Rainforth Grau Architects

Big thank you to our friends at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento for our Hammy Award! The awards dinner this week was fun and there were some emotional moments where the positive impact of Habitat's work on Sacramento families came into focus. The program of speakers, videos and volunteers really showed the wide scope of what Habitat does. We are proud to be a partner and a volunteer!

The Northern California chapter of A4LE is hosting this important seminar on Thursday April 28th. Follow the link for details and registration.

https://www.a4le.org/A4LE/Regions/Southwest/Northern_California_Nevada/Southwest/Northern_California_Nevada/Northern_California_Nevada.aspx?hkey=590ff6d6-c65f-4006-a0c8-e99b1f902928

To Our Clients, Consultants, Vendors & Friends:
Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season filled with joy & gratitude—and hopefully a little relaxing time with family and friends. In that spirit, our offices will be closed from Friday, December 24 through Sunday, January 2.

Best wishes to You & Yours, and we look forward to working on exciting projects together in 2022!

This year we are Thankful for:

1. The opportunity to design and build schools, our passion.

2. The openings of several of our significant new projects.

3. Teachers and school staff: the unsung, everyday heroes of education.

4. Our School District partners who have entrusted us with their important needs.

5. The builders, engineers, estimators, funding experts, and everyone else involved who help create these projects.

6. Our merger with HMC— we are now stronger in Sacramento and a part of the statewide HMC group, with added capabilities, knowledge and experience.

7. Returning to the office FINALLY, although on a partial basis—we are smiling behind our masks!

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at RGA / HMC!

Big day at Pleasant Valley High School last week as major work on campus was dedicated. Highlights include four new CTE lab spaces, two exterior courtyards and a reimagined front entry to campus.

The CTE additions include two culinary spaces featuring a teaching kitchen complete with a traditional masonry pizza oven. Plus a new medical pathway lab and a sports medicine lab!

This work is part of the Chico USD commitment to Career Technical Education: “to engage every student in high quality, rigorous, and relevant educational pathways and programs… enabling students to reach their career goals…and contribute to California's and Chico’s economic prosperity.”

Thanks to Chico Unified School District and to our engineering and building partners: Slater & Son Inc., SEED, Inc., MTW Group Landscape Architecture, The Engineering Enterprise, Rolls Anderson & Rolls, and the Marshall Associates. We are proud of what we created together!

Great way to end the week with a Halloween potluck and trivia contest! So many delicious eats and treats. Special thanks to Mark Luzi, trivia MC extraordinaire!

Our interiors team has done it again, crafting this clever entry for the annual One Workplace pumpkin carving contest. In this topical vignette Captain Jack-o-Lantern has commandeered the pirate’s ship, thrown him overboard and sailed away with the pirate’s b***y (a shipment of scarce and valuable toilet paper). Nice work Suzanne, Fernanda, Darrel, Sydney and Emily!

One Workplace is one of our key vendors for interior furnishings, architectural products and high performing environments. Happy Halloween!

This past weekend, seven RGA staffers rolled up their sleeves put on their work boots and participated in a Habitat for Humanity workday at Mandolin Estates in South Sacramento off Power Inn Road. Mandolin is a 13-home cul-de-sac community offering low income families the opportunity to own their own homes via affordable mortgages and sweat equity.

Our crew included team coordinator Jennifer Huang, Jeff Grau, Elizabeth Townsend, Affifa Kadhim, Mark Luzi, Carlos Martinez Horta and Riley Peck. Alongside the fantastic Habitat site supervisors and future homeowners, our team built backyard fencing and put up scaffolding for future volunteers to use on the next phases of the project.

These workdays are very rewarding—a great way to donate and get out onto a jobsite—although team members did mention there was some soreness on Monday. Please contact Habitat for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento to get involved!

We had a great time at Federalist after work last Friday, celebrating end of summer and our love of beer and pizza! Several team members competed in the Octoberfest Beer Stein hoisting contest, from left to right: Roger, Ronnie, Francis and Sydney. Francis barely edged out Sidney for the win!

On Tuesday there was a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Folsom High School CTE building, an RGA-designed facility that offers state-of-the-art instructional spaces for hands-on learning in high-tech manufacturing, welding, woodworking, engineering, architecture and computer science.

There were remarks by Folsom Cordova Unified School District leaders, including Superintendent Dr. Sarah Koligian, COO Matt Washburn, and CTE Director Alicia Caddell, who was instrumental in securing a $6M State CTE grant. City of Folsom Mayor Mike Kozlowski spoke, as well as representatives from local congressional offices.

