ELS Architecture and Urban Design

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Berkeley, CA
ELS Architecture and Urban Design

For 50 years, our work has enhanced the experience of urban life while being mindful of the environment.

Thoughtful, compelling design translates emotion, excitement, vision, and connection into places that engage people and nurture community. At our Berkeley-based architecture and urban design studio, we focus on the entire spectrum of public spaces – buildings, campuses, shopping and mixed-use streets, historic renovations and adaptive reuse, theatres, community and civic centers, sports and recreational facilities, open spaces and plazas, and sustainable design.

10/31/2026

A successful ELS Spookfest! There were a treasure hunt, game playing, crafts, plenty of food, Halloween movies playing in the background all day, and five dogs of ELS all in costume. ELSrs dressed up as requested. Thanks to the Event Planning Committee and Cheri for hosting and to Gerald for 3d printing all the decorations and extra masks!

10/30/2026

It was a honor to participate in the golden shovel ceremony this week for our Alameda Aquatic Center at Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The new center will be our sixth all-electric pool complex and the third built by general contractor Wickman Development and Construction. This project, which is Alameda’s largest recreation investment to date, marks the City’s first year-round, city-operated aquatic center. It’ll expand all-ages access to swimming, wellness, recreation, and aquatic safety programs – all pretty important for a place that’s mostly surrounded by water.

Special thanks to the many people at the City of Alameda and Alameda Recreation and Park who shepherded this project from its early concept to a nearly finished result. We’re grateful too for the support of Alameda Municipal Power, which has been essential to advancing the city’s formidable goals for sustainability.

Finally, thank you to the outstanding ELS team, project manager Griffin Structures, and our consultants at SWA, BKF, Forell Elsesser, Guttmann & Blaevoet, Aquatic Design Group, mack5, Specifications West, and CambridgeSeven with Cortina Productions and Natalie Zanecchia Design.

10/16/2026

Our new Veterans Memorial Senior Center in Redwood City has been named a finalist in AIA East Bay's Design Awards, in the Large Civic category. The big reveal comes at the awards gala on October 22, at Berkeley’s David Brower Center.

This multifaceted project uses immersive exhibits to honor local veterans and celebrate the site’s amazing football legacy. It's also remarkably sustainable to operate, through ambitious strategies in water conservation and on-site clean energy generation.

This project began with the vision and commitment of City of Redwood City officials and a vast range of local stakeholders—we're so grateful for their support and guidance. Thanks also go to our outstanding ELS team and our exceptional consultants: SWA Group, CambridgeSeven with Cortina Productions, Inc. and Natalie Zanecchia Design, Berg Davis Public Affairs, Sandis, Forell Elsesser, Introba, The Shalleck Collaborative, Steven Winkel, Edson Design Interiors, and mack5. For bringing the project to completion, thanks Gilbane Building (as project manager).

10/15/2026

On the heels of its LEED Silver Certification, our recently unveiled Piedmont Community Pool has been named a Design Award finalist by AIA East Bay, in their Large Civic category. We’re excited to see what happens at the October 22 awards gala at the David Brower Center in Berkeley. If you’re planning to attend too, let us know!

This project’s lush landscape, grand pool deck, and luxurious seating turn a standard pool visit into something special. A project like this one would be impossible without the vision and dedication of so many stakeholders, which here include municipal officials, community advocates, and project donors.

Kudos to the talented team members at ELS and to our consultant team: SWA Group, BKF Engineers, Aquatic Design Group, Forell Elsesser, Guttmann & Blaevoet, Brightworks Sustainability, SGH, mack5, and Steven Winkel. Special thanks to the City of Piedmont, to its project manager Griffin Structures, and to the general contractor Wickman Development and Construction for getting us to the finish line.

10/09/2026

For the leaders of Los Angeles Community College District, one way to strengthen the local design community and get the word out about new projects is by bringing people together. Last week at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, we took part in the BuildLACCD Architecture Partnership Forum, an annual event where architects and subconsultants can form new relationships and explore ideas for teaming on upcoming LACCD projects. For ELS’s Clarence D. Mamuyac, Jr., Kim-Van Truong, Kenneth Hasegawa, and Angelo Razo, it was a pleasure to see so many industry friends and colleagues gathered in one place.

