LOS ANGELES—Developer Mosaic Investment Partners has hired SVA Architects and general contractor Alpha Construction for work on Tessera, a new residential complex at the University of Southern California’s main campus. The luxurious Tessera will be located just off of the USC campus and convenient to the light rail, shopping and dining.

The ground-up Tessera facility will encompass 75,000 square feet of living space for USC students along Exposition Boulevard. The $56 million project is being financed via joint venture equity and mezzanine financing from HC2 Capital. When completed, Tessera will be the largest community in the Mosaic Investment Partners portfolio as well as the company’s first ground-up project.

Tessera is to be sited between USC’s University Park Campus and the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Just across the street will be the Expo/Vermont Metro E Line station, and the development is within walking distance of Exposition Park and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

As designed by SVA, Tessera will be a seven-story structure encompassing 53 units for 260 beds in configurations ranging from studio to four-bedroom apartments. The indoor design elements encompass stainless steel appliances and individual HVAC controls. Select apartments will also have balconies.

Amenities will include a rooftop pool and lounge, open-air fitness center, computer and business room, billiards room, fire pits and various other bonuses. In addition to the pool, the rooftop area will feature quiet areas for studying, which students can enjoy amid 360-degree views of downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Mountains, Hollywood and, perhaps on especially clear days, the Pacific Ocean 14 miles to the west.

Working in conjunction with Mosaic, SVA Architects and Alpha Construction are interior and landscape designer Sorensen Architects and project manager Oakwood Development Group. The construction is anticipated to be complete for the spring of 2025.

“Tessera will provide USC students with a unique blend of luxury, convenience, and community,” said George Alva, co-owner of Mosaic Investment Partners. “We brought in an award-winning architect and a high-end design firm that specializes in luxury homes in Malibu and Pacific Palisades to help us create what we expect to be a stunning, world-class building with resort-like common area spaces including a highly amenitized rooftop with a pool, multiple firepits, large outdoor dining area, and a dog park.”

Added Carlos Delherra, co-owner of Mosaic Investment Partners, “The panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills, the downtown skyline, and Expo Park will be unmatched.” Mosaic Investment Partners focuses specifically on the development and renovation of multi-family properties and apartments in and around the USC campus. The firm’s subsidiary Mosaic Student Communities manages properties for third-party owners. For the USC market Mosaic owns over 130 units and manages another 350.

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RIVERSIDE, Calif.—Designer SVA Architects of Santa Ana joined officials from Moreno Valley College in nearby Riverside County for the recent opening of the new Ben Clark Training Center, located on the college’s campus. SVA worked alongside general contractor CW Driver to ensure that the educational building would be up and running for Moreno Valley College in a timely manner.

The $13 million Ben Clark Training Center will be one of the largest public safety educational facilities in Southern California. The building, located 11 miles from the main campus in the city of Riverside, was partially funded by Measure C, a bond measure that was approved by voters in 2004. Inside, the single-story structure contains 14,135 square feet of educational space entailing not only classrooms but administrative offices. Additionally, the center will host training laboratories for such Moreno Valley College programs as justice administration, fire technology, homeland security and EMT courses.

Furthermore, courses at the Ben Clark Training Center are being offered in partnership with such local public safety organizations as the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Riverside County Fire Department, Riverside County Probation Department, California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, and the California Highway Patrol.

The center is named in honor of Riverside County’s former sheriff, who served the community for 36 years, 23 of them as sheriff, before retiring in 1986. Sheriff Ben Clark, who passed away in 2005, saw to it that a statewide safety training protocol was implemented for peace officers throughout the Golden State. Clark also successfully lobbied state legislators in Sacramento to fund better training opportunities for law enforcement.

Regarding the opening of the training facility, SVA Architects President Robert Simons said it was an honor to work with Moreno Valley College to design spaces for the training of future public safety officers.

“It’s so rewarding to be a part of a project that helps fulfill this vital role in our communities,” Simons said.

In a subsequent statement emailed to School Construction News, Simons added that working under a tight budget and timeline was a problem that he and his construction partners had to contend with in order to fashion the flexible learning spaces called for by the college.

“As always, it was important to deliver all of the program needs, as the goal is to design and build the next phase,” he said. “The most rewarding aspect of the project was the people! The Moreno Valley community college and Riverside Community college folks were engaged, very generous with their time and really terrific to collaborate with.”

SVA Architects was founded in 2003, and since that time has gone on to specialize in urban planning and mixed-use projects. In addition to its headquarters in Orange County, the firm’s additional California offices include Oakland, San Diego and Davis; they also have a satellite location in Honolulu.

The Ben Clark Training Center marks the second public safety training complex for SVA.

