SVA Architects

We’re building up to “Build day!”    Canstruction Orange County is fast approaching! On August 30, SVA Architects will pull an all-nighter with Design West Engineering, PCL Construction, and SOPREMA USA to build a massive Grand CANyon entirely out of canned food. Consisting of 7,600 cans, our design will measure 10’ long x 10’ wide x 5’ high, and weigh a whopping 7,165 lbs. Check out our design at South Coast Plaza throughout the month of September, before it is disassembled and the cans are donated to the OC Food Bank and other emergency food programs. Thanks to all of our donors who have already helped us on our way to reaching our $8,000 fundraising goal!    #OrangeCounty #Canstruction #EndHunger #OCFoodBank #GivingBack #MakeADifference #AEC #GrandCanyon

Dreams are now coming true at Casa Sueños!   We’re thrilled to announce the Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Casa Sueños at Fruitvale Transit Village in the City of Oakland, CA. Located at 3511 East 12th Street, Casa Sueños seeks to honor the Fruitvale neighborhood’s diverse culture by offering housing that is affordable to the existing residents so they are not displaced by new development.   Casa Sueños is the third phase of the award-winning, mixed-use, mixed-income Fruitvale Transit Village. The development features: - 181 homes ranging from studios to 3-bedroom apartments, for households earning 20–80% of AMI  - 46 of the units set aside for the region’s chronically homeless - 7,500 square feet of commercial space, occupied by Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), an Oakland-based nonprofit  - Less than a five-minute walk from the Fruitvale BART station and the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line   SVA Architects was honored to continue its legacy at Fruitvale Transit Village. Designed by SVA, Phase I of the Fruitvale Transit Village, completed in 2004, was widely recognized as one of the nation’s first transit-oriented developments and a national model for development without gentrification. SVA was proud to design Casa Sueños, Phase IIB of Fruitvale Transit Village, which adds color, vibrancy, and affordable housing to the Fruitvale neighborhood.   Congratulations to The Unity Council, BRIDGE Housing Corporation, and all the project partners for completing Casa Sueños. It was a privilege to partner with this visionary team, and so rewarding to see this sueño become a reality. Beautiful execution, J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc.!    SVA Architects Team Members at the Event: - Ernesto Vasquez, FAIA - Nathan Herrero   Project Partners - The Unity Council - BRIDGE Housing Corporation - City of Oakland - Oakland Housing Authority - Alameda County - Alameda County Health Care Services Agency - California Department of Housing & Community Development TOD Housing Program - California Climate Investments (funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund) - Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program through the Strategic Growth Council and the California Department of Housing and Community Development - National Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT) - Lument - JPMorganChase - California Tax Credit Allocation Committee - California Debt Limit Allocation Committee - Housing Trust of Silicon Valley - Raza Development Fund - SVA Architects - J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc.   Well done, everyone!    #Affordablehousing  #HousingforAll  #Home  #Oakland  #TransitOrientedDevelopment  #CommunityDevelopment #GrandOpening #RibbonCutting

Enjoy this amazing drone work featuring one of our impactful communities! Congratulations to The Whole Child - Mental Health & Housing and The Richman Group for your progress on bringing affordable housing to Santa Fe Springs, CA! SVA Architects is pleased to join this fantastic team - and to have the opportunity to serve our neighbors, including Seniors and Families! We can’t wait to celebrate the first move-ins this fall!   #SVAArchitects #SantaFeSprings #HousingForAll #AffordableHousing #EndHomelessness #CommunityDevelopment

And we’re off! Fundraising starts now! SVA is excited to partner with Design West Engineering and PCL Construction to participate in this year’s Canstruction Orange County competition. This annual event, benefitting the OC Food Bank, combines the fun of a design-build competition with an innovative canned food drive. This year, our Grand CANyon-themed design requires 7,600 cans, and our goal is to raise $8,000. Use the QR code now through August 30th to help us reach our fundraising goal. Thank you for your support! Canstruction brings together local architectural, engineering, planning, design firms, and students who use their skills to create original structures built entirely out of canned food.  The creations will be built in an all-night event on August 30th from 10pm to 10am. The completed designs will be displayed through September 29 at South Coast Plaza. Canstruction will announce winners and celebrate all donors and participants at an Awards Celebration on September 24.  All canned food used in the structures will be donated to the OC Food Bank and other local emergency food programs.  Canstruction events are held annually in over 150 cities around the world, and have helped raise over 40 million pounds of food since 1992. Stay tuned for more updates on this fun event for a great cause! #OrangeCounty #Canstruction #EndHunger #OCFoodBank #GivingBack #MakeADifference #AEC #GrandCanyon  