One of the really compelling parts of the event were remarks by Scott Frederick from Siemens Corporation. A parent of two Bulldog grads, Scott spoke about the importance of the CTE program as a source for work-ready employees. He mentioned the current need of approximately 100 welders and 100 assemblers over the next year, some of which will work on a large Siemens contract with Amtrak that will run through 2030. This is really the heart of the CTE story—connecting high school education with real world jobs and skill sets.

Photos include a shot of key RGA staffers Ronnie Byrd and Dwayne Treleven with Clark/Sullivan Construction General Superintendent Larry Cabodi.

On Monday the Davis Joint Unified School District dedicated the new Early Learning Center on the Korematsu Elementary School campus. This project delivers a long-awaited permanent home for the Early Learning Center, including 5 new classrooms and two specialized spaces—a total of 10,000 square feet. Plus there’s a new student drop-off area and a large, shaded playground, where the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held.

Superintendent Matt Best and other DJUSD leaders noted this project was an example of cost-effective use of District bond funds, expressing thanks to Davis voters and to all who helped bring this project to life. Key project players include: Alain Contreras, DJUSD Project Manager, David Burke, DJUSD Executive Director of Capital Operations, Dave Fukui from Innovative Construction Services, Inc. (the construction manager), and Lisa Alvarado from Enviroplex Inc., maker of the modular units used here.

Pictured below are Otto Construction Superintendent Joe Ussey with RGA Principle Architect in Charge Tim DeWitt, and RGA Project Manager Vipul Safi. Also on the project from Otto was Project Manager Gavin Mc Aleese.

The classrooms and play area include lots of fun and interactive features. Faculty members are really excited to have bathrooms in every classroom. This seemingly simple feature will have a big impact day-to-day, making classroom logistics and management easier and safer.

Here’s a nice feature story Good Day Sacramento (CBS channel 31) ran on the new Folsom High School CTE program. This RGA-designed facility was completed last year, featuring 15,000 square feet of shop and classroom space for manufacturing, welding and woodshop skills that will prepare students for either advanced training in college or to go directly into jobs with local employers. Training is also offered in architecture, engineering and computer science.

As part of this program, FHS has established college course credit partnerships with American River College and Sierra College.

This facility was funded by Folsom Measure G so that high-tech training would be available for in-demand local jobs. In the planning process FHS faculty worked with local employers to determine exactly which machines they used—so students would be job-ready when they graduate.

Folsom Cordova Unified School District

Folsom High School CTE Building We're at Folsom High School where they're introducing us to their new CTE building. See what awesome equipment and CNC machinery they have for their students to learn.

Meet our newest Designer, Arturo del Amo, who is working on a large high school campus in Folsom, among several projects. Arturo has quite an international background: Born in Madrid, Spain and has lived in 10 countries, including Ireland, England, Spain, Thailand and Kuwait. And he speaks 5 languages!

Arturo earned bachelors and master’s degrees in architecture and Urban Design at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid and Tunghai University in Taichung (Taiwan). He writes a monthly article for the architectural magazine COSAS de ARQUITECTOS.

His passions are design, art, opera, reading and travelling—he’s visited over 45 countries.

Arturo is a proud dog dad who likes to go on long walks in the company of his little dog named Gustavo! For such a world traveler, he loves the vibe and energy right here in midtown Sacramento. Welcome Arturo!

In a “stronger together” strategy that will elevate service, design, and positive impact to clients and communities throughout California, RGA is pleased to announce that we are joining the HMC Architects family and will be merging our Sacramento offices to become one. The move combines experience, resources, and infrastructure to create one of the largest PreK-12 practices in Northern California.

HMC was founded in 1940 with the purpose of anticipating community needs and making a positive impact. They are a seasoned team of experienced architects and designers, and most importantly, they share the same values we do. RGA will continue to serve our clients with the same staff, from the same office, and with the same commitment as RGA + A studio of HMC Architects.

Visit https://rainforthgrau.com/ to read the full announcement.

It’s been a big month at Mangini Ranch Elementry School in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. August 11th was the first day of school. Students, parents and faculty arrived with big smiles and a real sense of excitement! After almost 6 years of planning, design and construction this was a tremendous moment. And for us, seeing kids at this new school brings home the larger picture of our work as architects supporting education.

Last week was also the official dedication and ribbon cutting, with recognition and remarks by several dignitaries, including: FCUSD superintendent Dr. Sarah Koligian, FCUSD COO Matt Washburn, school Principal Canen Peterson, City of Folsom - Government Mayor Mike Kozlowski, and a member of the namesake Mangini family, original owners of the ranch land where the school is located.

RGA is honored to have been part of this project that will nurture and impact generations of Folsom students.

