1020 Tenth Street

2003 AIASV AWARD

1020 Tenth Street
Modesto, CA

Recalling the 1920's style of buildings on narrow 25-foot wide downtown lots, the redevelopment firm, Civic Partners of Modesto, directed the architect to create "Three Buildings in One Design" for the 1020 Tenth Street Project. The project is the privately owned retail and office portion of the Tenth Street Plaza project located on the central Modesto blocks bounded by 9th to 11th Streets and J to K Streets. The thin site was the left over remnant after the Brendan Theaters, JPA Building and adjacent parking structure were designed by other firms. Anchored by the JPA Building which houses the City of Modesto and Stanislaus County offices, the pedestrian plaza is the main circulation from 1020 Tenth Street to the governmental offices, theaters, restaurants and to the parking garage.

The 1020 Tenth Street shell building completed the multiyear efforts of the Redevelopment Agency to transform the downtown core from aging empty hotel buildings into a vibrant urban setting. The results have been dramatic as the area is a focal point of activity throughout the day and night. The three story shell office building of 36,000 square feet was designed for retail and restaurants on the first floor. The second floor is occupied by Salomon Smith Barney, the third floor is occupied by Robert Half Company and a local attorney. The building is a three story steel braced framed structure with concrete floor decks and stucco exterior.

Del Rio Country Club

2003 AIASV AWARD

Del Rio Country Club
Modesto, CA

Del Rio Country Club was formed in 1946 and opened for play on the original nine holes. The course was a track formed from an Open-Range Turkey Ranch located on the Stanislaus River. The site was complete with valley oaks nestled on undulating, sandy soil. The ideal conditions enhanced play and the club grew in popularity with post-war businessmen. The original clubhouse was built in 1947 perched on a hill on higher ground on an adjacent site. The play was moved to a new 18 hole course designed by Billy Bell. The clubhouse underwent three major remodels and additions over the next forty years. In 1998 the governing board voted to build a new facility rather than renovate one more time. The Programming and Schematic Design was developed by a national golf course firm in conjunction with a Seattle based golf course designer. A local design/build team was formed with an Architect (Pacific Design Associates), a General Contractor (Acme Construction) and numerous subcontractors. The resulting facility was completed below initial estimates by over 1 million dollars.

The 29,000-square-foot facility houses the Pro Shop, Lockers, Administration & Offices, Bar, Banquet and Commercial Kitchen. The 21,000sf basement houses Cart & Bag Storage Areas, Dry Storage & Additional Cold Storage for the Kitchen, Maintenance Offices, and Utility System spaces. The new Facility will also replace the adjacent tennis building which houses Lounge Areas, Lockers, and Offices for the Tennis Professional. The design takes advantage of the natural sloping land to provide magnificent vistas of the three Nine Hole Courses and the Practice Green. Large covered terraces enhance the views and provide open-air dining for social events. The judicious use of copper roofing and clay colored stucco blends the structure into the surrounding landscaping. The new drive and canopied entry area provide the new visitor a full view of both the Oak and Bluff courses, a wonderful introduction to the most prestigious course in the Central Valley area.

Galletto Ristorante

2003 AIASV AWARD

Galletto Ristorante
Modesto, CA

August 25, 1936 saw the beginning of the construction of the American Trust Company Building. The original structure was a very solid poured in place concrete framed bank facility with an impressive open entry and a large central skylight. Utilized by successive banking entities, the building became a low canopied, energy efficient, functional, but blandly oppressive space. The grandeur of the gleaming bronze and glass entry was reduced in height and replaced with a standard aluminum storefront. A drop ceiling closed off the skylight, and reduced the soaring 24 foot high ceilings to scarcely 10 feet. The intricate art deco detailing on the columns and ceilings remained, but were hidden by the dropped ceiling with its garish fluorescent lighting. The existing 4,300sf bank consisted of three levels; the basement vault, the main floor with a second vault, and the mezzanine. Steep, narrow staircases provided the only access between floors. Parking was provided on site on two sides of the building.

