Ideas:
Our thoughts, publications, white papers, research and current events.
Dumbarton Quarry Regional Recreation Area to Open in 2019, Featuring New Maintenance Facility Designed by Interactive Resources
Dumbarton Quarry Regional Recreation Area CC BY ND
Interactive Resources was recently awarded a contract to provide architectural design and engineering services for the East Bay Regional Park District’s (EBRPD) maintenance facility at the planned Dumbarton Quarry Regional Recreation Area, to open in Fremont, CA in 2019. The project consists of the design for a new building and related site improvements for the proposed maintenance facility at 9600 Quarry Road. Read More
Holiday Giving
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Annual gift giving to those in need has been a company holiday tradition for many years. For the second year in recent history, we have worked with schools impacted by Northern California wildfires. This year, we donated art supplies to the Anova Center for Education in Santa Rosa, which was completely demolished by the Tubbs Fire. The Anova Center is a non-profit provider of services for children living with autism and learning differences. Its 125 students, ranging from ages 5 to 22, are being served in three temporary locations for the next few months. Read More
Alten Construction Office Remodel
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Alten Construction recently moved into its newly renovated headquarters within the Kaiser Shipyards Historic District of Richmond's Marina Bay neighborhood. Interactive Resources was the architect and structural engineer of record for the project, overseeing design, permitting, and construction support for the full restoration of this historic early industrial-modern factory. We worked with Alten Construction as part of the design-build team. Read More
Play Ball! at Fitzgerald Field
Our firm has the pleasure of working on a wide range of project types: schools, pharmaceutical, industrial, judge’s chambers, forensic work, historic preservation, major solar engineering, commercial, and large mixed-use. So it wasn’t out of our ballpark to be awarded the project of reworking Fitzgerald Field stadium in Benicia, California. Read More
Delta Diablo Plant Operations & Treatment Plant Roof Replacement, Antioch, California
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Interactive Resources is very happy to announce a recent award from the Delta Diablo (Delta Diablo Sanitation District) for the Plant Operations Center and Treatment Plant roof replacement. Edward Anisman, is the project manager at Interactive Resources who will be leading this roof replacement effort. Read More
Applied Technology Services Facility, Common Area & Calibration Lab Remodel, Danville, California
Common Area Lobby CC BY-ND
Interactive Resources recently completed several projects for a local utility company with facilities throughout Northern and Central California. The Applied Technology Services Facility in Danville is managed by the Applied Technology Services (ATS) group. You can recognize the building by its huge geodesic dome. ATS provides the utility with a myriad of specialized services, from evaluating the safety of protective clothing to inspecting gas pipelines with X-rays to discover invisible flaws. Read More
DGS, FMD Bay & Northern Area Architectural Retainer Services
We are happy to announce that State of California, Department of General Services (DGS), Facilities Management Division (FMD) selected Interactive Resources to provide architectural and engineering services for the Bay and Northern California regions. The FMD is comprised of the former Building and Property Management Branch and the Direct Construction Unit. FMD is tasked with ensuring the ongoing maintenance and management of several state-owned buildings. Read More
Coping with Building Disasters & Failures
Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake October 17, 1989. CC-ND
In this article, Thomas K. Butt, FAIA, offers constructive suggestions for building owners who want to be prepared for the unexpected, and proven techniques for reducing the recovery time following natural disaster or building failure. These helpful tips on preparing maintenance manuals and disaster reaction plans can also reduce operating costs and provide building owners with more efficient management throughout the life of the building. Providing such resources in the care of buildings could save substantial sums in ongoing maintenance costs and could make the difference between financial ruin and successful recovery when disaster strikes.
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Codes & Standards for Barriers & Flashings
Tom Butt overseeing Initial mockup for urethane injection grout waterproofing at BART's Powell Street Station. CC-ND
Both technology and available materials and products continue to proliferate, with new offerings in liquid-applied barriers and flashings, air barriers with water-resistive functionality and drainable interstices. Architects, contractors, builders and developers are faced with a dizzying number of choices. This presentation and related paper review applicable AAMA, ICC and ASTM standards and identify both gaps and works in progress. Read More
Window and Door Design and Installation Guide
Nystrom Elementary School CC-ND
This post explores basic information on the design, specifying and installing doors and windows. Techniques for installation of “punched” windows and doors have been evolving continually over the last two decades. For many years, the accepted standard involved four strips of flexible flashing integrated with a nailing fin and the water resistive barrier (WRB) at the window perimeter. This concept was easy to understand and implement because the window fins, the flashings and the WRB were typically all in the same plane. It is amazing, however, that so many designers and builders were still able to get it wrong. Read More