Hermosa Beach nationally recognized for its commitment to create safe, accessible streets

From The Beach Reporter:

The National Complete Streets Coalition ranked Hermosa Beach among the top cities in the nation for its “exceptional work” in developing and adopting “Complete Streets” policies to ensure its streets are safe for users of all ages and abilities, provide easy pedestrian and transit access, incorporate sustainable features and create an attractive and inviting environment, said Mayor Kit Bobko.

The National Complete Streets Coalition, which researches and advocates for improved community development through the adoption and implementation of Complete Streets policies, ranked Hermosa Beach No. 2, behind Indianapolis, out of nearly 130 cities that adopted Complete Streets policies last year.

Low-Impact Development and Why It’s Important to Your Project

by: William Strand, PE, QSD

Whether you are a developer or a public agency, your upcoming project will likely be required to comply with the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) new site design, runoff reduction, numeric treatment, retention and hyrdromodification requirements. These requirements are being implemented through local Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permits.

The requirements call for the use of low-impact development (LID) techniques such as bio-retention, flow-through planters, infiltration trenches, grass filter strips, downspout disconnection, cisterns, green roofs and other methods that have space and cost impacts on your project. The RWQCBs are also beginning to implement hydromodifictaion controls. Hydromodification occurs when drainage patterns are modified, pervious surfaces are paved and vegetative cover is removed. Hydromodification tends to reduce base flows in streams and rivers, increase peak flows and alter sediment supply. In controlling hydromodification, the RWQCBs are attempting to mitigate the impacts of development on streams and rivers.

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Adapt, Rebuild and Carry On: Coastal Cities Face a Rising Tide

by: Tony Keith, RLA

Viewing news footage of the devastation in the wake of Hurricane Sandy this past winter and witnessing firsthand the recurring storm damage from El Nino conditions here on the West Coast, it is clear to me that our coastal cities are increasingly at risk. Whether you accept the science of global warming, or the premise that we are just in a natural cycle, the answer is the same: we must prepare in advance and implement strategies to address a new set of criteria for planning and building along our shoreline or suffer devastating consequences.

Development along the waterfront is set in an extremely dynamic context that is dramatically changing within our lifetime. Few coastal locations host more diverse activities in one place than along our coastal city waterfronts; commerce, industry, recreation, man-made environments and natural beauty all intersect in this unique setting. With critical infrastructure increasingly at risk, we have clear choices to make, new questions to ask and new solutions to seek.

Sea levels have risen about 8 inches in the past 100 years and are projected to rise as much as 55 inches by the end of the century as stated in an analysis prepared for three California state agencies. The Pacific Institute estimates that 480,000 people, a wide range of critical infrastructure, vast areas of wetlands and other natural ecosystems, and nearly $100 billion in property along the California coast are at increased risk from flooding due to sea-level rise if no adaptation actions are taken.

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RRM Design Group Receives Prestigious Charlie Award by the Hollywood Arts Council

San Luis Obispo, April 2013 – RRM Design Group (RRM), a multidisciplinary architecture, planning and engineering firm, practicing in San Luis Obispo for 40 years, was recently honored with a Charlie Award for Architectural Arts for the design of the Los Angeles Regional Fire Station No. 82, a LEED® Gold certified building.

The Charlie Awards are put on by the Hollywood Arts Council as a way to celebrate the arts and culture of Hollywood. Past winners in the Architectural Arts category include Paramount Pictures, Hollywood and Highland, Capital Records, Sunset + Vine, Eastman Kodak Co., and the Frances Howard Goldwyn Library. The event took place at the historic Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel this past Friday, April 5th. Other awards were given to Hudson Pacific for Preservation Arts, Capital Records for Public Arts, Theatre Arts was given to the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Environmental Arts was given to the Los Angeles Beautification Team, and the Couturier Gallery was given the Visual Arts Award.

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Los Angeles Fire Station No. 82 Recieves Award from the USGBC C4 Chapter

RRM’s work on the Los Angeles Regional Fire Station No. 82 received the 2012 Green School/Green Government Award from the USGBC C4 Chapter. The C4 Chapter includes San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

RRM Attends Ribbon Cutting for the Central Coast New Tech High School

The Lucia Mar School District celebrated the grand opening of the Central Coast New Tech High School today, located on the campus of Nipomo High School. Many community members, public officials, and local business members enthusiastically attended the ceremony, open house, and school tours.

RRM Design Group was hired by the Lucia Mar School District to design the Central Coast New Tech High School. RRM provided them with architecture, landscape architecture and engineering services. The campus is located adjacent to Nipomo High School and will eventually serve 500 students. The first class of 125 students is slated to open this August. The idea behind the school will be a new approach to education that focuses on communication, innovation, critical thinking and self-direction. Along with these skills, the school will have a strong focus on technology with each student having a computer.

Pinnacles National Monument West Side Visitor Center awarded Rare LEED® Platinum Certification

The Pinnacles National Monument West Side Visitor Center located in Monterey County has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest and most difficult level to achieve. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a set criteria put together by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to promote green building and to create a benchmark for sustainable design. The Visitor Center is only the second National Park Service (NPS)  in the US to achieve this elite status.

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Grand Opening of New Creston Fire Station

On May 23rd the Creston community turned out to celebrate the grand opening of the new Creston Fire Station No. 43. RRM was commissioned to design the facility and worked closely with residents, CAL FIRE, the Sheriff’s Department and the County of San Luis Obispo in designing the 6,615 square foot fire station. The new facility reflects the agrarian architecture of the surrounding area and is home to both CAL FIRE and the Sheriff’s Department.

At the ceremony Fire Chief Rob Lewin noted “While the edifice itself is clearly beautiful and perfect in all ways, it will be the men and women who will serve from these portals that will make this a fire station and not just a beautiful building.”

The facility features two drive-through apparatus bays, living quarters, sleeping quarters, offices, a training classroom and support spaces. RRM’s design team used durable and low maintenance materials and incorporated sustainable materials and strategies to minimize the costs of running the station.

RRM in the News: Construction Underway on Central Coast New Tech High School

The Lucia Mar Unified School District hired RRM to assist them with development of the Central Coast New Tech High School on a very aggressive timeline in order for the school to open in the fall of 2012. The new campus is adjacent to Nipomo High School and includes three new modular classrooms as well as renovation of existing buildings. The 11 modules were constructed by American Modular Systems at their plant in Manteca, California and trucked to the site. In the space of four hours, they were all lifted into place and secured to the permanent concrete foundation. The last module to be placed contained restrooms with tile on the walls and floor and weighed 55,000 pounds. The new classrooms are specially configured to support the innovative, collaborative, project-based instruction that will be a part of the new tech program.  All of the new classrooms feature solar lighting, insulation and other features to reduce operational costs and promote sustainability. The District is pursuing LEED certification of the project.

Click here to see the San Luis Obispo Tribune’s coverage of the construction:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/05/10/2062812/photo-solar-classrooms-land-in.html

Planning Commission approves RRM’s IQMS project in Paso Robles

The Paso Robles Planning Commission just this past month approved RRM’s designs for IQMS’ new 30,000 sf office building. They complimented IQMS and RRM on the forward thinking of the master plan for the IQMS campus. One council member said, “This is the Ideal Project, a nice design, no storm water impact and head of household jobs for the community.” The project is scheduled to break ground this fall.

Click the links below to learn more:

San Luis Obispo Tribune article, April 28, 2012

Paso Robles Press article, May 3, 2012