Citizens Utilities Company of California
Redding, California

In the rapidly expanding City of Redding, an old Coca Cola bottling plant has been transformed into the headquarters for the telephone company serving the North Central Valley of California. The 30,000 square foot bow-string-trussed structure is pierced by three light / garden courts and two clerestory structures, which allow filtered daylight to play across all of the interior office spaces. A new freestanding wall wraps around the old structure to provide sun protection during the hot summers and to allow the low angled sun to penetrate the windows. This wall is punctured and filled with lattice, to afford dappled shade and privacy for outdoor sitting courts, and shaped and turned in response to specific events at the building's perimeter. The old plant was revived with a new cross-braced beam and column system left exposed as an integral interior spaces.

The first level provides space for 200 employees engaged in accounting and engineering and also contains a conference room, lunchroom and a 200-capacity community meeting hall. The executive offices and Special Revenue Study spaces are located on the second level where particular care was given to capturing the spectacular views of snowcapped Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen. A 6,000 square foot warehouse for telephone equipment, parking for employees and visitors and a community fountain within a public minipark complete the rehabilitation of the defunct bottling plant.