The new owners saw past the mask of abusive modern renovations to envision a family-oriented, Tuscan style restaurant, passionate with life and excitement. Our primary goal was to transform the bank into a restaurant according to the vision of the owners. In addition, handicap access was needed throughout the entire facility. In accomplishing these goals, we also intended to reclaim the historical integrity and beauty of the original building. The design concept emphasized retaining as much of the original structure as possible, while eliminating all evidence of the previous attempts at modernization. The basement vault was to become a private dining room, the first floor vault and back office area would serve as the kitchen, and the main lobby was to become the dining room and bar.

The carefully chosen design and construction team, along with the owners, evaluated and discarded many layouts over a six-month period. During this time, the owners decided to enhance their family restaurant plan with additional features. The building was too small to bring to life the ever-expanding dream the owners were hoping to realize. A three-level addition was designed to provide a banquet area seating 80 patrons, a wine cellar with a 3,500 bottle capacity, full restroom facilities, an elevator for complete building accessibility and an expanded kitchen to meet the needs of a multi-use restaurant. The parking lot was abandoned in favor of a patio dining area and bocce ball court, along with a one-story free-standing structure housing a bar, server station, storage room and additional restrooms.

With the building's Historical Landmark designation, all additions and renovations were subject to the approval of the Historical Landmark Committee. Based on their direction, the exterior of the addition portion is very plain. The intent was to complement, rather than compete with or attempt to copy, the 1930's style of architecture. Careful reconstruction and duplication of main components and detailing on the existing building were made considerably easier with the discovery of some of the original construction documents in the city's archives. These documents allowed us to recreate the original dramatic black marble encased bronze entry and restore the exterior of the building to its former glory.

A key element of the original lobby was the skylight, which had been removed and roofed over years before. Restoration of the skylight was vital to recapturing the former ambiance in what was to become the main dining room. However, installing a new skylight was not feasible due to the amount of existing and new roof mounted equipment. Instead, a false skylight was fashioned in the same location, utilizing back-lighting and warm glazing colors to give the sense of sunlight streaming into the space.

Utilizing the bank vault as a kitchen required detailed planning, communication and cooperation from all parties involved. The 16-inch thick walls & ceiling needed openings cut to accommodate the kitchen equipment, light fixtures, exhaust fans, etc., as well as to allow proper traffic flow. Transforming the basement vault into a dining room presented similar challenges, with cut-outs required for three large windows to provide a view into the expansive wine cellar, a double door entry added to replace the narrow vault door, and a secondary exit door. The result of the teamwork of all those involved is a transformation that provides a seamless blending of old and new, both in function and decor.

The same can be said of the rest of the facility. The elevator seems right at home next to the old bank vault. The existing art deco style meshes beautifully with the new finishes and furnishings. The varying levels of the original structure are now equally accessible to all patrons with no obvious or intrusive elements. The finished restaurant seems as if it were always just as it is now: A family-oriented Tuscan style restaurant passionate with life and excitement.

J.S. West Corporate Headquarters

2003 AIASV AWARD

JS West Corporate Headquarters
Modesto, CA

This project is the corporate headquarters of JS West, a local agricultural related company. JS West is one of the nation's largest producers of eggs and related egg products. The company extends from the fresh egg supply business to cracked eggs for restaurant use to grain supply and distribution. They also have a regionally ranked natural gas distribution company. Housed in the old JS West furniture store on h & 9th streets in Modesto for 60 years, the company divested themselves of the furniture store and felt it was time for new offices. The 9,200sf structure is composed mainly of concrete block exterior walls to alleviate the noise from the adjacent railroad. The 'nouveau industrial' style reinterprets the 1900's style of the century old 9th street industrial area. The City of Modesto will use this project design as the basis for future redevelopment projects in the Ninth Street Corridor area. The colors are borrowed from the red clay and freshly plowed soil local to the farming areas that the west family has served for five generations. The curved facade is a 3-dimensional interpretation of the JS West corporate logo which is incorporated throughout the interior design motifs.

Piranha Foods

2005 AIASV AWARD

Piranha Foods
Turlock, CA

Piranha Foods developed a new warehouse and office complex with a local engineer as the architect of record.  The design of the office area was not sufficiently attractive to the owners who turned to us for design assistance.  The small flat roofed office area was attached to the massive concrete warehouse element without regard to the contrast in size and appearance.  The colonnade is reminiscent of Old San Francisco.