Water + Leaves
Water + Leaves
WRD Architects collaborated with a visionary owner to design a contemporary space for the first specialty tea and coffee shop on Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
The client’s passion for tea guided the design process. Four high-performance digital tea steepers maintain optimal temperature, pressure, and timing for each tea variety. Behind the counter, six oversized dispensers showcase a range of raw, local honey.
The café’s commitment to sustainable, organic practices is reflected in its design. The exposed ceiling features natural wood, while a new balcony addition, with glass doors leading to it, offers a clear, unobstructed view of Monterey Bay. A mural near the balcony connects the Bay’s fishing heritage to the owner’s extended family roots.
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Hotel Abrego
Hotel Abrego
WRD Architects’ multi-phased expansion and remodel of this 56,000-square-foot property included the design of a new 29-room building, along with renovations to the existing hotel facilities, all tailored to complement the historic architecture of downtown Monterey. These improvements expanded the hotel’s size, capacity, and amenities, creating additional revenue-generating opportunities.
The exterior and interior renovations of the existing guest rooms were modernized to align with the Mission-style architecture and Craftsman detailing of the new building. A total of 93 updated guest rooms now feature either a king bed or two queen beds, many with fireplaces. In addition to the room upgrades, WRD Architects also designed 645 square feet of flexible meeting space.
Upgrades to the hotel’s outdoor amenities were also part of the design. Decorative metal gates, wood wall panels, and enhanced lighting make the pool area more visible and inviting. A new firepit, decorative tile finishes, and cozy seating help create a warm, relaxing atmosphere for guests.
Awards
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Media
International seed company launches Salinas expansion
The Californian
Enza Zaden doubles facility size in Salinas
Onion Business
Scales
Scales
Scales showcases some of the Peninsula’s finest cuisine, paired with the California Coast’s most impressive views. The 22,000-square-foot restaurant features high ceilings and expansive bay windows from top to bottom, allowing more than 300 diners to experience the harbor’s natural ebbs and flows.
With the help of WRD Architects, co-owners and brothers Chris and Sabu Shake Jr. brought their vision to life.
“When we bring people in and lead them to their table, we want them to know they’re being seated in the best seat in the house—all of them are,” said Sabu Shake Jr. “We’ve laid it out so that everyone has a great table—and a comfortable one.”
The contemporary space is unique to the Wharf, offering an elegant, urban feel that sets it apart from the area’s many nautical-themed shops and restaurants.
“Our clean design maximized the incredible views throughout the space,” said WRD Architects Principal Henry Ruhnke.
The building houses four main operations that cater to a wide range of guest needs: a seafood and steak restaurant, a café, a fish market, and a gift shop. Each space has a distinct visual identity, yet visitors can enjoy seamless access between them. The crown jewel is the restaurant’s bar, designed to reflect the ocean’s rich palette of blue and gray tones, with long vertical scales illuminated by pendant lights above.
Awards
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Media
Bold new restaurant from Shake family announced for Fisherman’s Wharf
Monterey County Weekly
Monterey County Government Center
Monterey County Government Center
In 2013, Capital One financial services abruptly vacated its former Salinas offices at Shilling Place, leaving vacant a sprawling corporate campus with over 200,000 square feet of interior space and sea of existing cubicles. Monterey County saw a unique opportunity to consolidate eighteen different disparate departments under a single roof, and engaged WRD Architects to conduct a massive programming effort that involved civics and logistics in equal measures.
WRD Architects’ design transformed the existing one- and two-story former financial services buildings into a vibrant centralized campus for the County of Monterey. WRD provided full project oversight from project conceptualization to final interior furnishings with services that included programming, needs assessment, development guidelines, master planning, final permit documents, bidding assistance and construction administration.
Awards
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Media
$30.5M county HQ opens with a splash
The Californian
Holland Center
Holland Center
WRD Architects partnered with Middlebury Institute of International Studies to renovate the Holland Center, a popular student center at Middlebury’s Monterey campus. The newly expanded Holland Center features new kitchen and multipurpose areas, along with several different study zones for individuals and groups. The ceiling is composed of reclaimed wood salvaged from previously demolished buildings on campus.
The student center seamlessly extends outside, where students and faculty can gather under the lighted wooden entry trellis or newly landscaped patio areas in the back of the building.
Awards
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Media
Holland Center Reopens After Extensive Renovations
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
Carmel High School Library
Carmel High School Library
Carmel Unified School District selected WRD Architects to design the new Carmel High School Library.
