Coinciding with an informative article from LA Magazine (click on image link), BART and Blach Construction hosted the Tanforan Memorial ground breaking this morning. In addition to the other fantastic speakers, Congresswoman Jackie Spier gave a passionate and emotional speech about the importance of knowing our history, human dignity, and civil rights. Construction is expected to be completed this summer. (February 2022)

Hayward Heritage Plaza is officially open to the public! The design includes a central event lawn, children’s garden, three memorial art pieces dedicated to the Japanese American community, the Yrgin tribelet of the Ohlone community and the history and heritage of Russell City. So much gratitude to the champions of the project, Mayor Barbara Halliday and Director of Library Services Jayante Addleman! And of course our amazing design partners nollandtam! (February 2022)

Nathanael Gray believes in the power of public spaces to bring communities together, build shared memories, and preserve the past. Nathanael’s work includes community parks, memorials, historic preservation, and national parks. He hopes these places form a connective fabric for people’s lives. (January 2022)

In 2019 we began a visioning process to re-imagine our brand and think about where we were as a firm. Self-inspection and reflection are not always easy, and our conversations carried into 2020. The pandemic has significantly altered the world around us, and how we work with one another. Social events have shown us there is so much more work to do. Along with us, our industry has adapted quickly and urgently. But with all of the hurdles that this year has brought us, here’s what’s important: it hasn’t changed who we are. On the contrary it has strengthened our realizations about ourselves and what’s important to us. View our statement. (November 2020)

We believe it is important to realize the pain and suffering suffered due to centuries of racism and implicit bias. Often the lack of accountability to those in power comes hand in hand with the mistreatment of people of color. Systemic racism is real and continues to perpetuate our policies to this day. There are many critical issues from police use of force, accountability, militarization, disparities in justice, public health, economics, and voting rights. As landscape architects and designers we must constantly consider how we can do better and support our communities who have suffered so much. We encourage our citizens to consider others and to see and seek after things that encourage and empower one another for good and for change. (June 2020)

Our Sonoma Academy campus project recently achieved LEED Platinum! RHAA is part of a team with WRNS Studio and Sherwood Design Engineers. We are so proud of our project team and client. This project is also an AIA COTE award winner, achieved The Living Building Challenge, and is a WELL Building Education Pilot Project. (April 2020)  

With the March 16 shelter in place mandate in six San Francisco Bay Area counties, we have quickly shifted to remote work platforms. If all of us work together, we can hopefully minimize the spread and impact of the virus. Through these challenging times, we wish you good health and we endeavor to emerge together stronger and more connected than ever. (March 2020)

Doug Nelson, Steve Cancian of Shared Spaces, Nate Hamilton, and Sequanna Taylor led a session on The Landscape of Police Shootings. Nate Hamilton in particular talked about the loss of his brother, Dontre Hamilton who was resting in a Milwaukee park when he was killed. Nate and Sequanna who is currently on the Milwaukee Board of Supervisors discussed their challenges in establishing a modest park memorial for Dontre.(November 2019) 

The City of Sacramento Planning Commission unanimously approved The Foundry, a 6-story timber-framed mixed-use project at the Railyards, designed by RMW in partnership with Stantec. We're excited to part of this talented team and along with our work for West Sacramento, we are engergized for the exciting urban development projects in our state capitol. (September 2019)

RHAA was part of an international group of landscape architects invited to the Netherlands to speak about how our profession is responding to changes in the use of public domain. The conference was held in Leiden and included a tour of Der Haag public realm projects. RHAA led a discussion on how landscape architecture and urban design can respond to our radically changing world. (September 2019)

The Japantown Peace Plaza Vision Plan was unaminously approved recently by the SF Recreation and Parks Commission. We have been serving as design advisor to the Japantown Task Force as well as acting as a liaison between the Task Force and the City of San Francisco. SF DPW and SF Recreation and Parks prepared project video and graphics which can be found here. (August 2019)

We are excited and pleased to introduce Jules Schaafsma as our new Marketing Manager. Jules joined us in the Spring and has quickly made her presence felt in helping to clarify and steer our marketing operations and processes. She comes with an exceptional and varied background in marketing and branding, as well as a passion for the built, natural, and artistic environments. We are thrilled that Jules is part of our family. (July 2019)

The Town of San Anselmo selected RHAA as the winner of the Reimagine the creek competition amongst a diverse international field of designers. The RHAA design celebrates the intrinsically beautiful Creekside landscape and focuses on activation, programming and wayfinding to connect the community to the creek. We now begin the process of bringing this vision to reality and are thrilled to begin working with the Town and community. (June 2019)

The Sonoma Academy campus extension provides students with an open, flexible learning environment that extends outside the classroom building. The COTE award demonstrates architectural excellence + environmental performance. This project is also pursuing LEED Platinum, The Living Building Challenge, and is a WELL Building Education Pilot Project. RHAA is part of a team with WRNS Studio and Sherwood Design Engineers. Click here for the AIA Citation Award presentation. (April 2018) 

At 1,070 feet high, Salesforce is the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.  The building recently opened to occupants and the ground level Mission Plaza will be complete in the next couple months.  The plaza features a gondola that will take visitors up to the Transbay Terminal, a custom bench built by Landscape Forms, and 4-foot round custom designed in-ground light pods that will provide a dynamic experience for plaza users.  RHAA collaborated with Pelli Clarke Pelli, Kendall/Heaton Associates, PWPLA, Mark Cavagnero Associates, and SWA, and is the LA of Record. (February 2018)

