RHAA visited one of our recently completed projects -- the Russell and Quimby at Bay Meadows in San Mateo. The multi-family housing project features two buildings that provide residential units a variety of amenities and garden spaces. The diverse amenities (pool, spa, outdoor BBQ area, fire features, garden rooms, and Petanque court) allowed our senior project managers to discuss the various design, detailing, and construction of the project in a hands on, visual way. During the site walk RHAA staff even took a minute to “test out” one of the fire feature seating areas.

RHAA was able to tour Arborica, the West Marin business of wood artisan Evan Shively. Near Tomales bay you'll find salvaged wood piled high in preparation to become beautiful wood furniture.

RHAA visited the Autodesk Creative Workshops @ Pier 9 in San Francisco. There we experienced a personal tour of the facility which is home to a community of designers, engineers, artists, and product innovators. The labs here house state of the art production tools and machinery, as well as some very cool work environments. Along the way we learned about the latest in advanced and large scale 3D model production, artificial intelligence design, robotics, and the future that they call the augmented age. At the end of the tour RHAA was able to experience one of their virtual reality environments. For more information about this place you can click here: http://www.autodesk.com/pier-9

After touring Autodesks Pier 9 Workshops, it was time to party at Design Night! Autodesks bi-monthy Design Nights in the Autodesk Gallery explores how tech is transforming the industry. 

Fiercely competitive RHAA staff carve pumpkins in hopes to win Halloween prizes. Did you know it's possible to carve a teeny tiny pumpkin? Where there's a will (and skill), there's a way...

RHAA recently travelled to Santiago, Chile, for a workshop with the developer of the Santa Elena mixed-use and residential development intended to house 60,000 people. Collaborating with local landscape architects, we proposed layout of streetscapes and 7 parks nodes. We developed park programming ideas and unique features to fit this majestic site surrounded by national parkland bluffs.

While in Chile, we visited the cemetery, Parque del Recuerdo, which RHAA designed over 30 years ago. Seeing the towering double allee of trees gave us quite the sense of delayed gratification since projects take years to reach maturity.

Staff celebrated with snacks, beers, and a piñata! Wrapping up the festivities we had a Cinco de Mayo Q&A. Did you know the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862?

RHAA had an awesome week collaborating with De Oliveria Castro Arquitectos on the Vitta Center project in Guatemala. We had some great charette sessions and even better discussions about planning and architecture. Of course we managed to fit in some sightseeing and local eats.

In response to a confidential design compeition for a public memorial, RHAA staff visited our nations capitol to participate in a site review. Some work. Some play. And of course getting personal with Einstein.

In order to get to know each other better, staff thread colored string anywhere they'd lived for six months or more. The result was an artful conversation piece.