ABOUT

For more than 40 years Group 4 has honed our ability to collaboratively develop community architecture with project owners, users, and stakeholders. Our participatory process and integrated approach create award winning projects that celebrate the values and aspirations of those they serve.

We evaluate each design against four overall considerations:

Environment

Minimized footprint and maximized performance – balance for impact.

Economy

Finite resources align short- and long-term goals toward latent strengths.

Community

Support of many fosters cohesive, owned, and responsive places.

Culture

Our identity develops those rare spaces that embrace their users.

Our distinctive approach grows from deeply rooted beliefs:

  • Innovative and memorable design solutions should enrich individuals and amplify a community’s collective spirit.
  • We believe in the power of community decision making and stewardship of public places and spaces. An interactive user-based planning process can build community empowerment alongside the project’s design development.
  • Design solutions should foster a positive and conscious relationship between the built environment and the natural environment.
  • Open, collaborative design environments cultivate dedicated, responsible personnel at every experience level.
  • We cherish balance between our professional and personal lives.
  • Architecture builds relationships – between people and place; within a community; from past to future; between designer and client. We build relationships for the long term, and as a result enjoy repeat business from those who have experienced the benefits of our approach firsthand.

The Team

Our staff includes architects, planners, interior designers, and technical and construction support specialists. Our principals and associates have spent years, if not decades, working together on public architecture.

Group 4 has received many honors, including awards and invitations to speak before a variety of organizations.

 

Olathe Indian Creek Library

  • American Architecture Award – Chicago Athenaeum
  • Honor Award – AIA San Mateo County
  • Honor Award – AIA Central States
  • Citation Award – AIA Kansas City
  • Capstone Award – Kansas City Business Journal

Yorba Linda Library + Cultural Arts Center

  • BEST Project of the Year Award – American Public Works Association (APWA) Southern California
  • Award of Merit – Engineering News-Record (ENR)
  • Award for Outstanding Community Improvement Project – American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Orange County
  • Excellence in Design – Facility Design Award – California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS)

The Hive, Spokane

  • Social Responsibility Commendation Design Award – AIA San Francisco (award shared with Integrus Architecture)
  • Library Interior Design Award – ALA/IIDA (award shared with Integrus Architecture)
  • Design Citation Award – AIA Spokane (award shared with Integrus Architecture)

CENTER AT DISTRICT56, ELK GROVE

  • Project of the Year – APWA Sacramento

College of Marin Integrated Learning Resources Center, Kentfield

  • Award of Honor – Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC)

Chabot College Library + Learning Connection, Hayward

  • Award of Excellence – Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC)

Environmental Innovation Center, San Jose

  • Merit Award for Design – American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Northern California Chapter
  • Site Design Award – Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program
  • LEED-NC Platinum

Mitchell Park Library and Community Center, Palo Alto

  • Community Improvement Project of the Year 2015 – American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Francisco
  • Award of Excellence – California Parks & Recreation Society (CPRS)
  • LEED-NC Platinum
  • New Landmark Library – Library Journal
  • Pinnacle Award of Merit: Commercial Exterior – Marble Institute of America (MIA)
  • Site Design Award – SCVURPPP
  • Finalist, Public/Civic Project Structures Award – Silicon Valley Business Journal
  • Second Place, New Institutional Buildings, Educational Facilities – ASHRAE Golden Gate Chapter

Dayton Main Library

  • Focus on Design Honor Award – AIA Dayton (award shared with LWC Inc)
  • New Landmark Libraries Honorable Mention – Library Journal
  • LEED Gold

Dayton Northwest Library

  • Honor Award – AIA Dayton (award shared with Ruetschle Architects)
  • LEED Gold

81st Avenue Library, Oakland

  • Citation Award – AIA San Mateo County
  • Outstanding Project – American School & University Magazine
  • LEED-NC Gold

BLVD Recreation Center, Dublin

  • People’s Choice Award – AIA San Mateo County

San Pablo Library

  • Northern California Award – American Public Works Association
  • LEED-NC Silver

San Lorenzo Library

  • Citation Award – AIA San Mateo County
  • Citation Award – AIA East Bay
  • LEED-NC Silver

Milpitas Public Library

  • Merit Award – AIA East Bay

Roosevelt Community Center, San Jose

  • Project of the Year, Structures Category – APWA
  • Award of Excellence for Facility Design – CPRS
  • Excellence in Design Award – ed+c
  • LEED-NC Gold
  • Storm Water Pollution Prevention Award – SJPW
  • Site Design Award – SCVURPPP
  • Green Project of the Year – Silicon Valley Business Times
  • Top Storm Water Project – Storm Water Solutions

Pickleweed Park Community Center, San Rafael

  • Citation Award – AIA San Mateo County
  • Award of Merit – IESNA Northern California
  • Helen Putnam Award for Excellence – League of California Cities
  • California State Library grant funded

West Sacramento Community Center

  • Award of Excellence – CPRS
  • Project of the Year – APWA Sacramento
  • ed+c Excellence in Design Award – Honorable Mention
  • LEED-NC Gold

San Leandro Senior Community Center

  • Facility Design Award-Class I – National Recreation and Park Association
  • Bay-Friendly Landscape – StopWaste.org
  • LEED-NC Gold

Washington Manor Branch Library, San Leandro

  • Honor Award – AIA San Mateo County

Scotts Valley Library

  • Award of Merit – IESNA National

Walnut Creek Library

  • CODAaward – Institutional Category
  • LEED-NC Gold

Rinconada Library, Palo Alto

  • Merit Award – AIA San Francisco
  • Honor Award – AIA San Mateo County
  • Project of the Year – APWA Silicon Valley
  • First Place, Existing Institutional Buildings, Educational Facilities – ASHRAE Golden Gate Chapter
  • Preservation Award Winner, Contextual Infill – California Preservation Foundation
  • Institutional Restoration & Remodel Award – Palo Alto Stanford Heritage

Central Park Library, Santa Clara

  • Award of Merit – APWA South Bay
  • Technology Award – ASHRAE Golden Gate Chapter
  • Technology Award – ASHRAE Region X

Concord Senior and Community Center

  • Distinguished Project Award – APWA
  • National
    Achievement Award – CPRS
  • Illumination Award – IESNA Golden Gate Chapter

Ingleside Library, San Francisco

  • Kirby Ward Fitzpatrick Prize for the best new building in SF by Architectural Foundation San Francisco
  • Educational Interiors Showcase Special Citation by American School & University Magazine
  • Citation Award – AIA San Mateo County
  • First Prize and Commission for a New Branch Library
  • Italy Design Competition – Honorable Mention

211 Linden Avenue, South San Francisco

  • Merit Award – AIA San Mateo County