San Juan H.S. Admin / Media

It’s not every day that we get an “a-ha” moment about what our work can mean to those who live in it. San Juan Admin / Media team members attended a lunch and tour of the newly finished buildings, the tour was led by Clark & Sullivan (contractors). Yummy BBQ first then a walk-through of the space with members of San Juan school board & district officials. Admin building is great, terrific Spartan logo on the floor in stained concrete. Great light.

On to Media to see their newly finished broadcast studio, production room & classrooms. The media teacher and school principal gave us the tour, they are so jazzed with the state-of-the art space with flexibility to grow as technology changes. But most inspiring are the stories of how the students interface with everything, how the teachers are able to teach classes in a way that motivates and empowers the students because they have the right tools. The principal is so proud of the facility and program that she is reaching out to team with the private sector. The goal is that the program benefits from the talent in the workforce and any sponsorship it can bring in to help funding. But the most important goal is to provide work-force ready students who can function in the real world after graduation. This is what Career Technical Education is all about.

It was evident that everyone was inspired today, not only because of what the space has already accomplished but also because of its potential to accomplish more. The a-ha for me: we designed simple, functional, flexible, spaces filled with light. These spaces have inspired the school (principal, teachers, students) to achieve, beyond their expectations. How cool is that?

Congratulations San Juan Admin / Media team, great accomplishment!

- Naaz

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Progress at San Juan H.S.

Before

After.

The change is remarkable...

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Fun, Simple Solutions

The client we were working with on this project wanted to put up a casework half wall to divide the public and private space in this office building. We decided to avoid a mundane solution of a 2.5’ high laminate panel running the length of 15’ so, bearing in mind that there was a degree of security we had to achieve, we chose to divide it with these 3-Form panels suspended from a “L” shaped soffit. This turned the division into an unexpected art piece as opposed to something “expected”.

What have you done lately to get out of the design box?

- Amber

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DTL = LEED Gold!

I am pleased to share the news that DTL Mori-Seki, a project we did the interiors scope for (space planning, interior architecture, design, furniture) just received LEED Gold!!! This flew under W+P’s radar because we were not the architects of record or the LEED consultants. But for those involved (Brett, Amber, me & a cast of thousands)) this is a rewarding conclusion to a project that is pretty awesome: a build-to-suite 75,000 s.f. office / showroom in a developer box. Kudos to Capital Partners, the developers, who were committed from the start to do a LEED project and ended up being the first in Davis.

-Naaz

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Martha Riley Library is Golden!

We have received notification that the Martha Riley Library and Utility Exploration Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. A big THANK YOU to everyone involved. It has been a total team effort.

-Trish

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Taking Home the Gold

Terry and Stu attended the Gold Nugget Awards Ceremony a few weeks back. Williams + Paddon took home the Grand Award for Outstanding Recreational Use Facility for the Monarch Club in Nipomo California.

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Exploration Bahama

A nice quiet stroll on the beach
such a little explorer Tom is...

These are a few images from a recent site visit to a project in the Bahamas. Look for more to come about this new and exciting project. Thanks to Tom and Terry for giving everyone the low down on how great their trip was, how awesome their tans are, and in general making everyone extremely jealous about a week in the tropics.

-Brian, Tom, Terry

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DTL Grand Opening

Last Wednesday a small group of WPers attended the grand opening of DTL. From someone who had nothing to do with the project or knew anything about DTL it was a fantastic experience. DTL is a world wide leader in CNC machining technology. The COO of DTL gave the tour I was on and raved about the design. It far exceeded any expectations they had coming into the project. It's a large project, 75,000 +/- sf with many different uses but they all come together in a well planned cohesive design. With a industrial modern thread running through the entire design, each space is given a unique and cool vibe. Congrats to the main team of Naaz, Amber and Brett for another great design.

-Brian L.

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SRCSD nears completion

You’ve probably heard the SRCSD (Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District) team talk about the project over the last 18 - 20 months. I realized that we’ve not always done a good job with showing off the project, so, for those of you who are interested…here are some photos.

We are still anxiously awaiting the installation of the terra cotta (it is what is missing between the storefront frame on the concrete end wall in the last picture), but they started installation of the stainless steel lobby stair and guard rail today.

The project is currently scheduled for completion in late summer.

- Regina

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Tour of The Orleans in Old Town

A few weeks ago, the IIDA organized a tour of a new infill project in Old Sacramento, The Orleans. First, we met at the Firehouse. I have not been here in years… and once I was there, I wondered what took me so long? I love the outdoor patio of this place… especially this time of year. We got a firsthand tour of the much improved Firehouse by Terry Harvego (the project developer) and Michael Dunlavey (of Dunlavey studio, who did the renovation work at Firehouse and also did the interiors of The Orleans). After that, we walked over to The Orleans with Bruce Monighan (the architect on record) and got the inside scoop on how this project became the newest infill project. I was anxious to get inside and boy was it worth the wait! These rental lofts were planned to maximize the views and make the most of the outdoor living space… and that was apparent. Almost all of us were ready to sign up when we finished. And, at a decent rental price… why not? Urban living on the Sacramento River with killer views – who wouldn’t want one of these lofts? Well, my dog for starters… but if you are not responsible for any furry creatures and you are looking for a place to call home… go check them out at Old Sac Properties! I’d love to come visit.

