We are pleased to bring you today’s newsletter from our member firm and partner Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA), recently celebrating its 35th year of designing educational facilities for clients throughout the Greater Bay Area.
Thank you to QKA for being a long-time supporter of the Redwood Empire Chapter and community!
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Homes for Sonoma Hosts Open House ADU Showcase |
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It’s no surprise that for many residents of Sonoma County, the pandemic’s uncertainty is framed within another crisis – a dire housing shortage. Worsened by multiple wildfires and spurred by the pandemic era’s great migration away from cityscapes, the housing crisis is a multifaceted problem in need of solutions like that of accessory dwelling units (ADU). Homes for Sonoma, a non-profit ADU developer co-founded by Quattrocchi Kwok Architect President Aaron Jobson, has worked steadily to deliver affordable housing units since the aftermath of the 2017 Tubbs Fire. To help address Sonoma County’s housing crisis, Homes for Sonoma has hosted a series of open houses to showcase its cost-effective, modular-built ADUs.
Homes for Sonoma's unique approach provides an incredibly affordable, low-hassle opportunity for those looking to add an ADU. The non-profit handles all of the design, project management, financing, and permitting responsibilities associated with the ADU’s construction, as well as the rental agreement, repairs and maintenance on the unit, and any lease enforcement issues. In exchange, homeowners split the rental income with Homes for Sonoma for a defined period of time, eventually becoming owners of the unit outright at the end of the ground-lease.
Intended to give local homeowners an opportunity to see the award-winning design firsthand and learn more about the potential to earn rental income, interested parties are encouraged to attend the last event on December 11th from 1-4pm in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. The series of open houses have been hosted alongside generous partners, including AIARE.
Homes for Sonoma and AIARE have enjoyed a strong partnership from the organization’s start in response to the 2017 fires. Many AIARE members have supported Homes for Sonoma, including current board members Drew Weigl (who served as Design Architect for the ADUs), Juliano Sorondo and Mary Dooley. Homes for Sonoma also received a Citation for Social Responsibility at the 2018 AIARE Design Awards. We look forward to continuing this partnership to promote ADUs as an affordable housing solution.
For more on Homes for Sonoma’s impact and local coverage on shifting ADU regulations, read the Press Democrat’s article, here.
Images: Left - Original sketch by Design Architect, Drew Weigl | Right - Courtesy of Timothy Bowen
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Project Spotlight
Mendocino High School ZNE Modernization Breaks Ground
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QKA recently broke ground on a full modernization of Mendocino High School that will convert the campus’s 1940s buildings into state-of-the-art zero net energy (ZNE) and carbon neutral facilities. Joining administration and students for the milestone event, Mark Quattrocchi, FAIA, enjoyed a moment of nostalgia noting that he started his career designing educational facilities with the Mendocino Unified School District in 1989, designing its new alternative high school on the same campus.
Images: Left - Courtesy of MHS Student Sydney Blagg | Right - Rendering, QKA
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Congratulations to Mark Quattrocchi, FAIA |
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In 2020, QKA’s Founding Principal Mark Quattrocchi was elevated to the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) College of Fellows, earning the prestigious FAIA designation (a distinction only possessed by three percent of national AIA members). Today, he attends his delayed Investiture of Fellows Ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. A much-deserved recognition for his years of service to the industry.
Image: Mark Quattrocchi, FAIA, center, at today’s Investiture of Fellows Ceremony
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About Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
QKA provides comprehensive master planning and design services for K-12 and higher education, historic renovation and community facilities in Northern California. With more than $2.5 billion in projects completed in its 35-year history, QKA’s award-winning portfolio reflects a commitment to design that emphasizes environmental sustainability and community impact. Building Design + Construction has recognized QKA as one of the nation’s top K-12 and BIM (building information modeling) architecture firms. Engineering News-Record has called it one of America’s top design firms. Majority employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), QKA continually lands on the North Bay Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” list. Visit qka.com to learn more.
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As we navigate this unprecedented crisis in our global community, AIA is committed to equipping our members with the information they need to help navigate these uncertain times. This page is intended to provide guidelines, policies, and tools for our members and will be updated frequently as new resources become available.
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is now being populated with virtual CE opportunities from Chapters across the state, many of which are FREE.
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We are in this together and we are here for you...AIARE is doing everything in our power to keep our membership connected + informed.
Feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions, concerns or if you just want to chat.
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Thank you to our 2021 FIRM Partners. |
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Thank you to our 2021 Network Partners. |
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Thank you to our 2021 Chapter Partners. |
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If you're already a Partner or Sponsor, we greatly appreciate your support.
Thanks for reading!
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