In a “stronger together” strategy that will elevate service, design, and positive impact to clients and communities throughout California, RGA is pleased to announce that we are joining the HMC Architects family and will be merging our Sacramento offices to become one. The move combines experience, resources, and infrastructure to create one of the largest PreK-12 practices in Northern California.

HMC was founded in 1940 with the purpose of anticipating community needs and making a positive impact. They are a seasoned team of experienced architects and designers, and most importantly, they share the same values we do. RGA will continue to serve our clients with the same staff, from the same office, and with the same commitment as RGA + A studio of HMC Architects.

Visit https://rainforthgrau.com to read the full announcement.

Just in time for the new school year we’re wrapping up a complete transformation of the 70-year-old North Elementary School campus in the Tracy Unified School District! Here are some images and renderings as Landmark Construction completes the final stages of the work.

We replaced 5 outdated buildings with a new two-story building containing 9 classrooms, 4 Kindergarten classes, a library and a computer lab. In addition, an existing admin building was modernized to house 10 classrooms and a computer lab. In all, it’s 30,000 square feet of new construction and 15,000 square feet of modernization.

Beyond these numbers, this project features lots of amenities that will help make the learning environments engaging and inspiring: teaching walls, interactive technology, cubbies, contemporary fixtures and a vaulted, open library with clerestory windows!

There was also significant site work on the 9 acre campus: the creation of a central outdoor quad, a kindergarten play area, shade structures, poured concrete seat wells throughout campus—lots of places for students to gather and hang out! Plus a new school frontage, drop-off and parking lots.

We’re excited about this project and that nearly 800 North ES students will be learning on a beautiful new campus!

Check out these bird’s-eye views of the new Early Childhood Learning Center on the Korematsu Elementary School campus in the Davis Joint Unified School District. Otto Construction is putting the final touches on this nearly 10,000 square foot project in advance of first day of school in two weeks.

There are 5 classrooms, 2 specialized spaces, an admin area and a playground shaded by two large shade structures. The playground features many accessible and interactive features, including panels that engage pre-school students in music and motor skills activity.

The site-work includes a new bus drop-off circle for the elementary school as well as a separate drop-off for the Early Learning Center.

Stay tuned for a detailed set of photos as the school year begins!

Meet Emily Ajwang, our summer intern. She has been supporting interior and architecture teams, helping assemble binders, documenting punch walks, drafting plans and doing some Revit modeling—a fairly wide variety of things. About this experience she notes: “I have gotten to see some of the things you don’t see in school, especially the collaboration, the way project work goes back and forth between various participants.”

Emily and her family came to the U.S. from Kenya in 2008 to escape election violence. She has been in Sacramento since 2017 and will graduate with a degree in Interior Architecture from Sac State this winter. Quick side note: the RGA Interiors Team is Hornet-Proud, with all four members coming from Sac State. In her down time, Emily likes crafting, painting and making jewelry. It’s great to have you here, Emily! California State University Sacramento

RGA Designer Bennett Mueller recently guided his first project through DSA approval. The project was two shade structures for Prairie Elementary Pre-K in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Under the oversight of senior staff, Bennett developed plans to place fabric shade structures on the existing school site, visited the site to verify accessibility, and got the drawings approved through DSA. The structures will make the play areas much more usable during the summer months.

Bennett graduated from Cal Poly in 2019 and started at RGA later that year. He grew up in Iowa, came out to California for school and decided to stick around. “I got into architecture through a love of design and problem solving…and building with LEGOs as a kid. I really enjoy working on projects that will be used and appreciated by the community.” Way to go Bennett!

We are very proud of RGA Associate Vipul Safi who recently graduated from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (C.A.S.H.) Academy! CASH is the premier school facilities organization in the state of California. The School Facilities Leadership Academy is an educational program with a highly select enrollment, designed to develop current and future leaders in the areas of school facilities and maintenance.

The CSFLA is a rigorous program with course study both in and outside of the classroom. Students learn from leaders in all facets of school facilities planning, funding, design, construction and maintenance. Students are matched with a mentor to guide them and also benefit from peer-to-peer learning, with individual and group projects throughout the year.

Vipul is very busy these days, taking on an increasingly senior role at RGA, alongside his family responsibilities as a husband and the dad of two young ladies. So carving out time for this intensive coursework is a big commitment and a major accomplishment! Big Congrats, Vipul!

Since mid-March of 2020, our midtown Sacramento office has been closed except for a small core group. Operations on all projects continued during this time uninterrupted, thanks to a quick transition plan and the dedication of our Work-from-Home staff.