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DALY CITY, Calif.—SVA Architects and Oakland’s own general contractor J.H. Fitzmaurice have finished their design-build effort on 705 Serramonte, an affordable housing community for the staff and faculty of Jefferson Union High School District (JUHSD).

Completed in time for JUHSD’s Centennial Celebration, the $75 million 705 Serramonte was funded partially by funds set aside for affordable housing for the district’s educators. That bond provided $33 million thanks to Measure J, passed by voters in June 2018.

705 Serramonte is made up of 122 apartments in total, ranging from one- to three-bedroom homes of between 560 and just over 1,000 square feet. Each unit features stainless steel appliances, vinyl plank flooring and extensive windows to allow in ample sunlight—even in the cloud-prone Bay Area. The rental prices are specifically set at 50 percent of the local market rate so as to be as affordable as possible for the occupying educators.

In addition to the liveable units themselves, the new development features a fitness center, community lounge, barbecue area and a landscaped courtyard that offers children’s play equipment.

After a May ribbon-cutting official opening ceremony, JUHSD personnel have been gradually moving into 705 Serramonte over the course of the summer months.

Nathan Herrero, principal at SVA Architects, said that it was the designer’s goal that the apartments at 705 Serramonte provide JUHSD’s educators with luxurious living at a reasonable price.

“Along with the District, we wanted to honor the critical work of educators by offering comfortable spaces that feel like a haven at the end of the day,” Herrero said.

Added Mohammad Hakimi, J.H. Fitzmaurice’s president and CEO: “Many districts around the country are already looking to JUHSD as a model for this type of educator housing in their own communities.”

In a follow-up statement to School Construction News, Hakimi said that the contractor had to tackle the ongoing challenges of the shattered supply chain. This included being creative when it came to sourcing materials for insulation, roofing, cabinetry and flooring.

“In anticipation of the uncertainty of the lumber market, the Project Team proposed and elected to change the Framing System from Wood/Lumber to Light Gauge Steel Framing,” he explained, adding that this choice resulted “in better construction quality and not being impacted by framing material availability.”

J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc. was founded in 1922, and has been a mainstay of Bay Area construction work for the last century—and still operates out of the same location in Oakland it did at the time of its founding.

Designer SVA Architects’ other education-focused projects include the CHPS Verified Leader School La Escuelita Educational Center in Oakland. Based in Southern California, the architect works throughout the Golden State, with two Northern California offices in Oakland and Davis.

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SANTA ANA, Calif.—Southern California design firm SVA Architects, founded in 2003, has been honored with four 2022 Gold Nugget Awards of Merit, three of them for the architect’s work in the educational sector in the Golden State.  The Gold Nuggets, now in its 59th year, recognizes outstanding architectural design and planning achievements.

Their 2022 educational awards include one for the Serramonte Del Rey Faculty & Staff Housing in Daly City in the category of Best Student or Faculty Housing.  Working with design-build partner J.H. Fitzmaurice, SVA added additional residences at affordable rates for staff.

SVA also picked up the award for Best Rehabilitation Project thanks to their work on South Pasadena Middle School in South Pasadena, where the architect redesigned the school’s Old Gymnasium to give it new life as the Arts Building.  SVA’s efforts allowed the existing Romanesque Mediterranean exterior motif to be maintained while the interior was reworked to become a performance space.

In addition, SVA’s renovation work at The Barn at University of California, Riverside took home the award for Best Special Use Project.  The Barn is among the oldest structures at the campus, having been built as horse stables in 1917—nearly 40 years before the school itself was even founded.  The Barn later served as a student cafeteria and performance venue, and the renovation will allow it to continue serving UCR for decades to come.

This marks the eighth consecutive year the firm has won one or more Gold Nuggets.

“These award-winning projects are the result of a synergy between our team, and the developers, contractors, project managers, and local community members,” said

Ernesto M. Vasquez, CEO of SVA Architects.  “They demonstrate that the best results are achieved when we ask questions, listen, engage, and collaborate to make healthy, vibrant communities.”

Added Robert Simons, SVA’s president: “It’s very rewarding for us to have these projects recognized with Gold Nugget Awards of Merit.  We’d like to thank the judges for honoring these projects and recognizing the value and enrichment they bring to our communities.”

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DAVIS, Calif.—SVA Architects recently opened a new office in Davis. Centrally located at 1450 Drew Ave, Suite 150, SVA’s Davis office is only 1.5 miles from UC Davis, and a 15-minute drive to downtown Sacramento. The new office will allow the firm to better serve its current clients in Sacramento and the Central Valley and expand its capabilities throughout Central and Northern California.

