QKArchiblog >

Technical Consultant to Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

September 1st, 2010 by Amy

Led by Hallam-ICS, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects is a member of a multi-disciplinary team chosen by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to provide technical support to their Commercial Building Partnerships program. Quattrocchi Kwok Architects will serve as the west coast architectural technical consultant to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Building Partnerships initiative engages commercial businesses interested in constructing new buildings or retrofitting existing buildings that are significantly more energy efficient than the current building stock. The Hallam-ICS team will work with multiple new and existing building construction projects to create, test, and validate design features that will support the Commercial Building Initiative.

Ross School Grand Opening

August 26th, 2010 by Amy

A wonderful grand opening of phase one of Ross School occurred on August 23rd. District Construction Manager Jim Walton and QKA Construction Manager Tenaya Dale (with adorable son Tyler) were on hand for last minute clean-up before the dedication ceremony. Former Superintendent Tammy Murphy returned from her new job in Southern California for the opening (see picture of Jim, Tenaya, Mark Quattrocchi and Tammy). Ribbon cutting was done by an incoming kindergartener and first grader with help from a Ross resident who graduated from Ross School in 1939! Truly a collaborative community event. Kudos to all involved.

Arch Daily Interviews Aaron Jobson

August 10th, 2010 by Amy

Check out this interivew featuring Aaron Jobson.

Third Time’s a Charm – Voted Best Place to Work 3 Years in a Row!

August 9th, 2010 by Amy
North Bay Business Journal Selects QKA as Best Place to Work!

North Bay Business Journal Selects QKA as Best Place to Work!

Ross School Nearing Completion

July 21st, 2010 by Amy

American Canyon High School Dedication

June 21st, 2010 by Amy

June, 2010
Over 1,000 people were in attendance! It was very moving to hear the speeches but best of all were the comments and awestruck looks from parents and students as they walked around the campus. Can’t wait to post final photography to our website in September and give everyone a closer look at this amazing campus.

First Verified Collaborative for High Performance (CHPS) School in California

June 17th, 2010 by Amy

American Canyon High School, First CHPS Verified School in California
Our Latest News—American Canyon High School is the first school in California verified by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)—the United States’ first green building rating program especially designed for K-12 schools. A dedication ceremony will be held June 18th with doors opening to students in August. Developed to serve the growing community of American Canyon, Napa Valley Unified School District’s state of the art high school campus is planned to accommodate over 2,000 students. Designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, this highly sustainable campus features extensive daylighting, a geothermal system to minimize heating and cooling energy, recycled materials and a one megawatt photovoltaic power system which when complete will generate over 80% of the campus’ electricity. ACHS will be formally recognized as CHPS Verified later this summer when construction is completed.

“For years, Napa Valley Unified School District has been active in establishing programs and obtaining equipment to save energy and lessen the carbon footprint of its operations. The construction of American Canyon High School brings the latest technologies and green operating features together, at one site. [By] incorporating green efforts into the learning environment of a high school rich with technological amenities from which students will participate and witness our changing world, is a very positive educational experience.” – Don Evans, Napa Valley Unified School District.

“Upon setting foot on the American Canyon High School campus, students and staff will immediately know their community’s commitment to them and to their school. ACHS has been designed to be a learning environment that is healthy and productive, as well as resource-efficient and community-oriented. It is truly a model high performance school. Napa Valley Unified showed an early commitment to ‘green’ by being the first to go through the CHPS Verified design review in California. We will be lucky to count such an impressive project among the list of CHPS Verified schools.” – Bill Orr, Executive Director, Collaborative for High Performance Schools.

High Performance Schools – Free CHPS Training in SF with Aaron Jobson

May 21st, 2010 by Amy

Wednesday, May 26 / 9 AM to 4 PM
Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco
Funding for this free training is generously provided by Pacific Gas and Electric

High Performance Schools: A CHPS Update (9 AM to noon)
Discover the benefits of safe, healthy, energy-efficient facilities that provide the amenities for a quality education. Participants will learn about the updated 2009 edition of the CA-CHPS Criteria, the CHPS implementation roadmap, and new resources available through the CHPS program. In particular, participants will learn how to apply CA-CHPS to major modernizations with plenty of examples of what can be done from real school projects. Aaron Jobson of Quattrochi Kwok Architects will also provide a case study of American Canyon High School, one of the first schools approved under the CHPS Verified program. In addition, funding opportunities including Prop 1D, Savings By Design, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be discussed.

Rave Review of Ross School

May 6th, 2010 by Amy

Ross School, QKA

An article in the Marin Independent Journal this week featured Ross School District Superintendent Tammy Murphy. Ms. Murphy had the following comment regarding our work at Ross School:

“We are building one of the most magnificent schools I’ve ever walked into in my life, and I think it’s going to be great for the community,” she said.

Ms. Murphy is relocating to Santa Barbara and she will be greatly missed by all of us who’ve had the pleasure of working with her.

Marin IJ By Brent Ainsworth
Posted: 05/03/2010 04:57:23 PM PDT

Brentwood Senior Activity Center Named 2010 Outstanding Facility!

April 26th, 2010 by Amy

Brentwood Senior Center

The Brentwood Senior Activity Center is the recipient of a 2010 “Outstanding Facility” showcase award through the California Parks & Recreation Society District III. District III awarded this honor to two outstanding park facilities that best exemplify the spirit of “Creating Community through People, Parks and Programs”. Applications were judged on collaboration, contribution of resources, and commitment to the continued vitality of parks, recreation and community services.

Congrats to our friends at the City of Brentwood!