News

RDC Unveils Design of Latest Erewhon Market With Several More Planned Throughout Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Full-service design firm RDC has unveiled its designs for Erewhon, Silver Lake, the latest in a series from the organic grocer and café in the Los Angeles region. RDC is architect of record for the new Silver Lake location, designing...

Reuse of Landmark Building Includes COVID-Resilience and Thematic Finishes PORTLAND, Ore. – Full-service design firm RDC has unveiled its interior design for the Portland, Oregon offices of construction company Skanska USA Building Inc. The interiors at the historic 1922 building – 1010 NW Flanders St., in the Pearl District – combine...

RDC Opens San Diego Office to Serve Growing Local Design Portfolio; Names Sean Slater Principal-in-Charge of the New Office SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Full-service design firm RDC, has opened offices in San Diego at 101 West Broadway in downtown San Diego, and has named RDC Principal Sean Slater, AIA, as Principal-In-Charge of the new office, RDC CEO...

We believe all Black lives matter. We support the right to protest peacefully, leading to an informed and just world. We will do better, starting by listening and learning. We will take action to create a deliberately anti-racist and informed culture that protects the rights of all and sincerely welcomes people no matter the color of their skin....

Bob Lisauskas Offers More Than Two Decades of Experience with Noteworthy Master Planning and Mixed-Use Architecture RDC has appointed Robert Lisauskas, AIA, LEED AP, as design director. President and CEO Brad Williams, AIA, said, "We are excited to have Bob back with us at RDC. His talents and experience are a great fit for our clients who are...

With this Appointment, Thilenius Leads a National Focus on Hospitality Design.   RDC, the award-winning architecture, planning, and interiors firm, today announced that Jackson Thilenius, AIA, Principal, has been named to the position of Senior Vice President, Hospitality and Interiors, Americas. Thilenius has relocated to RDC's office in...

By Sustainability Director, Sara Hickman It’s been a busy two years since we achieved our WELL Gold Certification in 2017. The standard has proven to be a useful tool to support healthy outcomes both across our company and project portfolio. Since our relocation, we’ve tested multiple air quality monitors which have helps us to prove the quality...

RDC welcomes Francesca Franchi, AIA, LEED GA as Principal in the Washington D.C. office.   RDC is pleased to announce Francesca Franchi, AIA, LEED GA, has joined our Washington, D.C. office as a Principal. Francesca brings to the firm more than 30 years of experience having designed a diverse body of innovative projects crossing a broad...

We are excited to welcome Virginia Maggiore to RDC as our new Vice President of Store Planning.   As a licensed architect, Virginia brings over 14 years of experience in the retail, wholesale, and international markets where she has successfully developed and implemented retail strategies for global brands. She works in close collaboration...

From humble beginnings using an old door as a desk, to being a global firm with offices around the US and in Shanghai, RDC has come a long way in the last 40 years. Here’s to 40 more years, we’re just getting started.   “From our roots as a single office to being an international practice with projects in nearly every state in the nation,...

RDC is excited to welcome Chris Gorney as the new Director of Procurement.   As we continue to grow and build out our interior design team, we have added procurement to our list of services at RDC. Chris will be working closely with our interiors team and our vendors to ensure the highest quality items for each unique project, while...

Building 3D, physical models are not a new concept or way of designing, but with most design work now being done completely digitally, it can be easy to overlook or skip out on.    Senior Designer Napoleon Meraña has over 25 years of experience designing around the U.S. and Europe, and physical modeling has remained a core component of his...

Equinox Culver City has received a Citation Award for its Building Detail through the AIA Long Beach/South Bay Design Awards. Equinox Culver City's exterior façade along Washington Boulevard consists of custom-formed concrete fins, cementitious panels, and glass within an exposed steel frame. When driving on Washington Boulevard, the vertical...

When people hear of "interior design," what comes to mind is HGTV and primarily women wanting to decorate their homes. Senior Designer Katy Wise and Senior Design Manager Itzel Meynard can tell you that interior design is so much more than picking out furniture and swatches. On this week's episode, we talk about how Interior Design complements...

