Portfolio: Project Details
PG&E Richmond Service Center
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Richmond, CA
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Interactive Resources provided comprehensive programming, site planning, and
architectural and engineering design services for a 12-acre, 51,000-square-foot
service center which includes office, training, warehouse, maintenance, shops,
repair, and industrial facilities. Programming, space planning and design for
this facility involved interviews with staff at the site to determine staffing
projections, adjacencies and space needs and requirements for individual
departments and job categories. In addition, meetings were held with
representatives from the PG&E Design Department to identify corporate
design standards, etc. Following the completion of the programming phase, the
firm prepared complete construction documents and provided construction
administration for the facility.
The 23,000 square foot Operations Building includes office space, and a large
assembly area for training and community events. The assembly area was designed
with folding dividers which enable it to be used for four simultaneous training
programs for small groups or for one or two large groups. In addition, the
Operations Building contains a cafeteria and commercial kitchen, and locker
rooms.
The linear buildings' simple materials, such as stucco walls and metal roofs,
are consistent with those already evident in the site's industrial and
residential context. Dramatic geometric forms highlight site and building
entrances and harmoniously integrate project elements. The exterior motif,
characterized by curvilinear forms penetrating solid elements, is echoed in an
interior punctuated by coffered skylights. The abundance of interior natural
light heightens the sense of openness for the occupants.
Special consideration was given to include a landscaped "buffer zone" to provide
a transition between the industrial area and a nearby residential community,
and to the development of a master plan that accommodated archaeologically
sensitive resources on-site. Services also included comprehensive space
planning and interior design. Design services included buildings, streets,
sewers, storm drains, and vehicle fleet accommodations with production support
warehouses for the entire center, including maintenance, supply, office,
training, and warehouse areas. Space needs, staffing projections, adjacencies,
and workflow were assessed.
