The project team behind United Oil #3 in Baldwin Hills showed that a gas station can be more than a simple box shape and be aesthetically pleasing. Related Links: Best of California 2009 United Oil #3 is a custom-designed and built gas station that features mostly glazier work. The storefront for the gas station is comprised solely of 3/4-in tempered glass and reaches 16 ft high. A 25-ft tall glass tower drops through the middle of the roof. The tower was created using Bendheims Linit channel glass wall system out of Germany. The tower, shaped as an ellipse and raked

The $105-million brain tumor research building is one of the largest and most comprehensive centers in the nation. The new building contains two interlocking L-shaped wings -- one containing labs, the other containing offices -- that will foster interaction and collaboration among the more than 400 cancer researchers. Related Links: Best of California 2009 Due to its close proximity to the light rail line on Third Street, the building was constructed out of cast in place concrete in lieu of steel due to the research being done inside. This was to reduce the vibration and meet the standards required by

With its diverse mix of attractions, food, entertainment, lounge areas, pub and bookstore, the new, $38-million University Center at the University of the Pacific is an ideal meeting space for student life organizations, alumni, faculty, administration and the Stockton community. The spaces inside and outside the building were designed with input from the students and university community. Related Links: Best of California 2009 The conceptual approach for the building was to establish a sense of place that draws meaning and design intent from the surrounding environments that foster interaction, abundance and growth. The project team was made up of stakeholders

This $19.7-million Caltrans project creates a new concrete barrier within the median and a resurfaced freeway on one of the most traveled and worst areas of freeway in California. It is located on Highway 80 in Solano and Napa counties in and near Vallejo, from east of the Tennessee Street overcrossing to American Canyon. Related Links: Best of California 2009 The scope of work involved a median freeway widening and repave with asphalt. The project team also replaced the existing thrie-beam guardrail with a new concrete median barrier, installed all new median drainage, built three retaining walls totaling approximately 2,200

The $125 million Ed Kado-designed, 25-story Bank of the West Tower at Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento provides 433,000 sq ft of Class A office space with panoramic views of the Sierras, the Sacramento River, Sacramento’s skyline and the Capitol Rotunda. At 396 ft, the building is the third tallest in the city. Related Links: Best of California 2009 Developed by Tsakopoulos Investments, the building offers on-site building management, 24-hour security, a fitness center with showers and locker facilities, cable-ready access, legislative audio access, an overnight express center, a planned restaurant and an 800-stall parking garage. The city of Sacramento

This innovative classroom building in El Cerrito is one of the greenest learning spaces in Northern California, saving energy and providing a high performance and healthy learning environment for its K-8 student population. This new 14,000-sq-ft addition provides seven classrooms, a library and lobby for an adjacent gymnasium. Related Links: Best of California 2009 The design of the classroom building fulfills Windrush School’s commitment to its students, educators and community to provide a building that makes living green a tangible lesson of sustainability. It is 97% more energy-efficient and prevents the release of 38 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually

Gary Brattain and his wife went to a meeting of the Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial Association intending to purchase a memorial bench. Instead, they came away with the job to build the memorial. Related Links: Best of California 2009 Brattain, president of Brea-based Building Construction Specialties, Inc., was attending a fundraiser for the association in 2007 when someone asked if someone knew a good design-builder or contractor for the proposed memorial. Brattain and his wife volunteered their time and services for the project. They had initially attended the association meeting simply to purchase a memorial bench; the Brattains’ son, Joel,

Building any new hospital is tough in California. Adding and modernizing an existing hospital can often be more difficult, but the project team behind the SHARP Memorial Hospital Modernization achieved stellar results. The SHARP Memorial Hospital Modernization is a 315,000-sq-ft tower that adds 128 beds, 10 operating rooms and an emergency department to the existing hospital. The $148-million project took four years to build. Related Links: Best of California 2009 One of the challenges that the project team encountered when building the seven-story tower was that the columns for the project were expected to weigh 730 lbs per ft. Because

This new, dynamic sculpture garden serves as an integral part of San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Arts’ exhibition space that houses many of the museum’s large sculptures and exhibitions. Related Links: Best of California 2009 The project consists of four major elements: an outdoor sculpture garden, an all-glass enclosed garden pavilion, a glazed bridge, and an expansion to the existing fifth floor galleries. Additionally, a support wing has been designed to serve these new spaces including a cafe located within the pavilion. The project provides a 30% increase to the overall museum exhibition space with 8,800 sq ft dedicated to

The 380,000-sq-ft, $342-million Terminal B Concourse is the first element of the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport’s extensive $1.3-billion modernization program. It will ultimately integrate with the new Terminal B, which is scheduled for opening in summer 2010. Related Links: Best of California 2009 The concourse’s design evokes the high-tech landscape of the Silicon Valley while celebrating the area’s sunny climate and agrarian roots. Inside, the concourse has the feel of a sunlit paseo, with a dramatic curved translucent roof featuring fabric panels to filter direct sunlight and absorb sound. On the exterior, the long and cable-like outer