciting news!

TLCD Architecture Now Under Contract with AOC on Lakeport Courthouse

TLCD Architecture formally announced yesterday a contract agreement with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for architectural services for the New Lakeport Courthouse to be built in Lakeport, CA.  Teaming on this effort are Santa Rosa’s own TLCD Architecture and Boston-based Shepley Bulfinch (with whom TLCD paired on the Doyle Library).  The release announces the contract signing milestone, and includes a brief discussion about the project and site selection. Read the press release here.

DeTurk Round Barn Renovation Update

Well, the DeTurk Round Barn Renovation (for the City of Santa Rosa – Recreations and Parks Department) is underway. As you can see from the photos the Dog Park is nearing completion and preparations for the lifting of the Barn are under way. The Dog Park is a very important part of this project, being a very popular meeting place for local (West End Historic Neighborhood) and city wide residence.  The barn is being lifted approximately 3 feet. This will provide clearance to prepare column footings and elevator pit, place underslab electrical conduit and work on a post tension concrete slab (more information and photos in a future blog). The barn will then be lowered onto a new concrete curb. Note all of the beams running through the existing window openings. The windows are being reconditioned (to maintain historic elements) and will be replaced after the lifting is complete.

Once the building is lowered the General Contractor (GCCI Inc.) will begin interior work in earnest………….Stay Tuned

DeTurk Interior Building Lifting Beams

DeTurk Exterior Lifting Beams

DeTurk Dog Park

Pick Your Desk

Though this is actually the first floor of the ATT Building, all the floors look pretty much alike at this point. Imagine with windows to the north that you could see this view of courthouse square. Don & I were just in the building with Bill Carle and Frank Kasimov from the City. We were looking for a leak in the basement that was not evident. The Museum on the Square building goes before the Redevelopment Agency Board next Monday the 25th and the schedule in the Agenda has us starting drawings the 26th! The schedule further calls for final approvals of the project by late May of this year. Things are moving forward with great rapidity. We’ll keep you informed as both the building design and our TI progress.
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Interior of the ATT Building
Current Interior of the ATT Building
Courthouse Square from the roof of the Museum on the Square Building

TLCD Awarded SMART Operations and Maintenance Facility

TLCD Architecture has teamed with Winzler and Kelly  Engineering on the new Operations and Maintenance Facility to serve the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART). The two firms distributed a joint press release today describing the project and what it means to the local community. Mark Adams will lead the design process at TLCD and states in the press release, “These types of public facilities always provide long-term public value. When they are designed to be attractive, efficient and sensitive to resource use, they become community jewels.”

Lost Dog Wash Trailhead

The Lost Dog Wash Trailhead project is located in Scottsdale Arizona and featured in this months Green Source  publication. It’s rare that this much attention is put into public restrooms but it’s proof that everything should be thoughtfully considered and well designed. 

Building Section

“Located at the heart of this seven-acre site, the Trailhead Gateway Structure totals 4,000 square feet and includes public restrooms, composting operations, and maintenance facilities, as well as covered seating and a sunrise viewing area. Nearby lies the Desert Amphitheater and the Equestrian Staging Area, while separate parking areas serve hiking and horseback riding trails. The design of the site and outlying structures accommodate guest lectures and field-based classrooms, along with providing opportunities for bird watching, picnicking, and guided interpretive hikes so participants can learn about local history.”-G.S.

Check out the slideshow for more great images!