Access Dental Headquarters Campus, Sacramento

The 44,575-sq.-ft. Access Dental headquarters campus at California Center is a phased two-building complex on a 5.5-acre infill site adjacent to the busy intersection of the Watt Avenue corridor and Highway 50 in Sacramento. Phase 1 is complete and Phase 2 is scheduled for construction as early as 2007.

The site was selected by Access Dental's CEO Reza Abbaszadeh not only to centralize his company's California operations into one office complex, but also to celebrate his passion for early 20th century modern architecture. His challenge to the project design team was to create architecture rich with geometric exploration and well-ordered detail that would create a strong corporate image and portray an attitude about the company's place in the modern world, and to accomplish his vision using the most efficient construction means possible.

As luck would have it, the design and construction team of RMW Architecture & Interiors and Panattoni Construction have a long history of successful projects exploring the limits of tilted concrete construction. The solution evolved around leveraging the potential of carefully gridded and stone-clad concrete panels blended with other building systems of glass and aluminum. Each of the two buildings and central courtyard address each other in a visual conversation where geometric forms and volumes move freely out from between a pair of parallel wall planes. The composition is bisected by a skewed linear courtyard that becomes framed by outdoor decks buttressed by the extension of the parallel walls.

Programming for this site had one overarching goal-to create an efficient and collaborative organization of work teams under one roof with central access to data and achieve resources convenient to everyone. The planning solution places all resources within a common core zone in each building, which is encircled by offices, workstations and conference areas. The core zone is clad with rich wood veneered panels mimicking the building's gridded parallel walls. The core zone is lined with service alcoves to visually connect the core to workstation clusters and to provide an interface area for individuals to utilize the resource core.

All floors of the building are connected by an open stairway contained in a glass enclosed "outdoor room" with 180-degree views to the courtyard, entry plaza and distant Sierras. Additionally, each of the major program components, board and conference rooms, entry lobby, lunchroom and mail center, are articulated as separate volumes on the building's elevations. Each of these "program volumes" contributes an individual character to the overall building form, and helps to distinguish the Access Dental Headquarters project from hundreds of anonymous office building boxes.

Judges' Comments:

• "Clean design. Use of exotic materials result in pleasing presentation."
  
  
• "Excellent project! Wonderful blend of materials and forms. Final result achieves CEO's goal of celebrating his passion for modern architecture."

Project Team:

Owner: Reza Abbaszadeh
Architect: RMW Architecture & Interiors
Construction manager: Panattoni Construction Inc.
General contractor: Panattoni Construction Inc.
Engineering team: Integrated Design Group (structural)
R&B Engineering (civil)
Key subcontractors:
Air Systems of Sacramento
Rex Moore Electrical Contractors
Montez Glass
R. Bros. Painting
Pacific Erectors

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