We are so pleased to share this exceptional article about a highly impactful, wise, and generous community leader! Congratulations to Chris Iglesias on all of your accomplishments. It’s been an honor to partner with The Unity Council for Fruitvale Transit Village and Casa Sueños, sharing our common ethos of uplifting and building communities. Beautiful write-up, Blanca Torres of KQED! #TheUnityCouncil #Oakland #UrbanDevelopment #InspiringPeople

Exciting news from SVA Architects! Our very own Ernesto Vasquez, FAIA was featured in CERACLAD™’s fantastic publication on architectural thought leaders for sustainability. Ernesto truly is a “visionary pioneer in the field of community design” who “combines architectural brilliance with activism.” We especially love the nuance of finding the “delicate equilibrium between financial success and the general welfare of the community.” Thanks so much, CERACLAD, for this exceptionally well-written article! #Sustainability #SustainableArchitecture #Activism #CommunityBuilding

Last week, the SVA team was thrilled to join The Whole Child - Mental Health & Housing, at their Healing, Health, and Homes Gala. It was a fantastic event with poignant words from The Whole Child clients, who shared their inspiring stories of resilience and hope. We were honored to be a sponsor for this event, and continue to support The Whole Child’s mission to empower families towards healing, health, and homes. The gala was held in Santa Fe Springs, CA where our design team is collaborating on The Whole Child’s Interim Housing and Supportive Services Center for Families and Children. The transformational campus consists of three communities including The Whole Child interim housing with 40 units, 102 rental apartments by The Richman Group, and 18 for-sale townhomes by Habitat for Humanity. Thank you to The Whole Child for an inspiring evening and all of the critical work you are doing!  Nika Imani Mel Tan Alain Peschard Carlos Perez Erick Colobong Jonathan Stalvey Alejandro Parra Valenzuela Sara Abed Beth Binger #svaarchitects #thewholechild

This week, our team gathered at Wellspring, a collaborative project with BRIDGE Housing Corporation, TCC Family Health and R.D. Olson Construction, Inc., to celebrate the grand opening in Long Beach, CA! Located near transit and less than two miles from downtown, Wellspring will bring 88 affordable apartments to Long Beach's Cambodia Town neighborhood and will also include 20 apartment homes set aside as permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless seniors. The project was developed with TCC Family Health and they will operate a 18,000 sq. ft. health and wellness center on the ground level. Additionally, resident services will be provided by Mental Health America Los Angeles and the YMCA of Greater Long Beach. Wellspring is also expected to achieve Greenpoint Rated Gold certification - recognizing environmental standards for sustainable, efficient, durable, and healthier homes. We’re proud to be a part of the design that will provide much-needed services and homes for the area! #wellspring #svaarchitects #bridgehousing Ernesto Vasquez, FAIA Robert Simons AIA Lori Ichisaka Christine Vu City of Long Beach Los Angeles County Development Authority California Department of Housing & Community Development Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP Ken Lombard Jeff Williams Rex Richardson Suely Saro Jimena Dake

A memorable night at the 5th Annual Anaheim Family YMCA Gala! We joined sponsors, colleagues and guests to celebrate Paul Kott, who sits on the YMCA Board of Directors and has dedicated his time and heart to the City of Anaheim and Anaheim Family YMCA for over 50 years. SVA was delighted to support as a sponsor, enticed by impressive auction items including Pantages Theater tickets, Anaheim Angels tickets and a special weekend getaway! #ymca #svaarchitects #sponsor SVA team: Nika Imani Mel Tan Judy S.K. Cheng Lynell Washington, AICP Larry Mandell Dean Hawkins Robert Simons AIA Ernesto Vasquez, FAIA Beth Binger Sponsors: F&F Capital Group Republic Services Paul Kott Realtors Banc of California Castle Inn and Suites PepsiCo Los Angeles Angels Anaheim Ducks Honda Center Presidio Public Affairs & Communications Disneyland Resort

Thank you BRIDGE Housing Corporation for highlighting Celadon at 9th & Broadway! We’ve been thrilled to see the success (and global awards) this project has earned, and deeply honored to be a part of this team! Congratulations Lori Ichisaka!