C. Groch, Architect

I was retained by a local Developer to study the possibility of constructing a mixed use project on his property in Downtown Richmond, Ca. The zoning allows only mixed use projects with commercial space on the ground floor and apartments or condos above. The conceptual design is five stories tall with parking and commercial space on the ground floor. There are five units on each of the four floors above. There would also be common space on the roof. The rooftop space woul...d have view in every direction. Do not know if this will ever be constructed, but it was fun working to develop this concept. It gave me a chance to incorporate some ideas that had been bouncing around in my head as we reviewed similar projects for the El Cerrito Design Review Board. Mostly, rather than having a "podium" between the ground floor and the portion of the building above to separate the building mass, I propose to use the variations of the apartment exterior walls extended to the ground to add interest and scale to the building. I think that works better.

Working on a new project. A small mixed-use building in El Sobrante, Calif. This project will include about 1,500 square feet commercial space and covered parking on the ground floor with two, two bedroom apartments on the second floor. The commercial space is designed for small tenants such as professional offices or service providers. The second floor apartments are designed for families. Each apartment has a large deck placed away from the busy street and looking toward the nearby hills. Here are the first design sketches for the project.

The project in Kensington is making progress. The construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of January, 2020. It will take a real team effort to make that deadline. The exterior is just about ready for the application of the cement plaster. The interior gypsum board has been installed and the interior finish work can now begin.

OK, you have this old house in a great location with great views. However, it is way too small for your family. The house is located on a steep hillside and has lots of room below the house. Soooo, why not use that space and build a whole new floor below the house. This is what it looks like when the new foundations are complete and the new wood framing has just begun. The old decks will go away soon. You can see only a small portion of the large new foundation. On top of the concrete wall closest to the camera a two and one half story stair tower will be constructed to connect the floors and the ground.

Sometimes it does not take a large addition to add significant living space to a home. By adding less than 100 square feet to this home in El Cerrito we were able to enlarge the kitchen and add add utility spaces. A covered entry and a new bay window for the existing living room provide added interest to the street side of the home.

We have been living with this interior for 34 years and still enjoy the way it functions and interacts with the environment. The "sunroom" is a particularly good place to watch passing clouds and rain.