The two-story volume of the space is amplified within the building envelope around the perimeter of the Shuttle Mock-up. A second floor mezzanine provides an elevated view as guests walk around the model, and supplemental exhibition space for future installations. The area below the mezzanine hosts utility spaces, offices, and a STEAM educational area that adapts to a Community Room with its own exterior entry access. One of the unique features of the Building is its responsive design to the Shuttle model, with raised architectural form and geometry to frame the standing Tail Section with a majestic geometry and glass façade, visible from beyond the site, that gestures toward the park and Space Center entry with dramatic illumination at night.

Activity spaces are situated to allow for engaging multiple functions, also maintaining separate group uses throughout the day, all with access to utility spaces. The restrooms are placed to provide the park with after-hours access.
Multiple entrances cue guests to various features and functions of the facility, with intuitive wayfinding to allow for self-guided exploration. A large, bi-fold door pays homage to the classic aerospace hanger, revealing a direct inside-outside connection, for community or private events.

The materiality of the building references the substantial strength and detail reflected in the finish of the Mock-up display; the building’s exterior metallic façade pairs with an interior of warm wood tones and exposed structural elements. The façade design harmonizes with the adjacent Space Center, while standing on it’s own with a unique architectural impression.

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After the conclusion of the meeting, all information obtained was documented, analyzed, and summarized. The comment cards were evaluated for common topics and those topics were ranked by frequency of mentions. The Image board survey results were used to calculate which themes achieved positive or negative reactions. All the information gathered was used to inform preliminary concept alternatives that align with the inspirations positively received by the community.

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In 2022, we decided to film a short high light reel of the Women of Westgroup. Westgroup is made up of many diverse women who fill multiple different roles. From accounting to architecture, each woman at Westgroup plays a special role in making this firm function as a whole. Happy International Women's Day!

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For the third time, Westgroup Designs is honored to be named as one of the top Best Places to Work in 2020 by the Orange County Business Journal.

Placing in the top 3 on the list, Westgroup Designs was selected for its quality of Leadership and Organization, Company Culture and Overall employee Trust and Satisfaction. Westgroup Designs dedicates this award to each and every one of its resourceful, collaborative employees who provides the value offered to our clients and project partners every day, who embody the firm’s values with compassion and integrity, and who approach every day with a great attitude, team spirit, passion for design and enthusiasm for discovery.

This county-wide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Orange County, California, benefiting the county's economy, its workforce and businesses. The ranking of the winning organizations was issued in a special section of the Orange County Business Journal’s October 26th issue.

About Westgroup Designs Westgroup Designs (WD) is a comprehensive Architecture, Planning, Interior Design and Branding firm headquartered in Irvine, California, with both National and International clients and projects. Founded in 1989, WD is a woman-owned business that values excellence; certain that the best results come from a strong partnership with clients, and high-quality work is a culmination of attitude & approach, enthusiasm for discovery and passion for design. WD leverages design as a tool to help clients achieve organizational goals and strengthen business outcomes. The firm’s expertise includes projects in Education, Commercial, Civic, Retail, Health & Wellness and Lifestyle sectors, from tenant improvement and renovation to new multi-story buildings and campuses.

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Westgroup Designs (WD) received a Merit Award for its design of INDA ACADEMY, at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Orange County Chapter Design Awards Gala, presented virtually on October 1st.

The project is a 25,000 square foot, Pre-K to 6 educational facility for the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD), focused on the goal of creating an inclusive 21st century neighborhood school with an innovative DREAMS curriculum (Design, Research, Engineering, Arts, Math and Science).

Citing the project’s sustainable concept for Adaptive Reuse and design quality, the AIA Jurors unanimously celebrated this project:

The design is well-considered, thoughtful, and nicely executed, including a playful slide that descends along the side of the building. Another great embodied carbon story that encourages the reuse of existing structures.”

The design team delivered a unique solution that would facilitate progressive hands-on learning for 225 students a year, and understand how this solution would enhance the community, leveraging the local climate to support indoor/outdoor educational activities with glazed retractable walls and highly flexible interior spaces. As part of the resilient design concept, WD focused on creating a healthier building, updating the design of the building skin, adding operable windows and a new ventilation system which exceeds energy requirements by 30% and provides 100% outside air for healthier indoor air quality. 

