Our staff members have many years of experience with expertise in all areas of project types - intricate to medium size projects, rehabilitation, code upgrade including accessibility, public and private facilities. We have managed many projects with various client types including governmental, commercial, and residential.
Our project management system makes it possible for us to dedicate personal attention to your project. We assign highly skilled staff to oversee and implement every project and provide day-to-day personal contact with clients, consultants, and contractors. Every project is unique and our design team is tailored to the specific needs of each. We have developed our project delivery system to reduce large team inefficiencies.
For preservation projects, we are fully versed in the Secretary of Interiors Standard for Rehabilitation, the California Historic Building Code, as well as various funding resources, the California Environmental Quality Act and federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits. Many of us exceed the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards. Our knowledge of the standards, regulations, codes and technology enable us to easily identify how they apply to unique or complex structures and allows us to comfortably explore all options presented by the design challenge.
Michael Garavaglia, AIA, LEED BD+C
Principal, Preservation Architect
Ambrose Wong, AIA
Project Manager
Steve Garavaglia
Business & Financial Manager
Kathleen McDonald
Conditions Assessment Specialist/Architectural Historian
Joseph van den Berg
Architectural Historian
Ervin Siax
Office Manager
Michael Garavaglia, AIA, LEED BD+C
Principal, Preservation Architect
Exceeds Secretary of Interiors Professional Qualification Standards - Historic Architecture
With over 32 years of experience in the architectural profession and as principal, Mr. Garavaglia leads the firm with preservation architectural services that respond to the specific needs of cultural resources and their environment. He has long understood the sustainability of historical rehabilitation, its merit in economic development, and its community significance. He seeks opportunities for creative teaming in his staff and consultants to create the most responsive team for each unique project and client. He directs his firm to constantly evolve the preservation services and work products to maintain the relevance of the firm's work, especially in quality control. As such, a preservation project delivery methodology integrating historical knowledge in the design process is key. His work with the preservation community, primarily through involvement with the California Preservation Foundation, has focused on organizational involvement, educational programs, and stewardship development.
His commitment to historic preservation issues includes current memberships with the California Preservation Foundation (past board member and Vice President of Programs), National Trust for Historic Preservation, Association of Preservation Technology, San Francisco Heritage, National Main Street Center, and the Preservation Action Council of San Jose.
He received his professional Bachelor of Architecture from California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo that included a special study program in Historic Preservation, and is licensed to practice architecture in California. The National Institute for Conservation has named Mr. Garavaglia a Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) Assessor and is a LEED® Accredited Professional.