Today, we began our voluntary Return-to-Office phase and welcomed some of our staff back on a staggered basis. We are excited to begin the in-person communication and collaboration that fuels our creative processes.

To celebrate this long-delayed return, and welcome people back to the office, we played the RGA Welcome Wheel for prizes! Everyone gets a spin on their first day back. It is great to have people back in the office!

RGA architects Christina Frankel and Michelle Hecht along with Elizabeth Townsend are joined by Manteca Unified School District proudtobemusd Director of Facilities and Operations Aaron Bowers and others, including C T Brayton & Sons, Inc. Project Manager Jacob Hodge. The team signed the final steel beam before it is hoisted into place atop the large gymnasium at Manteca High School.

This is a variation of practice called “topping out” or “topping off,” a ritual that commemorates the placement of the final beam. It can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious rite of placing a tree atop a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in its construction. This is a worldwide tradition with links through early European tribes and Vikings. It reached America via immigrant Norwegian ironworkers in the late 1800s.

Whatever the exact historical linage, we are proud of the safe and successful hard work at MHS, and so we leave our mark for posterity!

Designer Roger Andrade reached a nice milestone as he recently guided his first project through DSA approval, at Samuel Kennedy Elementary School, home to nearly 1,000 students, in the Elk Grove Unified School District.

Under the guidance of senior staff, he coordinated approval for a new shade structure for preschoolers, including: developing plans, reviewing site conditions and ensuring placement was safe and accessible. Shade structures like this greatly expand access to outdoor activities during hot months.

Roger brings great energy and enthusiasm. He started at RGA as an intern in 2017 while attending Cosumnes River College and continued through his studies at UC Berkeley. He is working toward becoming an architect. One of his favorite things: “Going out to the field and getting my hands dirty! Whether it’s field verification, acquiring dimensions, or having to search through old archives to help move a project forward.” Way to go Roger!

Thanks to senior Architect Christina Frankel for letting the marketing guy tag along on one of her site walks at Manteca High School. She is at the site on a regular basis, taking detail photographs, and ensuring the quality of the workmanship. On this day C T Brayton & Sons, Inc. was hoisting roof sections onto the structural steel frame of the large gym building.

We also met with the Inspector of Record and checked out sheet rock being installed in the 10 new classrooms. Lots going on as this legacy campus is completely transformed. With the Manteca Unified School District proudtobemusd.

This Tuesday Association for Learning Environments (California Chapters) is hosting the second of a two-part event on COVID-19 and the future of education. An impressive group of educational leaders will discuss challenges, lessons and inequities that COVID has revealed, and where we go from here. This will be an informative and valuable event.

PART TWO—May 4

SPEAKERS
John Miller, Teacher, King City Public Schools
Dr. Joanne Culverhouse, Superintendent, La Habra City SD
Michelle Barlow, Facilities Director, Claremont McKenna College
Dr. Gordon Amerson, Superintendent, Duarte Unified SD
Dr. Lee Heffernan, Literacy Teacher, MCCSC
Bruce Duncan, Director of Innovation, Burlingame SD
Jessica Morgan, Executive Director, Bullis Charter
Chris McNutt, Educator, Global Impact STEM Academy
Janet Kliegl, Educational Planner, CFW

More info and registration here:
https://www.a4le.org/A4LE/Regions/Southwest/Northern_California_Nevada/Southwest/Northern_California_Nevada/Northern_California_Nevada.aspx?hkey=590ff6d6-c65f-4006-a0c8-e99b1f902928

The Association for Learning Environments (California Chapters) is hosting an important two-part event on the topic of COVID-19 and the future of education. An impressive group of educational leaders will discuss challenges, lessons and inequities that COVID has revealed, and where we go from here. This will be an informative and valuable event.

PART ONE—April 20 | PART TWO—May 4

SPEAKERS
John Miller, Teacher, King City Public Schools
Dr. Joanne Culverhouse, Superintendent, La Habra City SD
Michelle Barlow, Facilities Director, Claremont McKenna College
Dr. Gordon Amerson, Superintendent, Duarte Unified SD
Dr. Lee Heffernan, Literacy Teacher, MCCSC
Bruce Duncan, Director of Innovation, Burlingame SD
Jessica Morgan, Executive Director, Bullis Charter
Chris McNutt, Educator, Global Impact STEM Academy
Janet Kliegl, Educational Planner, CFW

More info and registration here:
https://www.a4le.org/A4LE/Regions/Southwest/Northern_California_Nevada/Southwest/Northern_California_Nevada/Northern_California_Nevada.aspx?hkey=590ff6d6-c65f-4006-a0c8-e99b1f902928The