As architects, we design buildings, but in the digital world we live in, the lines between both physical and digital design are being blurred. This week's episode becomes theoretical as we discuss how designing for the digital world is interconnected with how we design for the physical world, and vice versa. We sit down with Senior Graphic...

More and more in the last few years, hotels and hospitality spaces have been taking cues from the retail world and vice versa. This week, we're talking with principals Sean Slater and Jackson Thilenius to discuss how both of these typologies have been converging to create experiences that will keep guests coming back.  Mentioned on this week's...

Millennials have spurred a wave of self-care, and it is seeping into how we design spaces for them to take care of themselves, namely the hospitality industry.  This week, we sit down with Senior Interior Design Manager Alex Kuby to discuss how the prioritization of self-care with indulgence and luxury has pervaded how we design hospitality...

Despite the rise of streaming services around the world, Cinépolis is confident and looking forward to the rise of luxury cinemas to keep cinephiles coming back to the movies. The way we consume media is changing rapidly, but the cinema and entertainment industry is keeping up with more luxurious amenities to give customers an experience they...

Equinox Culver City has been announced as the winner in the Fitness category at the Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Awards in New York City. Equinox Culver City, located in the heart of Culver City across the way from Sony Pictures, has been awarded Interior Design Magazine's Best of Year Award in the Fitness category. To read more about...

At Centerbuild 2018, Del Amo Fashion Center won the ICSC Design & Development Gold Award for Retail/Renovations over 500,000 square feet. The newly designed Del Amo Fashion Center consists of a 2.4 million square foot renovation of the mall’s interior and exterior. The renovation has been conducted in numerous phases, with RDC focusing on...

RThis article originally ran in Long Beach Post.Written by Brian Addison Holding up a clear, unmarked bottle, master distiller Simon Haxton swirls around the carafe’s liquid fillings—a bright, bordering-magenta spirit that looks, frankly put, very pretty. “The spirit of California, in my mind, is the way that our culture eases others into, well,...

Woodward & Park, a new restaurant created as a partnership between Atlanta developer James Brooks of Boulevard Group and Atlanta chef Robert Phalen, will join the roster of food and beverage tenants at Paces Properties’ Larkin on Memorial mixed-use development in Grant Park. Expected to open Labor Day 2018, the concept is described as...

Comfort and service are keys to attracting repeat customers. The history of the Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades, Calif., could be seen as symbolic of the movie theater business’ past, present, and possible future. Originally opened in 1948, The Bay has been closed since 1978, when it was converted to a hardware store. But over the past three...

Retail Design Collaborative (RDC) today unveiled its new design for the official grand opening of the new WISEPlace Community Room in Santa Ana, located at 1411 N. Broadway, in Santa Ana, California, in conjunction with partners Pivot Interiors and Herman Miller. WISEPlace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping to end homelessness among...

Cinemas are becoming a hot anchor for retail centers, and they are starting to inform retail design. This article was originally featured in Globe St. Cinemas are quickly becoming one of the most sought-after anchor tenants at retail centers—because they drive foot-traffic and increase the stay time at a center. As a result, this tenant niche is...

While traditional shopping malls as we know it served their purpose from the 1970's to the early 2000's, the rise of ecommerce has forced developers to rethink how to bring America back to the mall. By Principal Sean Slater, this article originally ran in Shopping Center Business May 2018 Issue The origin of the modern shopping mall has been both...

As Amazon begins to increase its brick-and-mortar presence to match the brands e-commerce success, the grocer markert across the country is working to keep up and innovate. With the rise of Amazon as the world's most popular e-commerce site and its purchase of Whole Foods, brands everywhere are scrambling to keep up, grocers in particular.  We...

Architecture has shifted over the years, and flexibility is key to staying afloat. In this week's episode, we sit down with CEO Brad Williams as we touch on everything, from shifts in the architecture industry over the last decade, architecture in China vs. America, to moving from a corporate headquarters into a creative workplace in the heart of...