Thanks to the Buildlaccd Program for hosting this invaluable event! We appreciated the invite and look forward to the 2027 iteration.

10/06/2026

Following a successful inaugural summer at the new Piedmont Community Pool, it’s clear that the venue is turning into a vibrant gathering place for this close-knit city. On a steep and remarkably dense corner of Piedmont's civic center, this all-electric facility, which was recently certified LEED Silver, will be the site of generations of memories for countless users.

A new aquatic center was the decades-long dream of community advocates, and the effort to realize it spanned five mayoral administrations, culminating with that of Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen. We’re so grateful to all City of Piedmont officials and staff whose partnership and dedication finally and steadily advanced the work through planning, design, and construction. Special thanks go to the leaders of the Piedmont Recreational Fund, which helped close the funding gap in delivering this important community asset.

For helping bring this remarkable community resource to life, we give heartfelt thanks to our outstanding team of ELS staff, consultants (SWA Group, BKF Engineers, Forell Elsesser, Guttmann & Blaevoet, Aquatic Design Group, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Brightworks Sustainability, Mende Design, and mack5), city project manager Griffin Structures, and general contractor Wickman Development.

Photos by: Bruce Damonte Photography

09/25/2026

We’re pleased to share that Kerman, a city in the Central Valley on the frontlines of climate change, has received approval to move forward with its new Resilience Center. For much of this year, we’ve been partnering with the city’s stakeholders on a transformative hub that will deliver ongoing community-wide programs and services, in addition to the resources needed to support locals during emergencies. The resulting project, which has received funding through an innovative statewide grant program, comprises approximately 10,000 sf of new construction and the adaptive reuse of 15,000 sf of existing facilities.

Thanks to our fantastic partners at the City of Kerman, for their leadership and vision in shepherding this project so far. Our work is now advancing through construction documents and is on track to bid later this year. It’s exciting to see this vision continue moving toward reality!

Thanks also to the ELS team and to our consultants at SWA Group, IDA Structural Engineers, Guttmann & Blaevoet, The Shalleck Collaborative, Müller Design, Steven Winkel, and mack5.

09/18/2026

We’re excited that Wickman Development and Construction has been selected to build the new Alameda Aquatic Center, which will be our sixth all-electric pool complex and the third built by Wickman. This project, which is Alameda's largest recreation investment to date, marks the City's first year-round, city-operated aquatic center. It’ll expand all-ages access to swimming, wellness, recreation, and aquatic safety programs – all pretty important for a place that’s mostly surrounded by water.

Special thanks to the many people at the City of Alameda who shepherded this project from its early concept to a nearly finished result. We’re grateful too for the support of Alameda Municipal Power, which has been essential to advancing the city’s formidable goals for sustainability.

Finally, thank you to the outstanding ELS team and our consultants at SWA Group, BKF Engineers , Forell Elsesser, Guttmann & Blaevoet, Aquatic Design Group, mack5, Specifications West, and CambridgeSeven with Cortina Productions, Inc., and Natalie Zanecchia Design.

09/17/2026

In South San Francisco, we’re excited to share the construction progress of our third all-electric municipal aquatic center, currently at 70% completion. It's so inspiring to see this innovative community asset come to life. Boasting indoor and outdoor pools, this major addition to Orange Memorial Park upgrades its corner site and complements the adjacent recreation center. It represents yet another important asset for the city, whose leaders have chosen to spread the benefits of its growth across the entire community.

Thanks to The City of South San Francisco client team and to the city’s project manager, Swinerton Management & Consulting. And congratulations to the ELS team; our consultants at SWA Group, BKF Engineers, Forell Elsesser, Guttmann & Blavoet, Aquatic Design Group, Steven Winkel, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, mack5, Salter, Ninyo & Moore, and CPP Wind; and the project’s builders, Wickman Development and Construction.

09/16/2026

Tracy Chan, Associate Principal and our BIM Lead, is neck deep in AU! She's back attending Autodesk University in Vegas this week, and excited to share with the office what she learns on software tools, workflows, inter-operability across platforms, visualization techniques, and applications for Al.

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http://www.elsarch.com/

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