Skype Moves Next Door To Hohbach-Lewin (well, virtually)

Skype may be one of the more established companies on the internet but its new Palo Alto offices has more of the feel of a start up with offices replete with foosball and billiard tables. When Skype legally split from eBay, it needed to create new office space that encouraged and fostered a culture that nourished innovation yet also provided the infrastructure necessary for a rapidly expanding business that has revenues northward of $400M. Skype turned to designBlitz, architects out of San Francisco to accomplish this tricky balancing act. designBlitz and its team of consultants, including Hohbach-Lewin as the structural engineer, worked closely with BCCI Construction to transform a fifty year old industrial building into a modern Class A office space.

To facilitate the effort, the entire team built 3-D models of the entire space utilizing REVIT so that any interferences among the exposed building systems could be detected prior to the swing of the first hammer on this 54,000 SF tenant improvement. As a result of these efforts, the entire build-out was constructed ahead of schedule, and under budget.

Vons/Safeway - Long Beach Broadway Store Grand Opening...

Safeway Corporation, owner of southern California's grocery store chain, Vons, recently held its grand opening (December 08, 2010) for its new Long Beach Broadway Avenue store. The architectural design was by DLR Group out of Pasadena; structural engineering design by: Hohbach-Lewin, Pasadena; the General Contractor: AJ Padelford and Son Construction. The new store more than doubles the size of the store it replaces and includes a pharmacy, full service deli, hot bakery, floral department, a Starbucks and rooftop parking. By incorporating the parking on either the roof or below the stores, Safeway/Vons has been able to replace current stores with much larger and more modern stores on existing urban sites.

Hohbach-Lewin, San Francisco is currently working on the design of the new Safeway Berkeley (architecture by Lowney Architects, Oakland), has, and is continuing, to play an integral part in Safeway Corporation's ambitious construction program. With the completion of the Long Beach store, on going construction of the new store in Pasadena (fall 2011), along with the design of two other new Los Angeles stores, Hohbach-Lewin, Pasadena expects to have a very busy year as well.

To facilitate the rapid construction process, Hohbach-Lewin, along with all other team members, has been producing documentation for all Safeway/Vons projects via utilization of Autodesk's 3D modeling software, REVIT. This cross discipline 3D modeling approach allows for designs where all systems are coordinated and conflicts are resolved prior to the turning of the first shovel of dirt.

Hohbach-Lewin Associate, Kevin Morton, S.E. has been the point man on most, if not all of the Safeway/Vons projects - to be sure, the pace has been hectic, somehow though, through it all, Kevin still found time to trek across Nepal late last year - no doubt in between considering the meaning of life and contemplating his navel, also scouting possible sites for new urban grocery store expansions in Katmandu.

THE GIANTS WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!

What better way to start the New Year than to reflect on one of the best things that happened last year?

These pictures represent the view of the victory parade outside our San Francisco Market Street office. There was, as always, work to be done, but even Anthony Lee, S.E., our hard driving San Francisco office manager, had to pause a bit to watch the San Francisco Giants rumble up Market street a stone's throw from his desk.

Hohbach-Lewin guardedly looks to 2011 to be a year of climbing back! The U.S. economy ended last year on an encouraging note, with all parts of the country showing some improvement. Factories produced more, shoppers spent more and companies hired more - pointing to a stronger economy in 2011. Our clients and business partners continue to look to find ways to design and build structures more efficiently - here at Hohbach-Lewin, we welcome the challenge and know that these leaner economic times put our creative thinking and reputation for finding collaborative solutions in greater demand than ever before.

Last year's World Series and parade was tons of fun, but that was last year - now it's time to get back to work!

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