- Andrea

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Martha Riley Community Library named ‘Best Community Impact Project’

Martha Riley Community Library named ‘Best Community Impact Project’
by the Sacramento Business Journal

We are pleased to be a part of the award winning team that designed this upbeat and contemporary library and gathering space that allows all sectors of the community to come together. From the children’s reading tree to the teen media center, quiet reading areas, spacious meeting rooms, comfy gathering spaces to the Utility Exploration Center, this project truly has something for everyone.

“The library itself is no longer a place where people are going to shush you. People can bring sodas and a cup of coffee into the library. We want it to be comfortable” noted Mike Shellito, City of Roseville. “The library became cool again.”

Lots of awards programs are more like beauty contests – what’s on the outside -- but this one goes beyond outer beauty and judges the impact a project has on bettering the community it serves. And after all isn’t that why we design buildings, to better serve the community?

“The Business Journal award is unique in that judges visit the site and the Owner and Design Team have an opportunity to relate the building’s story. This building’s connection to the community is paramount to the success of the project. To be recognized for it, is the decoration on the cake!” said Naaz Alikhan, Principal, Williams + Paddon Architects + Planners, Inc.

This is the 2nd year in a row that a Williams + Paddon project has received the ‘Best Community Impact’ award by the Business Journal. Our company philosophy Involve // Connect // Delight is why we enjoy doing projects like this so much.

To learn more about the Martha Riley Community Library and Utility Exploration, visit our website.

-Jodie

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Citrus Heights Community Center

Check out the Citrus Heights Community Center site. Reminds me of a postage stamp.

-Trish

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Kennedy High School - The Beginning

The first set of pilings went in at Kennedy last Saturday. Check out the exciting photos of this ground breaking event. Click Here

-Jason

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Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento

"Multi Purpose Building groundbreaking ceremony kicks off phase II expansion." That's what the headline read on the fall newsletter from of the Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento. The first phase of construction, a 2,773 sf half-court basketball and indoor recreation gym, was completed in November 2006. Phase II consists of adding 1,996 sf of office, restrooms, home economics classroom, arts and crafts room and a library.

Thanks to Jason Masty for seeing this project through design and construction.

-Stephen

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SHARE: Visionary Ideas and Projects from the Membership of the AIA Central Valley

The AIA Central Valley asked it's members to submit work to display in their new gallery space. The exhibition celebrates visionary ideas and projects-ranging from built work, work imagined, images, models, words and /or compositions. As JTW said, "Don’t you think the premier design firm in the valley should have a few things in the new AIA office?" I agreed...so we decided to submit the Avalon at Palm Springs project.

-Brian L. and Terry

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SRCSD/CSD-1 receives incentives from SMUD

SRCSD/CSD-1 Office & Corporation Yard Earns over $400,000 in Incentives from SMUD

Finally, all the effort put into the SRCSD/CSD-1 project design is paying off – literally. We have recently been informed that the project will be earning over $400,000 in incentives through the SMUD Savings by Design program. The project team applied for, and will be receiving, the following incentives: $80,000+ Owner Incentive, $300,000 PV Incentive, $26,000+ Design Team Incentive, $5,000 Commissioning Incentive and $5,000 LEED Registration Incentive. The SRCSD/CSD-1 project is the first Design Team incentive application exceeding 25% savings vs. Title 24 in SMUD's territory; the energy model for the office building indicates building systems performance ~27% better than Title 24.

Congratulations to the project team!

-Regina Souchek

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The Award Winning Universal Technical Institute

Williams + Paddon Architects is pleased to be a part of the award winning Universal Technical Institute (UTI) team that recently won the Sacramento Business Journal Best New Industrial Real Estate Project for 2007.

UTI, a national provider of technical education for automotive, diesel and collision repair technicians wanted creative architecture for their first Northern California location. The modern warehouse building was designed to reflect the cutting edge technology and education that UTI provides its students.

In addition to this award, Williams + Paddon was honored at the Business Journal Real Estate Projects of the Year Awards as the Architects for the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center, Best Community Impact Project and for Conceptual Architectural Design for the Park Plaza, Best New Retail Project.

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BENVENUTI WINS BIG...

We are excited to announce that the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center received a Leroy F. Greene Award of Honor from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). This statewide award program recognizes public education projects that are profoundly making an impact on their campuses.

It was also honored as the ‘Best Community Impact’ project at the Sacramento Business Journal Real Estate Projects of the Year Awards for its importance to not only the school, but the city and the arts community.

This technologically advanced theatre for the performing arts magnet program at Natomas Charter School is a signature facility that allows students to train in a wide variety of theatrical, music and dance programs. The project contains all of the features of a professional stage including a full fly tower. It is being hailed as the “most sophisticated theater in Greater Sacramento.” (February 29, 2008 – Supplement to the Sacramento Business Journal)

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