RHAA is working with the City of San Francisco and the SF Parks Alliance on the renovation of the Panhandle Playground. We are currently in design and look forward to moving ahead with a community supported concept. (December 2017)

Our design team has received the ZNE Leadership Integrated Team Award  for our work on the Sonoma Academy. The ZNE Leadership Award recognizes those who inspire others on the path to ZNE (Zero Net Energy), and project teams that work effectively together to achieve ZNE goals. This project also meets building performance standards for the Living Building Challenge and is on target to be certified LEED Platinum. (November 2017)

Downtown Fresno’s historic “main street” comes to life this month upon completion of the $20 million streetscape project designed by RHAA. 32 works of art and 15 water features adorn the design that honors Garrett Eckbo’s 1964 Fulton Mall.  The project is spurring renewed excitement and development in Fresno’s historic downtown core. (October 2017).

The newly renovated Childrens Butterfly Garden at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is now open.  We were privledged to be part of this important project, and fortunate to work with an outstanding team with a common spirit. We hope this garden can provide comfort and peace for the patients and their families.  You can read more here: East Bay Times Oakland Hospital Butterfly Garden. (August 2017)

RHAA in collaboration with MERGE has been working with BART and various stakeholders on a new Transit Operations Facility (TOF) and redesign of the Lake Merritt Plaza.  The project purpose is to support improved & expanded BART operations and create an enhanced multimodal transportation hub and transit plaza that better serves the neighborhood. We recently presented high level concepts options during a community open which can be reviewed here on BART's website. (May 2017)

RHAA took home two awards from the ASLA Northern California Chapter’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. Mission Bay Kids’ Park and Magical Bridge Playground both received Merit Awards. (April 2017)

In the heart of Santa Rosa’s Roseland neighborhood, residents celebrated the opening of Bayer Park and Garden. This six acre park includes a central plaza, children’s play area, skate park, basketball, volleyball, kitchen pavilion, and a renovated livestock barn. Hundreds attended the ribbon-cutting festivities which included plumed Aztec dancers, an abundance of food cooked in the new stoves, as well as baby ducks and goats to pet. (March 2017)

PG&E Hunters Point Shoreline is open for public use. The new San Francisco Bay Trail links India Basin Shoreline Park to Heron’s Head Park, and includes a series of outdoor classrooms, decks, and overlooks that capture different views. The shoreline improvement evolved from the removal and clean-up of the former Hunters Point power plant and was driven by strong community activism by the Bayview Hunters Point Mother's Environmental Health and Justice Committee. (February 2017)

RHAA attended a fundraiser in support of the Tanforan Assembly Center Memorial. The proposed memorial is located at the BART San Bruno Station which during WWII was configured to house 8,000 persons of Japanese ancestry while they were processed for their final internment camp locations. This memorial hopes to remind us of this history. RHAA is supporting the TACMC with design services in honor of our founding Principals (Asa Hanamoto, Kazuo Abey).  For more info see tanforanmemorial.org. (February 2017) 

RHAA is working with BART and Merge Conceptual Design to re-imagine Lake Merritt Plaza in Oakland. We are poised to meet with the local community and stakeholders and are excited to hear their stories and learn what makes this place unique. We hope to have exciting ideas to share soon! (October 2016)

RHAA worked with the Excelsior Action Group and the Friends of Kenny Alley to help them transform an unkempt and unsafe alley in the Excelsior neighborhood. Over the summer, local volunteers spent their weekends cleaning, prepping, painting, patching, and building, all with help from San Francisco Pavement to Parks and a Community Action Grant. We were humbled in donating our time, and what the community did was inspiring. The EAG is currently preparing another grant application for phase 2. (September 2016)

The much anticipated Mission Bay Children's Park is open.  A grand opening ceremony was held August 13 with kids, babies, food trucks, and ice cream vendors. The park includes gardens designed to attract butterflies and birds, pavement inscribed with animals of Mission Bay, and whimsical willow structures.  SF Gate: Board gives final OK to new Mission Bay playground (August 2016)

With our record California drought more institutional campuses are taking leadership in establishing conservation goals. RHAA has been helping Genentech’s mission at their Vacaville manufacturing facility, by transforming 14 acres of turf and other high water use plants into low water use and California native planting. The irrigation system is also being converted to low volume drip systems. It is estimated that with these changes Genentech will reduce their water use by 67% saving 7.2 million gallons of water per year. (July 2016)

Construction is underway for this beautiful 116-acre national cemetery. The cemetery lies in the basin of the Puowaina Crater, a major historical geological landmark in Honolulu, Hawaii. (June 2016)

RHAA proudly serves on the streetscapes committee with the Union Square Business Improvement District. The most recent project RHAA has been tasked with is the activation of Campton Alley. Low-cost tactical urbanism enhancements will create a safe, fun, and vibrant pedestrian experience. (February 2016)

RHAA joins the National Park Service in celebrating their centennial. RHAA has been honored to work on almost fifty projects in ten different national parks. We are particularly proud of our significant projects at Yosemite National Park, and we are currently beginning projects in Joshua Tree National Park and in Pinnacles National Park. (January 2016)

Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto was recently highlighted in World Landscape Architecture magazine. For more information go to magicalbridge.org
(August 2015)