ATLAS Lab Inc.

MAKER is a six-story residential building above retail and a parking podium along the vibrant tree-lined district of 15th Street in Sacramento’s Midtown neighborhood. Enviably located just steps from the popular shops and social locales of the R Street Corridor. Atlas Lab designed a generous on-podium roof terrace that supports a mix of gathering areas for residences, including a central community gathering area for passive recreation, custom outdoor kitchen and dining areas, fire pit seating areas framed with custom seating, and drought-tolerant plantings.

Client/Photos: Architect:

CONFLUENCE: The Joining of Sacramento and its Riverfront

What will the .district look like in the future?

The Strategic Vision Plan year-long process incorporates a diverse group of private and public stakeholders to consider how to leverage the River District’s unique assets and balance short-term needs with long-term strategies. The plan represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to imagine a great waterfront city in Sacramento. To revitalize the capital city’s engagement with its Riverfront and forge new connections to the water.  Imagine how this is unique in Sacramento – joining the confluence of two rivers, enriching existing neighborhoods, safely connecting and cooling residents, and helping the city grow sustainably. 

Views represent distinct areas around the River District: American River, Growers District, and City Incinerator.

CONFLUENCE: The Joining of Sacramento and its Riverfront

The River District Strategic Vision Plan focuses on riverfront development opportunities that have a unique, intimate, and active relationship with the Sacramento and American Rivers. Instead of bands of parallel riverfront setbacks, the vision emphasizes sectional and perpendicular relationships with the river, directing desirable views, programming, active transportation, cool breezes, and native planting from the river into the heart of the district.

Client: .district
Project Team:

CONFLUENCE: The Joining of Sacramento and its Riverfront

Atlas Lab recently completed a comprehensive Strategic Vision Plan for Sacramento’s River District. This planning effort marks six years since Atlas Lab’s first involvement with Sacramento’s riverfront, which started with Old Sacramento Waterfront’s “Front Porch” concept and now incorporates a vision to activate and connect over 3 miles of riverfront and 830 acres of Sacramento’s long-forgotten and underutilized riverfront.

The Vision Plan is a key pivot point in the transition of the 2011 City Specific Plan into the upcoming updated Specific Plan. The vision focuses on developing a unique visual identity and public realm character that aligns with state, regional, and city-wide goals. The key is the prioritization of historic corridors, including rail corridors and an old river channel, to connect the Downtown Core to the riverfront. Transforming these corridors into a city-wide network of greenways, repositioning warehouse and light industrial uses into a diverse, art-focused, and mixed-use district.

Client: River District
Project Team: Cooper Robertson

Thrilled to finally begin the woodworking process at Millwood Furnishings and Reclamation in Placerville, CA in partnership with and These “Fragment” Benches use reclaimed wood from on site at Aggie Square, using a series of historic California State Fair Pinus halepensis trees that have been air drying for 2 years.

About: Aggie Square is a planned innovation district located on the UC Davis Sacramento campus. The project will house business partners and community-based programs with UC Davis innovation and research to create a stronger and healthier shared community. The project is led by Wexford Science & Technology and GMH Capital Partners, City of Sacramento, UC Davis and ZGF Architects.

Mark your calendars for June 6th!

Kimberly Garza will present “Cool Conscious Cities: Promoting Cool Equity for All”

Across the country, ever-increasing heatwaves, for longer durations, are becoming the norm. Studies show that people of color and those living in poverty experience hotter temperatures in 97% of U.S. cities compared to white people and the wealthy.

The Cool Conscious Cities campaign highlights the pressing need for heat mitigation solutions in disadvantaged communities and provides research, tools, and solutions for city leaders, policymakers, planners, and allied design professionals to design and promote cool cities for all.

The LAF Symposium is the culmination of the year-long LAF Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership, a unique program and $25,000 award that supports mid-career, senior-level, and emerging professionals as they develop and test new ideas that will drive the future of the landscape architecture discipline.

The symposium is approved for 2.0 Professional Development Hours (PDH) through the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES) and meets the health, safety, and welfare requirements (HSW).

Presentations are followed by a cocktail reception where guests can mingle and meet the fellows.

Link in bio.

had the pleasure of keynoting 2024 and meeting students from across the country. We shared our mission to design conscious spaces and latest research, Specials thanks to for putting on a fantastic conference.

🛫 SMForward ✈️
Atlas Lab is thrilled to kick off work at the Sacramento International Airport with two projects as part of the SMForward initiative. This is the first of many visits for the Pedestrian Walkway, where we are focused on converting irrigated turf and revitalizing the Terminal B “great meadow” planting to be more resilient, biodiverse, and authentically legible for people visiting the Central Valley.

SMForward seeks to increase access and capacity with the launch of six ambitious projects in 2024, including a pedestrian walkway and ground transportation center.

