2010 News Archive

2011 NEWS ARCHIVE

7 DECEMBER 2011
Group 4 designer wins international design competition
Group 4 intern designer Daniel LaRossa has received the top prize in the School 4 Burma Design Competition, along with his co-designer Amadeo Bennetta, besting more than 800 entrants from all over the world. Their design for a modular school for migrant and refugee children in Mae Sot combines prefabricated modules and locally-crafted, rapidly-renewable materials into buildings that can be assembled quickly with community-based labor. The non-profit Building Trust International will lead the development of the design into planning and fabrication. Click here for more information. Congratulations Daniel and Amadeo!

9 NOVEMBER 2011
Group 4 leading sessions at CLA 2011
Group 4 will be leading two sessions at the 2011 conference of the California Library Association in Pasadena:

A Hyper Local, New Media, Oral History, Public Art, Library Mash up! - Saturday 11/12 - 10:15 a.m Group 4 principal David Schnee AIA AICP LEED will be joined by Gerald Garzon, Associate Director of the Oakland Public Library, and internationally exhibiting artist/designer Rene Yung. This program will present an overview of trends and a case study of the new 81st Avenue Branch Library in East Oakland: a the state-of-the-art community-focused public library that also serves two co-located schools, and as a technology hub for community content creation developed through an innovative civic engagement public art project. “Our Oakland: Eastside Stories,” the public art project at the 81st Avenue Branch, integrates architecture, civic engagement, artistic enrichment, and library technology, along with the use of social media and strategic community-building. This project broadens the library’s traditional role as a place for obtaining content, to become an engaging community destination for creating content about local assets, while bridging the digital divide in the economically challenged neighborhood.
The Power of Partnerships - Saturday 11/12 - 10:15 a.m. Group 4 principal Dawn Merkes AIA LEED will be joined by: Oakland Public Library's Director Carmen Martinez and Grants & Development Manager Winifred Walters; Walnut Creek Library Foundation Director Kristin Anderson; and Walnut Creek Library Branch Manager Cindy Brittain. This session will provide practical information, techniques, and strategies for creating and maintaining partnerships for libraries: from facility design and funding for capital projects to development and funding of on-going operations and programming. Panelists and participants will explore why partnerships are created, and how they can be used to leverage resources.

We look forward to seeing you there!

6 JULY 2011
Walnut Creek Library certified LEED Gold
The U.S. Green Building Institute has certified the new Walnut Creek Library at the LEED Gold level. This is Group 4's third project to receive LEED Gold certification in 2011, the others being the West Sacramento Community Center and the San Leandro Senior Community Center. Congratulations to all of these communities on their sustainable new facilities.

14 JUNE 2011
Scotts Valley Library Grand Opening June 18
The new Scotts Valley Library will re-open on Saturday, June 18. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., the grand opening celebration will include food, music, arts and crafts, stories, and other activities. For more information, visit the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library, the City of Scotts Valley, and Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

13 MAY 2011
West Sacramento Community Center certified LEED Gold
The new West Sacramento Community Center has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Institute. The project was recently recognized by Environmental Design + Construction magazine with an Honorable Mention in its 2011 Excellence in Design Award program.

4 MAY 2011
Group 4 projects recognized in ed+c's 2011 Excellence in Design Award program
Environmental Design + Construction magazine has recognized two of Group 4's projects in its 2011 Excellence in Design Award program, which honors projects that demonstrate a clear commitment to green building and sustainable design. The new Wanut Creek Library was one of five Finalists in the Institutional category, while the West Sacramento Community Center received an Honorable Mention in the same category. Group 4's Roosevelt Community Center in San Jose was the winner of the Government category in 2010. To learn more about the Excellence in Design Award program, click here.

