SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
What projects are you currently working on ? Here is a very small sample of the work we have in-house : Red Hawk Hotel and Entertainment Center at Red Hawk Casino ; Heredia-Arriaga Dual Immersion School , a K-5 campus in Natomas ; Esplanade at Turkey Creek clubhouse interior design in Lincoln ; Sonrisa Studio Apartments in Sacramento ; The Jacquelyn in Sacramento and The Kind Project in Sacramento .
Naaz Alikhan Principal W + P | 19six
What issues have you had to overcome lately ? Staffing has been our biggest challenge by far , specifically finding people with the right experience . This was predicted quite a while ago and several factors play into this : the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation , the smaller Gen X following the Boomers means fewer people in the workforce , and the exodus from our profession during the Great Recession . On the bright side , we ’ ve attracted some great talent over the last few years ; they are helping tremendously ! We have constantly searched for talent using several different means and methods . We have great benefits , a fun culture and currently offer a hybrid schedule . In addition , we have engaged architects and designers with independent practices to work as consultants on projects ; they have been so helpful !
Beth Young Vice President , Office Director HGA
What projects are you currently working on ? Currently , I am working on an extensive renovation of an existing 17-story building in downtown Sacramento for the California Department of General Services . The original building was completed in 1964 and houses over 2,500 state employees . … The building will be LEED-Certified , incorporating several sustainable measures , when it is complete in 2025 . … One of ( my ) projects , located in Sacramento , is a renovation and upgrade of an existing data center … Another data center project , also in the Sacramento area , is the renovation of an existing building to accommodate a resilient , mission-critical data center that incorporates sustainable measures such as high-efficiency MEP systems , photovoltaics and passive measures , such as increased insulation at the building envelope .
Are you experiencing any lingering effects from the pandemic ? As an industry , workload has been a challenge in the past year and HGA has been no exception . We have had to get creative by sharing staff across market sectors and our 12 office locations across the country . Another challenge , particularly as the office director of the Sacramento office , has been navigating the new “ work from home ” model . This flexible work style has many benefits but creating person-to-person connections remains a challenge . I often organize intentional and meaningful opportunities for our employees to come together in person and connect with one another . … We want to balance people ’ s need for flexibility and remain sensitive to everyone ’ s unique workstyle , but still foster those critical connections within our team .
August 2022 | comstocksmag . com 91