SMPS SFBAC Sponsor Spotlight: DAHLIN
By Tina Barni Aday
Earlier this year I had a chance to touch base with Alexandra Rajaofera, Marketing/Proposal Coordinator at DAHLIN, and ask her a few questions about her firm, which is one of our Redwood sponsors.
Tell us about your firm and services.
DAHLIN is a diverse architecture, planning, and interiors firm, practicing globally. Passion for Place® is evident in all we do with developers, municipalities, and private clients across a diversified portfolio of residential, commercial, institutional, and civic work.
How many years have you been in business?
46 Years
Tell us about some notable projects.
MOD HIVE
Winner of the 2021 Empowered Living Design Competition Grand Award, Tiny Home Category, The MOD HIVE prototype exemplifies flexible design by maximizing adaptability to a variety of sites and contexts to create cost-efficient tiny home villages that never sacrifice a sense of community, whether it is a small cluster on one lot or a small, planned development consisting of multiple lots. By identifying an actual block of lots in Salt Lake City that is typical of the city, an appropriateness to real-world local conditions resulted in a responsive design solution—paving the way for a future of increased housing diversity capable of supporting and serving the needs of a more inclusive community. The name, MOD HIVE, captures this spirit, with the word “mod” referring both to the modular and modern design, while “hive” is a nod to the beehive as the ubiquitous symbol for Utah and a symbol for the strong community and social connection our design supports. The project was also the recipient of the 2022 Gold Nugget Grand Award, Innovative Housing Concepts.
SoHay
SoHay is a mixed-use neighborhood development comprised of approximately 25 acres of property owned by Caltrans, H.A.R.D., Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), ACFC, and the City of Hayward. The mixed density plan includes retail, cluster condominiums, row townhomes, and a new park, and seamlessly connects disjointed parcels into a series of connected neighborhoods with a progressive, holistic approach to walkability, an open space framework, neighborhood character, sustainability, and contemporary architectural styles. Envisioned as a southern gateway district, the project is intended to guide, enable, and set the bar for future development patterns. The project will serve as a catalyst in South Hayward to help spur more development in the area, which has historically been overlooked by the development community. SoHay won the 2022 APA California State Award of Excellence, Implementation (Large Jurisdiction), and the 2022 APA California Northern Award of Excellence, Implementation.
Fair Oaks Common
Located in the North Fair Oaks community of Redwood City, an area hit hard by the housing crisis and in critical need of affordable housing, this 100 percent affordable housing community specifically addresses military veterans and special needs. Amenities include an outdoor courtyard on the podium deck with BBQ, outdoor exercise equipment, and a community room with a technology lounge. Onsite services are provided to ensure housing stability, promote health and wellness, and encourage social integration with a full-time service coordinator organizing job readiness programs, educational assistance, financial planning courses, and counseling services. Fair Oaks Common is LEED BD+C: Homes Platinum Certified and a recipient of the 2021 USGBC LEED Homes Award for Outstanding Multifamily Project.
Mountain View Community Center
Booked to capacity on a regular basis by a number of local social groups, the newly renovated Mountain View Community Center reopens as the most popular and primary civic gathering space for the community. LEED BD+C Gold Certified, the renovated community center expanded its original footprint with an additional 7,000 square feet, providing better access to the facilities and site orientation, while upgrading the energy and water efficiency and performance of the building. The project won the 2019 CPRS Award of Excellence for Facility Design.
Mark Gallo Health & Fitness Center
The Mark Gallo Health & Fitness Center includes a 1,100-seat capacity gym, a 2,300-square-foot fitness center, a nutrition lab/instructional kitchen for the school's farm-to-fork ambitions, two classrooms, offices, and a training room. The large, naturally-lit lobby welcomes visitors with a sports mural spanning above the entry to its gym, while the exterior of the building is wrapped in the latest contemporary materials and finishes.
What differentiates your firm in terms of approach, talent, tools, and values?
DAHLIN's integrated planning, architecture, and interiors practice has been developed by over 45 years of shaping communities globally. We design each project with an intimate understanding of its context and respond to today's issues of resource conservation and sustainability. Our designs are innovative, realistic, and achievable. With over 180 multicultural professionals, our collaborative team is focused on the essence of our practice—delivering design expertise to advance the quality of the work and create value for our clients. The unique knowledge our leaders bring to each market sector allows DAHLIN to maintain a diverse practice that responds to the demands of multiple, specialized project types and geographic regions. From crafting sustainable communities and urban environments, to fostering a creative and inspiring workplace, our people are passionate about creating places that promote human fulfillment and well-being.
How long have you been a sponsor of SMPS?
This is the third year DAHLIN has been a sponsor. We have been members for several years, and we love supporting our local chapter as a firm.
What are some of the memorable or key events of SMPS that your firm has been involved with?
DAHLIN was honored to receive two 2022 SMPS San Francisco Topaz Awards:
- Award of Excellence, Holiday/Special Event, Party in a Box for the interactive gift box we created as an important way to make the employees part of a traditional client experience.
- Award of Merit, Holiday/Special Event, What Does Home Mean to You? for a video we created as part of an awards ceremony that demonstrated the values of the firm.
Tina Barni Aday is the Marketing Director at Lea & Braze Engineering. She writes for the Shortlist and is on the SMPS SF Communications Committee. She can be reached at [email protected]