31 MARCH 2011
San Leandro Senior Center landscape rated Bay-Friendly
The new San Leandro Senior Center has been rated as a Bay-Friendly Landscape by StopWaste.org, a cooperative program of Alameda County environmental protection agencies. The center was recognized for achieving 91 points across eight categories of Bay-Friendly Landscape Principles, with particularly high performance in water conservation, air and water quality protection, waste reduction, use of local materials, and design innovation. To learn more about the Bay-Friendly Landscape program, click here.

16 MARCH 2011
San Leandro Senior Center certified LEED Gold
The new San Leandro Senior Center has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Institute. The center's grand opening is scheduled for April 2. More information about the grand opening is available on the City of San Leandro's website.

11 MARCH 2011
"The Power of Partnerships" at CPRS
Together with Randy Goodwin and Andre Pichly of the City of West Sacramento, Group 4's Dawn Merkes and Andrea Will led a workshop on "The Power of Partnerships" at this year's CPRS conference in Sacramento. More than 100 participants learned how to enhance their facilities and services through effective partnerships, such as the multi-agency cooperation that led to the successful new West Sacramento Community Center.

8 MARCH 2011
Group 4-led Red Team creates new vision for Menlo Park neighborhood at AIASMC charrette
Group 4 led one of four design teams at a day-long charrette to develop a new vision for development in Menlo Park's Belle Haven community. Sponsored by the San Mateo County chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the charrette brought a wide range of architectural, landscape, and urban design professionals and students together with community members and representatives of Facebook, which will move into the former Sun headquarters building. The Red Team's concepts have been receiving attention from design and news media as well as the community. Media reports about the charrette can be found on the In the Press page.

31 JANUARY 2011
Grand opening of new Oakland 81st Avenue Library a success
Thousands of community members and leaders attended the grand opening of the new 81st Avenue Library in east Oakland on January 29, 2011. Speakers at the ceremony included Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, City Council President Larry Reid, and Representative Barbara Lee. Media reports and blogs about the opening of the new library can be found on the In the Press page.

See the links at left for news archives.