Capitol Destination District 🏙️🌿🌳

This week, had the pleasure serving on the technical expert panel for the Technical Advisory Panel focused on re-imagining Downtown Sacramento into a Capitol Destination District. With state workers now working from home, it begs a call to action on how we can craft a new urban landscape that responds to future needs. The panel interviewed local experts ranging from arts + culture, housing + commercial development and economic vitality. Our panel developed a vision to showcase California’s culture, education, industry, and innovation focused on supporting local arts institutions and expanding open space. Final report will be presented at the State of Downtown later this month.

Principal, Kimberly Garza, will be keynoting on Friday, March 29th. Get early bird registration today!

We are feeling re-energized and focused! Principal, Kimberly Garza, just concluded her second residency for the Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership. It has been a privilege to receive guidance from fellowship mentors Laura Solano and Cindy Sanders along with subject matter experts and advisors. We can’t wait to share the extensive research, resources and tools we have been developing to promote cool equity for all - final presentation will be held in June. Follow for project updates.

10th Street is humming! The block has come alive, welcoming Sacramentans to enjoy their lunch outside surrounded by art and native plants. The 10th Street renovation project transforms an urban block in Downtown Sacramento, reclaiming car-dominated space for people, creating new seating for the existing restaurants, and expanding the street’s ecological capacity. New California-native plantings refresh the once-underutilized parkway. Custom lunch counters respond to the vibrant block mural with lacy, laser-cut depictions of native plants, hand drawn by

Working with Anthem and HRGA, developed the landscape architecture for two roof amenity areas and streetscape for Envoy mixed-use located in the heart of downtown Sacramento. Amenity features include an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, custom seating areas, play area, and gardens for residents, with views of Downtown and the State Capitol. The project received “Best Real Estate Project – Mixed Use” by the Sacramento Business Journal in 2023.

Extreme heat can acutely impact large populations, quickly creating a public health emergency as heat exhaustion and stroke send record numbers to the emergency room. The longer a heat wave drags on, the more the cumulative stress can affect our bodies, cities, and the critical infrastructure we rely on to stay cool and hydrated.

Photography by Carlos Barria (Reuters)



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Led by landscape architects, Cool Conscious Cities provides research, tools, and solutions for city leaders, policymakers, planners, and allied design professionals to design and promote cool cities for all.




Across the country, ever-increasing heatwaves, for longer durations, are becoming the norm. As a result, ecological disparities are becoming apparent within disadvantaged communities.

A 2021 study found that people of color and those living in poverty experience hotter temperatures in 97% of U.S. cities compared to white people and the wealthy (Hsu et al., 2021).

Lack of resources, limited incomes, physical and mental health concerns, coupled with high asphalt to planting ratios have threatened the livelihoods of people of color and low-income communities.

Research supported and funded by Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership and Grant.

Hsu, Angel, Glenn Sheriff, Tirthankar Chakraborty, and Diego Manya. “Disproportionate Exposure to Urban Heat Island Intensity across Major US Cities.” Nature Communications 12, no. 1 (May 25, 2021): 2721. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22799-5.

The Lab is our research and innovation arm of Atlas Lab. It's a mindset to proactively engage, experiment, and prototype design strategies for ecological and community resilience. This mindset does not wait for opportunities. We develop, research, and create projects that engage on diverse sites, through diverse means and with diverse partners, agencies and organizations.

GRAND GRANARIES
 
We are thrilled to share latest public art proposal, “Grand Granaries,” for the Del Rio Trail project!
 
About the Art:
Drawing from nature, the project concept is inspired by nature-based “granaries” and the concept around “gathering and dispersal.” What is a nature-based granary? Granaries are typically storage vessels for food; they can be as simple as an abandoned tree truck that a bird or squirrel uses to cache seeds and nuts or man-made wood structures comprised of wood logs and branches to store food or materials. Gathering and dispersal while working harmoniously with nature sets a path of interest for the Del Rio Trail project. For this proposal, we are interested in exploring how ‘wayfinding’ can serve for moments to unify the Del Rio Trail, an incredibly diverse landscape transect of linear into an artful experience that connects to the surrounding landscape. The vision is to create a series of vertical and prominent “granaries” inspired by nature through careful ecological study.

The public art will be completed by Summer 2024.
 
About the Del Rio Trail Project:
The Del Rio Trail is along a five‐mile abandoned railway corridor in the City of Sacramento. To address equity for all residents of Sacramento and to support public space conditions where everyone can be healthy, the Del Rio Trail combines the creation of a trail‐park infrastructure with community-engaged public art along this vital pedestrian corridor. Atlas Lab is one of five juried-select wayfinding artists. The Clean California Act funds this project.
 

The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the design for the “Mariposa Gateways” project! The project proudly states, “Homelands of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation”. The project provides highly visible public acknowledgment of the in the County. Tribal Council Chairperson, Sandra Chapman shared with the Board, “This project shows that we are recognized by our County.” “I want to see this project for my kids, for them to be proud of who they are.”

has led the design and consultant team in the creation of County entry and artistic monumentation as part of the Clean California grants program--focused on cleaning and beautifying public spaces in underserved communities.

