The Folsom Rail Yards Master Plan project was a design competition won by our firm in 1996. Along with updating the Master Plan for Historic Downtown Folsom, the Railroad Turn Table was completely rebuilt to the standards of its hay day.
Civic
The California Fruit Building was considered Sacramento’s first true high-rise building standing at 10 stories high. Based in San Francisco, it is believed that Charles Kaiser had partnered with Hemming’s and his draftsmen due to their knowledge of Sacramento to complete the building. Following the World War I, Kaiser changed his surname to avoid the stigmatism of being German. He was referenced as both Kaiser and Sumner.
The original drawings were found within the Nacht & Lewis archives due to E.C. Hemmings association with Charles Kaiser.
The project is also known as Store & Office Building For The Merchants Investment Bank.
The joint venture between Nacht & Lewis and HOK first established goals and objectives for improving the Sacramento County detention complex to consider both the rights and protection of prisoners and the public. The architectural solution responds to a restricted urban site resulting in a multi-story building articulated to form six slender towers. The new Main Jail building is a complete 1,250-bed pre-trial detention facility, including arraignment and secure courtrooms, replacing the existing County Main Jail. Exterior materials are pre-cast concrete and porcelain metal panels, chosen for their ease of maintenance, durability and compatibility with surrounding buildings.
Inmates are housed in 96-bed “mini-jails” which are self-contained units with an outdoor exercise area, visiting area, program spaces, day areas, dining rooms, sub-security systems and decentralized operations. In order to reduce operational costs, improve security and facilitate in-custody judicial proceedings, a court facility is located on the ground floor of the jail. This court section provides four courtrooms, related staff areas and a large holding/attorney visiting area below the courtrooms. Arraignments, preliminary motions and high security trials are conducted on this floor. Flexibility in the plan provides expansion to the year 2025 through completion of “shelled-in” space and of a subsequent tower.
In 1983, Nacht & Lewis designed the main post office building in Auburn, California. It still serves the community today.
This parking structure was built in conjunction with the new California Energy Commission building on 9th and P Street. The garage is ideally situated across from the California Women’s History Museum providing visitors to downtown Sacramento and state workers alike a convenient place to park.
Completed in 1981, this state office building was one of eight state office buildings commissioned to demonstrate energy conscious design.
The project was designed to maximize natural light thereby reducing the energy required for artificial illumination. The building is stepped both in plan and in section, creating relatively narrow interior spaces flooded with daylight. A central atrium is used for circulation as well as natural lighting. Open plan furnishing systems were provided for at all levels, with enclosed offices located away from exterior louvered window walls.
Currently the offices of the California Energy Commission reside within the building.
Originally designed in 1974, the Stanislaus County Administration Center is still owned and operated by Stanislaus County. The facility is now headquarters to the Stanislaus County Office of Education.
Stanislaus County Community Medical Center offers an array of programs and services designed to protect the health and safety of the community. Our firm designed this facility for Stanislaus County in 1972.
Designed in 1967 to serve the growing community of Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District, the Howe Community Center, now named The Richard T. Conzelmann Community Center, hosts the Park District’s main office as well as an auditorium and meeting rooms that are available to the community for rent.
The Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse is home to the main administrative offices of the court, as well as containing trial courtrooms, the Department of the Presiding Judge, and the general civil and criminal case processing support units. Built in 1965, the courthouse is still in use today.
The Sacramento County Welfare building once stood at the corner of Stockton Blvd. and X Street. The building and property were later sold to University of California, Davis after the county moved out of the building to a more central location in downtown Sacramento. Absorbed into the campus of U.C. Davis the building was demolished and a parking structure and hospital now sit on the welfare building’s former site. This building was a beautiful example of mid-century modernism.
One photo courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History.
Originally known as Sutterville Aerodome, Leonard Starks designed the first permanent expansion to the meager airfield that included the main terminal, control tower, administration building and pilot’s lounge.
Photo courtesy of the Sacramento Public Library.
Across from Sacramento City College in Land Park, this small monument is dedicated to William Land (1837-1911). The plaque contains a quote by Virgil: “The noblest motive is the public good.”
Leonard Starks was commissioned in 1948 to design the Mexican Center Hall in the South Side Park neighborhood of Sacramento. The building is done in the Spanish Mission style Mr. Starks was so prominently known for. The project features a terracotta tile roof to compliment the light tan building.
The memorial statue of a Hispanic-American veteran was present in the court yard. Once the center was sold the memorial statue was moved to the Capitol Mall between 10th and L street on the grounds of the California State Transportation Agency (915 Capitol Mall).
This campus is now associated with the Tenrikyo Churches and Fellowships in the America and Canada Diocese named Tenrikyo High Sacramento Church.
Photo courtesy of Center for Sacramento History.
The Clunie Community Center, designed by Sacramento-based architect Harry Devine Sr., in association with the architectural firm of Stark and Flanders was built in 1936. On the pool’s opening day, in August of the same year, 2,500 visitors were expected and 4,500 showed up to see a beauty contest and an exhibition of “fancy and comic diving.” The facility was financed by a 150,000 dollar bequeathal from Florence Turton Clunie and bears her name.
The main building houses the McKinley Library in the North and the South wings while the upper stories house the main hall with rooms available to the community for rent. The facility also includes a pool and clubhouse.
When the City of Sacramento proposed in 2011 to close the Clunie community center, the Friends of East Sacramento stepped forward with a proposal to manage the building.
Picture courtesy of the Sacramento Library.
This building was designed by Leonard Starks in 1935. It is still in use by the City of Williams City Council and also houses the city fire department.
Designed in 1933 by Starks & Flanders, this firehouse was one of the first in the area that served the surrounding neighborhoods. In 1980, the City of Sacramento donated the firehouse to the Fire Fighters Burn Institute. The Fire Fighters Burn Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Sacramento Area Firefighters in 1973, for the purpose of establishing a local burn treatment facility, providing recovery programs for burn survivors and many other services.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places this building was designed by Starks & Flanders in 1931 in the French Renaissance style exhibited by many government buildings in America, particularly in the District of Columbia. The facade, basement, and first floor are covered in California Granite. Upper levels are faced with terra cotta and brick. The elegance and beauty of this building is evident still today.
Some images contained in this blog were used from the Center for Sacramento History