G4 News In The Press 2011 Archive 2010 Archive 2009 Archive 2008 Archive 2007 Archive	2011 NEWS ARCHIVE 7 DECEMBER 2011 Group 4 designer wins international design competition Group 4 intern designer Daniel LaRossa has received the top prize in the School 4 Burma Design Competition, along with his co-designer Amadeo Bennetta, besting more than 800 entrants from all over the world. Their design for a modular school for migrant and refugee children in Mae Sot combines prefabricated modules and locally-crafted, rapidly-renewable materials into buildings that can be assembled quickly with community-based labor. The non-profit Building Trust International will lead the development of the design into planning and fabrication. Click here for more information. Congratulations Daniel and Amadeo! 9 NOVEMBER 2011 Group 4 leading sessions at CLA 2011 Group 4 will be leading two sessions at the 2011 conference of the California Library Association in Pasadena: A Hyper Local, New Media, Oral History, Public Art, Library Mash up! - Saturday 11/12 - 10:15 a.m Group 4 principal David Schnee AIA AICP LEED will be joined by Gerald Garzon, Associate Director of the Oakland Public Library, and internationally exhibiting artist/designer Rene Yung. This program will present an overview of trends and a case study of the new 81st Avenue Branch Library in East Oakland: a the state-of-the-art community-focused public library that also serves two co-located schools, and as a technology hub for community content creation developed through an innovative civic engagement public art project. “Our Oakland: Eastside Stories,” the public art project at the 81st Avenue Branch, integrates architecture, civic engagement, artistic enrichment, and library technology, along with the use of social media and strategic community-building. This project broadens the library’s traditional role as a place for obtaining content, to become an engaging community destination for creating content about local assets, while bridging the digital divide in the economically challenged neighborhood. The Power of Partnerships - Saturday 11/12 - 10:15 a.m. Group 4 principal Dawn Merkes AIA LEED will be joined by: Oakland Public Library's Director Carmen Martinez and Grants & Development Manager Winifred Walters; Walnut Creek Library Foundation Director Kristin Anderson; and Walnut Creek Library Branch Manager Cindy Brittain. This session will provide practical information, techniques, and strategies for creating and maintaining partnerships for libraries: from facility design and funding for capital projects to development and funding of on-going operations and programming. Panelists and participants will explore why partnerships are created, and how they can be used to leverage resources. We look forward to seeing you there! 6 JULY 2011 Walnut Creek Library certified LEED Gold The U.S. Green Building Institute has certified the new Walnut Creek Library at the LEED Gold level. This is Group 4's third project to receive LEED Gold certification in 2011, the others being the West Sacramento Community Center and the San Leandro Senior Community Center. Congratulations to all of these communities on their sustainable new facilities. 14 JUNE 2011 Scotts Valley Library Grand Opening June 18 The new Scotts Valley Library will re-open on Saturday, June 18. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., the grand opening celebration will include food, music, arts and crafts, stories, and other activities. For more information, visit the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library, the City of Scotts Valley, and Santa Cruz Public Libraries. 13 MAY 2011 West Sacramento Community Center certified LEED Gold The new West Sacramento Community Center has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Institute. The project was recently recognized by Environmental Design + Construction magazine with an Honorable Mention in its 2011 Excellence in Design Award program. 4 MAY 2011 Group 4 projects recognized in ed+c's 2011 Excellence in Design Award program Environmental Design + Construction magazine has recognized two of Group 4's projects in its 2011 Excellence in Design Award program, which honors projects that demonstrate a clear commitment to green building and sustainable design. The new Wanut Creek Library was one of five Finalists in the Institutional category, while the West Sacramento Community Center received an Honorable Mention in the same category. Group 4's Roosevelt Community Center in San Jose was the winner of the Government category in 2010. To learn more about the Excellence in Design Award program, click here. 31 MARCH 2011 San Leandro Senior Center landscape rated Bay-Friendly The new San Leandro Senior Center has been rated as a Bay-Friendly Landscape by StopWaste.org, a cooperative program of Alameda County environmental protection agencies. The center was recognized for achieving 91 points across eight categories of Bay-Friendly Landscape Principles, with particularly high performance in water conservation, air and water quality protection, waste reduction, use of local materials, and design innovation. To learn more about the Bay-Friendly Landscape program, click here. 16 MARCH 2011 San Leandro Senior Center certified LEED Gold The new San Leandro Senior Center has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Institute. The center's grand opening is scheduled for April 2. More information about the grand opening is available on the City of San Leandro's website. 11 MARCH 2011 "The Power of Partnerships" at CPRS Together with Randy Goodwin and Andre Pichly of the City of West Sacramento, Group 4's Dawn Merkes and Andrea Will led a workshop on "The Power of Partnerships" at this year's CPRS conference in Sacramento. More than 100 participants learned how to enhance their facilities and services through effective partnerships, such as the multi-agency cooperation that led to the successful new West Sacramento Community Center. Download PDF version of the presentation exhibits (11 MB) Download PDF version of the West Sacramento Community Center opening-day brochure (3.5 MB) 8 MARCH 2011 Group 4-led Red Team creates new vision for Menlo Park neighborhood at AIASMC charrette Group 4 led one of four design teams at a day-long charrette to develop a new vision for development in Menlo Park's Belle Haven community. Sponsored by the San Mateo County chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the charrette brought a wide range of architectural, landscape, and urban design professionals and students together with community members and representatives of Facebook, which will move into the former Sun headquarters building. The Red Team's concepts have been receiving attention from design and news media as well as the community. Media reports about the charrette can be found on the In the Press page. 31 JANUARY 2011 Grand opening of new Oakland 81st Avenue Library a success Thousands of community members and leaders attended the grand opening of the new 81st Avenue Library in east Oakland on January 29, 2011. Speakers at the ceremony included Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, City Council President Larry Reid, and Representative Barbara Lee. Media reports and blogs about the opening of the new library can be found on the In the Press page. See the links at left for news archives.