Special thanks to Cara Goger, Clay River and for their leadership on this project.

Super stoked to welcome newest team member, David Chacara!

David is a landscape architect at Atlas Lab. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from UC Davis with honors. As a licensed landscape architect, David has experience in residential, educational, commercial, retail, and office work. David brings a strong sense of design, graphic communication, and attention to detail to his work. Inspired by the seamless integration of the built and natural environment, David is committed to developing equitable spaces within communities for an adaptable, more resilient, future.

Join us in giving a warm welcome to David!

kicks off the River District Strategic Plan at the 2023 State of River District event! Led by ATLAS, the strategic plan will establish a physical vision for the district and identify the key corridors, sub-area neighborhoods and catalytic sites that can advance the draft goals and objectives. It will be foundational to identify potential priority areas and strategic moves that may catalyze interest, investment, and connections in the district. We are joined by project collaborators We are thrilled to be working on this vision and strengthening Sacramento’s connection to the river. Check out shots from our walking tour and State of the River District event.

latest visual research on tree canopy inequity featured in the latest issue of

Thanks to all who shared their feedback on the CalTrans Clean California - Mariposa Gateways and Mural project! Over the last month, our amazing community engagement team traveled around town collecting feedback on gateway art concepts! Findings coming soon...

⚡️ NEW PUBLIC ART PROJECT ⚡️

ATLAS Lab Inc. are the selected public artists for the Del Rio Trail project!

Located in Sacramento, The Del Rio Trail is a five‐mile abandoned railway corridor that will be transformed into a new and vibrant trail experience for the community. Out of 111 submissions, ATLAS Lab Inc. is 1 of 5 wayfinding public artists selected to activate the trail. The project also includes 20 temporary works and two gathering spaces.

The public art project is supported by the Clean California Initiative Project expected completion date, summer 2024. Stay tuned for concept proposal.

Thrilled to share ATLAS Lab Inc. Principal, Kimberly Garza has been selected for the Landscape Architecture Foundation Innovation and Leadership Fellowship!

Her research proposal, ‘Islands of Heat’ aims to elucidate inequities in tree canopy coverage within disadvantaged communities through an intimate lens, utilizing visual storytelling as a mechanism to shed light on ecological and social disparities to enact heat resilience.

Six Selected for 2023-24 LAF Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership One senior-level professional, three mid-career, and two recent LAF Olmsted Scholars will form the seventh cohort of LAF Fellows. The mid-career and senior-level LAF Fellows each receive a $25,000 award and will dedicate 12 weeks of time over the course of the coming year to a proposed project. Part...

is honored to Chair the 2023 Professional Design Awards - General Design, Residential and Urban Design categories!

Have a complete and inspiring project? Consider applying: Register no later than 11:59 pm PST on Friday, February 24, 2023. Submissions are due no later than 11:59 PST on Friday, March 17, 2023.

https://www.asla.org/NewsReleaseDetails.aspx?id=62300

ATLAS Lab Inc. is leading the design and development effort for a series of new gateway features for as part of the CalTrans Clean California Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to clean and beautify public spaces in underserved communities.

Starting this week, residents and stakeholders in Mariposa are invited to provide feedback on design concepts for gateway features at the northern and southern ends of town, as well as two new murals. The designs explore the connection between people and place, showcasing native plants and animals and the lifeways of the Southern Sierra Miwuk.

Share your feedback: https://mariposaarts.typeform.com/CleanCA

The gateways and murals align with Mariposa County’s Creative Placemaking Strategy (led by Atlas Lab in 2020). The CalTran’s Clean California Initiative "Mariposa Gateways"project is in partnership with the Mariposa County Arts Council, Mariposa County Planning Department, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, and Inkwell.

Concepts developed in collaboration with
Murals by
Engagement led by
Project developed in partnership with the Mariposa County Planning Department with funding from the Caltrans Clean California Initiative

Join at 2022 Conference on Landscape Architecture, November 11-14 in San Francisco. Atlas Lab Principals, Erik Prince and Kimberly Garza will be participating in three education sessions. We hope to see you there!

receives 2022 ASLA Merit Award in General Design for our environmental installation, California Cathedral!

Associate, Brenna Castro Carlson, will be discussing climate change, urban habitat connectivity, and the future of California's iconic Valley Oak at the 8th California Oak Symposium, hosted by UC Ag & Natural Resources] Brenna's research proposes an approach to urban habitat connectivity modeling that may be used in land use planning, protecting regional biodiversity in the face of climate change.

Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2022, San Luis Obispo, California. Registration is open via UC Ag & Natural Resources]

Celebrating the grand opening of the Mansion Inn Mixed Use Apartments! Atlas developed two distinct courtyards that echo the mid century character of the former Mansion Inn and blends the interior and exterior spaces.