Senior Associate Partner Christopher Bradley, AIA, CSI, CCCA and Principal Nathan Herrero, AIA, LEED AP BD+C will continue SVA’s leadership in the Northern California region.

SVA Architects has established itself throughout Northern California as a visionary leader for both community developments and educational projects. The firm designed Mirasol Village, a new mixed-income development that replaces a deteriorated housing complex with a new, sustainable, walkable community with its first phases opening in spring of this year. Also nearing completion for SVA is the reconstruction of Robla Elementary School in Sacramento, transforming the formerly aging facility into a modern, new campus. SVA has designed numerous award-winning projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including La Escuelita Educational Center, Albany Middle School Annex, Fruitvale Transit Village Phase IIB, Horner Middle School, and Serramonte Faculty & Staff Housing, among others.

Robert Simons, AIA, President of SVA Architects, stated, “The new Davis office will complement the Oakland office nicely, allowing our team and clients resources most convenient for each. Our office in Davis will provide a new hub to meet current demand and expand our overall capacity in Northern California. We’re excited to welcome new talent and take on new projects in the coming months.”

Founded in 2003, SVA Architects specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

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SANTA ANA, Calif—SVA Architects has been awarded four PCBC Gold Nugget Awards of Merit for its design work in California. One of those four awards was for its efforts at the Woodbridge High School Performing Arts Center, located in nearby Irvine. The performing arts center won in the category “Best Special Use Project.”

The new Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Woodbridge High School replaced an outdated 250-seat theater with a bigger house that can seat up to 650 people. Amenities include a scene shop, dressing rooms, 1,600-square-foot “black box” theater as well as the most up-to-date theater technologies. Specific coursework offered there includes not only performing but also lighting techniques, production, and set and scenery design.

SVA also received a Gold Nugget Award for its work at San Diego State University’s South Campus Plaza, a mixed-use gateway to the campus that ensures that the school melds seamlessly into the surrounding community. The plaza was designed to be pedestrian-oriented and offer quick access to the SDSU Transit Center, as well as be a welcoming ingress to more of the campus. South Campus Plaza is LEED Silver-certified and exceeds California Energy Standards by 15 percent.

The Gold Nugget Awards recognize achievement in architectural design and planning in over 60 building categories, including mixed-use and educational. SVA’s other wins this year are for its work on two other California projects, the Fruitvale Transit Village Phase IIB in Oakland and The Reserve at Seabridge Marina in Oxnard.

“SVA strives to design the best possible project for each particular site and its context within the greater community,” Ernesto M. Vasquez, CEO of SVA Architects, said in a recent statement. “It’s very rewarding to see our efforts recognized within such a competitive and significant awards program.”

Added Robert Simons, president of SVA: “We’re thankful to the Gold Nugget Awards judges for recognizing SVA’s work and our commitment to enriching our communities throughout California, and beyond.”

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HERMOSA BEACH, Calif.—The Hermosa Vista School, located in the Southern California beachfront community of Hermosa Beach, opened to raves this spring, with students even able to attend in-person classes at the new learning institution. Hermosa Vista School encompasses both a main two-story administration/classroom/library building as well as a second building that can serve multiple purposes as needed.

The new school campus, located at 417 25^th St., sits on the site of the former North School. The old school was removed to make room for Hermosa Vista, where Hermosa’s third and fourth graders will attend classes. Erickson Hall, with offices in Escondido in San Diego County, was the project’s general contractor.

Sustainability was the name of the game for Hermosa Vista, and an effort was made by designer SVA Architects to ensure that the school was as energy-efficient as possible. SVA’s plans aimed to make the school be “zero net energy,” and accordingly, their schematics included highly efficient MEP systems and photovoltaic solar arrays on both buildings. This way, the school campus can generate its own energy rather than tapping into a Southern California energy grid.

Although the doors of Hermosa Vista didn’t open until 2021, the designs and plans had been underway for the new school since Measure S was passed by area voters in 2016. The bond appropriated $59 million to address the problem of overcrowding in the city’s antiquated school buildings.

The school district tapped SVA Architects, headquartered in nearby Santa Ana, for the job based on the designer’s previous work for such local clientele as the Redondo Beach Unified School District. SVA has worked with its several educational clients to deliver buildings that are sustainable and offer a minimally invasive environmental impact.

“Hermosa Vista School is an example of design meeting the future, highlighting remarkable achievements in facility sustainability,” Robert Simons, AIA, president of SVA Architects, said in a recent statement about the school project. “The students and teachers will enjoy a modern, enhanced learning environment, and the sustainable features will benefit the entire community, while representing shared values and vision.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 15 after the school formally opened its doors to students on April 13. According to the Daily Breeze, the Saturday-afternoon ribbon-cutting was complemented with a Hermosa Beach Education Foundation fundraiser whose aim was to get cash to local organizations.