Our responsibility as architects is to both dream and to build responsibly, Westgroup Designs Principal, Dr. Shazad Ghanbari said. “ This will be a transformational environment; an example for our next generation of emerging technology and learning experiences.”

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Congratulations to Westgroup Designs (WD) Founder and CEO PariSima (Sima) Hassani on receiving this incredible honor, celebrating Women who have made a distinctive mark in Commercial Real Estate. Growing the firm’s expertise, over the last several decades, to include substantial work in commercial, education, civic, healthcare and lifestyle sectors, Sima affirms that WD values excellence, believing the best results come from a strong partnership with their clients, leveraging design as a tool to help clients achieve organizational goals and strengthen business outcomes. With more than $535 million in successful projects in their portfolio, it’s no wonder that Westgroup Designs has an 80% return-client ratio. The firm is also proud of its commitment to education and diversity of staff, comprised of 50% women and 60% minority, with 75% of professionals licensed in their fields.

Please join us in celebrating Sima and this achievement!
See original publication here.

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Our WFH (Westgroup From Home) Wellness Challenge has enlivened and engaged our staff to get and stay connected like never before…and now we’re sharing our secret sauce with all of you! Each Week our WFH Wellness Challenge provides inspiration, a sense of camaraderie and friendly competition, as well as opportunities to be your best self! Weekly goals involving sharing healthy habits, self-care, energy builders, sustainability, environmental resilience, stress relief and creativity earn participant points toward a WD charity donation and, of course, winner’s bragging rights for the week! Staff completes their goal forms and submits them with any photos of their activities; they also post some of these on our Instagram and tag @WestgroupDesigns for some online promo! Sharing the weekly updates with these great submissions serves as a scrapbook of the success along the way, which we will be continuing to do, sharing this at our quarterly all staff celebrations!

Now its YOUR TURN! We’re providing our custom template of our WFH Challenge for you to use with your staff and teams. Have fun with it, and feel free to tag @WestgroupDesigns with your photos…we may just feature YOU and your inspiring activities in an upcoming post!

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Everyone in the WD family is committed to reducing our individual carbon footprint. Here are just a few ways our team members are contributing to ecological resilience from home:

• Growing new vegetables from scraps, including greens, onions, carrots and celery
• Providing Nest Boxes and upcycled nesting materials in your yard for birds
• Planting fruit trees, including citrus, pear, pomagranite and nut species
• Upcycling natural materials for reusable totes, plant hangers, furniture
• Planting flowers that are bee, bird and butterfly friendly for organic pollination
• Investing in reusable water pitchers with filters in lieu of purchasing water bottles
• Using and gifting reusable metal water bottles
• Opening windows for fresh air and circulation in lieu of running the air conditioning or heater
• Picking up trash and debris in your community during walks and short outings
• Capturing rainwater for use in watering indoor plants and cleaning outdoor surfaces
• Using eco-friendly products to support the “zero-waste” movement, including reusable food storage, bees wax paper, bamboo cleaning supplies

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To our valued Clients, Project Partners, Industry Colleagues and Community,

At Westgroup Designs, our highest priority will always be the safety and well-being of our family of employees, and you, our clients, project partners and professional community.

As we monitor and navigate through the COVID-19 situation, we have employed a work plan to continue providing service which, for the time-being, will include eliminating non-urgent travel, minimizing in-person contact, employing our advanced technology capabilities to work remotely, conducting virtual meetings and maintaining our secure file-sharing methods. Our technology infrastructure already utilizes a platform with seamless, remote support for our team, so we will continue working without interruption.

Staying connected as an industry and community is more important than ever, so our steadfast commitment to all of you will not change.

As such, we will continue to provide the service and care you have come to expect from our professional team. We are also monitoring the activity of local agencies and jurisdictions and will continue to share best practices and updates with our fellow industry professionals, as we weather this storm together.

May you all remain safe and well as we collectively and pro-actively address this rapidly changing situation in an unprecedented environment. We encourage all to take the necessary health precautions to protect yourself and your family. To learn more, please visit the CDC at cdc.gov, or your local Health department.

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Pictured here is a sneak peak of the entry design we created for the new concept of Levity Entertainment’s Improv, in Milwaukee. Our client is excited about this second venture with the new design concept and remarked “…It’s just another reason why we love working with you and your team, because you really “get” us and that’s invaluable”.

This 16,000 square foot performance venue, slated to open in mid 2020, will seat 500+ and entertain with multiple lounges and features throughout.

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