The library features 18-foot-high, open wood-beamed ceilings and a fully glazed exterior gable wall that offers panoramic views and abundant natural light. Inside, the facility includes a classroom, a computer lab equipped with a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, a media room, and a comfortable seating area for reading periodicals. State-of-the-art technology is integrated throughout to enhance the students’ educational experience.
The building’s exterior was thoughtfully designed to complement the bucolic character of the existing campus architecture.
Awards
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Media
International seed company launches Salinas expansion
The Californian
Enza Zaden doubles facility size in Salinas
Onion Business
Santa Clara University, Graham Hall
Architecture
Home to approximately 350 incoming undergraduate students each year, Graham Hall has the largest resident population of any building on the Santa Clara University campus. WRD Architects oversaw the permitting and construction of the new four-story, 125,000-square-foot structure for the University as part of an initiative to increase on-campus housing. With a strong focus on sustainability, the new residence hall incorporates salvaged and recycled materials from 96 percent of the four 1960s-era dorm buildings that were demolished to make way for the new building. The project was named a “Best Green Project” finalist in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal’s Structures awards.
The residence hall features common areas and maximizes the use of green space around the building, integrating the new landscaping with existing landscaping around an adjacent Commons. Design elements include abundant natural light, courtyards with green space, high ceilings in common areas, glass walls where appropriate, and a general feeling of openness that fosters a sense of community and ease of access.
Awards
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Media
Santa Clara University recycles bulk of former dorm to build new student quarters
Silicon Valley Business Journal
Tour of Graham Hall (Video)
Santa Clara University, Vimeo
Similar Projects
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Rockrose Gardens
Architecture
Named after a plant that puts forth beautiful blooms despite drought and extreme adversity, Interim’s Rockrose Gardens housing project creates an environment of beauty and dignity for low-income residents who have faced economic hardship and psychiatric disabilities. The striking new complex contains 21 modern apartments with integrated common areas and landscaped courtyards.
Interim Inc., a nonprofit helping clients find recovery from mental health challenges as well as housing and other support, partnered with WRD Architects to create the LEED for Homes Gold certified facility, with spaces designed to inspire health, wellness and sense of community for residents.
Sloped roofs and earth-toned finishes unify the buildings on their hilltop site off of Abrams Drive in Marina. WRD designed the interiors of the two-story structures to feature natural daylighting, vaulted ceilings, and calming, natural colors. The facility also includes a community room for individuals to connect in a comfortable group setting. The inner courtyard provides a landscaped, safe environment for outdoor gatherings and reflection.
Six rockrose tile mosaics are prominently featured in the project. Created by Interim Inc.’s clients, the art symbolizes beauty and resilience. Custom designed gates with rockrose blossoms reinforce this inspiring message.
Awards
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Media
International seed company launches Salinas expansion
The Californian
Enza Zaden doubles facility size in Salinas
Onion Business
Lighthouse Mixed-Use
Architecture
WRD Architects designed a new three-story mixed-use development located between Monterey’s Downtown and Cannery Row districts. The two-building complex introduces a fresh, modern look to this transitional neighborhood. Brick and cement plaster finishes, solid copper accents, aluminum sunshades and canopies, and an open walkway through the center of the building further enhance this pedestrian-oriented development.
The building facing Lighthouse Avenue includes 7,700 square feet of ground floor commercial space with 26 modern one- and two-bedroom apartment units above. The second structure along Foam Street features six one-bedroom apartments. Apartment tenants have access to additional storage space, laundry rooms and private “tuck under” parking.
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Cardinale
Architecture
Like an attractive car that turns heads, Cardinale’s new headquarters is bold, polished and wows at first, second, and subsequent glances. The automotive dealer group wanted an office that embodied the excitement of owning and driving the finest car, and WRD Architects delivered the fitting interior design.
Each modern office space features a bold racing stripe in either red, yellow or gray. These vibrant colors were chosen to create a sense of movement to highlight the walls and floors as they travel throughout the building. In the showroom, the vehicles are framed by a gridded race deck flooring system.
The new headquarters literally shines. The refinished ruby desk in the lobby sparkles while the lustrous film covers add depth and richness. Highly polished flooring tiles illuminate the company logo at the entrance along with an artistic tire track pattern along the two main hallways.
WRD Architects’ interior design services extended to several collaborative workspaces, with the largest being the training room. The bold red stripe down the center of the room frames the dropdown video screen when it is in use, and the furniture provides flexible configuration options to fit different meeting or educational needs.
Awards
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Media
International seed company launches Salinas expansion
The Californian
Enza Zaden doubles facility size in Salinas
Onion Business