Hermosa Vista School is the first of three school projects funded by moneys set aside by Measure S. In addition, Hermosa View School, where kindergarten through second graders are educated, will be redesigned and updated, as will Hermosa Valley School for the district’s fifth to eighth graders.

Designer SVA Architects was founded in 2003. In addition to its local headquarters in Santa Ana, the company also has satellite offices in Oakland, San Diego and Honolulu.

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IRVINE, Calif.—C.W. Driver Companies, a premier builder that celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2019, today announced the completion of a $23 million Performing Arts Complex at Woodbridge High School for Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) in Irvine. The 36,000-square-foot facility will support the need for additional and upgraded performing arts space for students, staff and the local community. Highlighting the school’s front entrance, the new center serves as a campus beacon and incorporates a variety of new features, including a stage with a fly loft, orchestra pit, scene shop, dressing rooms and a 650-seat theater.

The complex also introduces a new 1,600-square-foot black box theater complete with a sound and light control room, and various support spaces including a lobby and ticket booth. Equipment storage and staff office space were also incorporated into the new complex. C.W. Driver Companies partnered with SVA Architects on the project.

“This Performing Arts Complex is a result of a highly collaborative process, with the final product reflecting input from both IUSD and the Woodbridge community,” said Tom Jones, project executive at C.W. Driver Companies. “With our breath of knowledge and experience building creative academic spaces for K-12 facilities across Southern California, we were able to deliver on the school’s vision for a modern facility that better supports its renowned performing arts program.”

A prestigious school for the performing arts, Woodbridge High School was named a Signature School by the GRAMMY Foundation for its outstanding music program — one of only 13 schools across the nation to receive this recognition. The new complex is funded by Measure E, an initiative passed by Irvine voters in 2016 to ensure all students have access to modern learning environments and technology.

“The new complex is a testament to our award-winning performing arts and academic programs and commitment to ensuring that all students are prepared for the demands of 21st century higher education and careers,” said Chris Krebs, principal, Woodbridge High School. “We’re looking forward to the endless educational and cultural opportunities this new facility will provide for our students and the Irvine community.”

Additional C.W. Driver Companies K-12 projects for IUSD include Heritage Fields K-8 preconstruction; Springbrook Elementary School; Westpark Elementary School; Woodbury Elementary School; Portola High School and Brywood Elementary School. The firm’s Southern California-based K-12 projects in progress include Measure G Modernizations for Country Springs Elementary School; Rolling Ridge Elementary School; Canyon Hills Jr. High School and Townsend Jr. High School in Chino Valley Unified School District.

C.W. Driver Companies is an established builder serving California since 1919.

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What started as a modernization and expansion project eventually evolved into a redesign of the entire campus, demonstrating SVA Architects’ innovation and solutions-driven approach to delivering optimal design.

Upon studying the master plan, budget and constraints of the Horner Middle School Conversion project, the design team realized that a completely new campus could be created within the budget, using innovative site development and design. In the first phase, currently underway, the existing campus operations are continuing as normal while new buildings are being constructed on the playfields. During the second phase, the staff and students will relocate to the new buildings, and the existing buildings will be demolished and replaced with new athletic fields. Construction is anticipated to be complete in 2020.

Robert Simons, AIA, president of SVA Architects, stated, “The opportunity to bring Horner Middle School the latest technology, while accommodating the increase in enrollment as it transitions, was a very rewarding challenge! Horner is now ready to greet current needs, and is prepared to meet anticipated growth. It was a pleasure working with a solutions-orientated team!”

Founded in 2003, SVA Architects is an award-winning firm specializing in urban planning, architecture and interior design of public, private and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

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The gamut of projects include the rebuilding of North School, which originally served as an elementary school but closed and had been rented to outside preschool groups since the 1980s. North School is anticipated to reopen in 2019. At Hermosa View School, two new classroom buildings are planned to replace existing deteriorated classroom buildings, as well as campus-wide upgrades to electrical, lighting and HVAC systems; new roofing; and accessibility upgrades. Hermosa Valley School will be modernized to improve parking and safety, replace aging roofs, and upgrade lighting and HVAC systems.

Robert Simons, AIA, president of SVA Architects, stated, “The modernization and new construction at the Hermosa Beach City Schools will reduce overcrowding, allow for more optimal learning environments, and ensure the facilities are environmentally compatible with the vision of the community.  We are excited to be a part of a much-needed transformation in this district, which will enhance the education of so many young people.”

SVA Architects specializes in urban planning, architecture and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects.  Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu.

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