J.D. Diffenbaugh Breaks Ground on HMC Architects' Headquarters

Two-story office building is sited on four acres in Ontario; completion of shell set for January.

Riverside-based J.D. Diffenbaugh, Inc. has started construction on HMC Architects' world headquarters, a two-story office building on almost four acres in Ontario.

The 56,668-sq.-ft. office is concrete tilt utilizing sustainable building design to obtain LEED certification.

Some LEED elements include a cool roof, treatment of on-site water through drywells for the roof drains, and recycled materials as part of the interiors and finish package. Other project highlights consist of varying paint finishes, exposed sandblasted concrete, sandstone veneer, aluminum sunshades, and insulating glass.

The project broke ground in May and the completion date for the shell is expected to be January 2007.

Barnhart Begins Supercomputer Expansion

San Diego-based Barnhart, Inc., working with Esherick Hamsey Dodge & David Architects, has broken ground on an 80,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego.

The expansion will allow the national science, engineering and technology center to house more data, supercomputers and a staff of 400. Up to 5 megawatts of power (enough to light 5,000 homes) will be required to operate the 160,000-sq.-ft. center. The expansion will continue to be one of the largest storage resources in the country, offering more than 18 petabytes of tape storage and 1.4 petabytes of disk storage.

The SDSC expansion also features an enlarged machine room, offices, meeting rooms as well as a 250-seat auditorium.

The existing facility will remain open throughout the construction duration.

The expansion is scheduled for a June 2008 completion. The project has already garnered an award from the Higher Education Energy Partnership in 2005, for its innovative HVAC systems.

Gafcon Oversees Construction of San Diego Highrise

San Diego-based Gafcon, Inc. will serve as construction manager for Aria, a new 22,111-sq.-ft. residential highrise currently under construction at Ninth Street, between Ash and Beech streets, in San Diego.

Anka Properties Group is the developer of the $49 million, 137-unit project, which is scheduled for completion in December 2007.

The 24-story, reinforced concrete structure will feature a four-level garage, painted concrete surface, and first-floor canopies. Other features include a rooftop deck with breathtaking views, state-of-the-art lap pool and spa, and spacious outdoor terraces.

Henry Dumaran is serving as senior project manager for Gafcon, Inc. Vancouver-based Perkins & Co. is the architectural firm. Glotman-Simpson is the structural engineer; Construction Testing and Engineering, Inc., civil engineer; Arnold Nemetz & Associates, electrical engineer; and Quadrapac, mechanical engineer. Perry & Associates is the landscape architect. PCL Construction Service is the sitework contractor. Mitchell Freedland Design is the space planner and interior designer.

MCG Wins California Architect Award

MCG Architecture has been selected as a winner in the 2006 Society of American Registered Architects California Council Design Awards for the renovation and expansion of the Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis.

Sierra Vista Mall presented the task of creating a lifestyle/entertainment "district" and is an example of a site in transition to accommodate the changing demographics of its surrounding community, MCG said.

MCG added that the design of the new district embraces the nearby Sierras through the use of natural building materials, heavy beamed elements with exposed structural connections supporting graphic boards, and wood trellises varying in height and formation. The design further exemplifies an air of liveliness created through color and finish materials that include super graphics. Buildings are scaled down to create a village atmosphere with fields of plazas at vantage points.

Ware Malcomb Awarded Design for Fullerton Center

Irvine-based Ware Malcomb has been hired by Lowe Enterprises to design the Kimberly Business Center in Fullerton. Lowe Enterprises, the owner and developer for the project, acquired the 15-acre property in late 2005.

Ware Malcomb will provide planning and architectural design services for the project, which includes 12 speculative industrial buildings totaling 290,370 sq. ft. Six of the 12 buildings will be for sale, and the remaining six buildings will be subdivided into 13 condominium units for sale. The buildings range in size from 8,357 sq. ft. to 30,049 sq. ft.

Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter, with an anticipated completion in the late summer of 2007.

Olson Breaks Ground on Las Campanas Chain

Irvine-based R.D. Olson broke ground on a Las Campanas Restaurant & Cantina in July.

The $3.2 million restaurant will be a 7,200-sq.-ft. freestanding building located within a planned new retail center at the intersection of Foothill and Milliken avenues.

This is the first of what is expected to be a chain of Las Campanas restaurants.

The prototype restaurant will impart the ambiance of the original Las Campanas, where guests enjoy gourmet Mexican cuisine indoors or under the stars on a Spanish patio made comfortable year-round through outdoor heating and misting systems.

Designed by Diane White of D.W. Architects, the new Las Campanas will feature ornate windows, archways, fountains and a pre-cast stone façade. The restaurant will be crowned with a tiled dome and programmable bell akin to the carillon that rings hourly at Mission Inn.

Las Campanas is owned by Duane and Kelly Roberts. Ideas for future Las Campanas restaurants include more freestanding restaurants and possibly restaurants within shopping centers.