As awareness increases on the necessity of exercise and a healthy diet, offices are beginning to implement wellness programs as a means of prevention and retention. If you have looked at a job opening for a corporation within the last few years, you may have noticed that many will offer benefits to potential recruits that go beyond medical...

Erewhon Market recently announced the grand opening of its fourth store in California located at 2800 Wilshire Blvd. in the heart of the mixed-use boulevard district. Erewhon Market, an organic grocer that sells ethically and sustainably produced products, hired lead design architect Montalba Architects and executive architect Retail Design...

Restaurant design, combined with the food, syndicate to create the overall atmosphere and experience of any given dining establishment. Food has always been vital to human civilizations, but in the last few years, eating has become more than just a means of survival. Eating at a restaurant has become a special event partially due to the rise of...

Our firm is filled with amazing people who do great things outside of work. Being that its International Women's Day, we wanted to take this time to put the spotlight on Abella Carroll from our Corporate Office. A 15-year breast cancer survivor, Abella has been volunteering for American Cancer Society since 2005. She has volunteered with cancer...

In honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day, we wanted to give the spotlight to Senior Principal, Mitra Esfandiari. Senior Principal Mitra Esfandiari is the example of a powerful woman--she moved to America from Iran, she has a Master's degree in architecture, she is a working mother, and she is highest female leader within...

Shopping centers need to change before they die out, but there is still hope for malls that are proactive and take action while they still can. Since the height of shopping malls in the 1960's and 1970's, demographics have changed, cities have changed, and the way we shop has changed. In the last ten to twenty years, malls all around the country...

In order to move forward, it is so important for us to look back. After 40 years in the industry, we sat down with Founder of RDC and former CEO, Steve Ruth, as he prepared for his retirement. We wanted to find out more about what it took for Steve to build his company and how he was able to keep the business moving forward despite times of...

We take the future of retail seriously. As designers, we strive to help retailers and brands create memorable in-store experiences for their customers. With the rise of e-commerce and delivery services being readily available for almost anything you can imagine, it is important for us to take a deeper look at how these changes are directly...

Hotels have been curating a personalized guest experience for years. Now retailers are following suit with more hospitality-inspired designs. This article originally ran on Globe St. Hotels have been curating a personalized guest experience for years. Now retailers are following suit with more hospitality-inspired designs. To find out more about...

Millennials are turning to the internet for shopping, but retailers still have a chance to keep up.Photo courtesy of Matthew Anderson Photography. The combination of new technologies with millennials is changing the way for retailers. Airbnb, Uber, Postmates, and other peer to peer platforms are quickly growing, giving us more freedom in the way...

We are excited to announce that our firm received an Interior Architecture Award from the Southern California Development Forum during this year's ceremony.   "This project embraces the challenge of transforming a vacant department store space that resulted in the design of a vibrant workplace. The design is elegant without being...

Join us as we honor 40 years of leadership and dedication of Founder and President, Steve Ruth. "It all started when I was relatively young, 14 years old. I was starting to think about what I really wanted to do with my career." - Steve Ruth Why did you go into architecture? What prompted you to come to California? It all started when I was...

We recently held our annual “Future of Retail” Symposium at our headquarters in Long Beach, California. The event was hosted by Chief Executive Officer, Brad Williams and Vice President of Client Engagement, David Sheldon. RDC strives to be proactive in helping define what the future of retail unfolds. Every year we hold a symposium, inviting...

We recently received two AIA Long Beach/ South Bay design awards for the design of our office headquarters and Hangzhou Urban Rooftop. RDC Headquarters, Long Beach, CA This project is a well-executed, open, and collaborative space. It makes nice use of a large interior area and the individual workstations are well-designed and integrate nicely...

Excited to announce that our firm recently became the FIRST Architecture office on the West Coast to receive WELL Gold Certification! When we began designing our new creative workspace at the corner of 3rd and Long Beach Blvd., we knew we’d pursue LEED Platinum certification, but also knew we wanted to take it a step further. We asked ourselves...

WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR OFFICE WAS AWARDED LEED PLATINUM! The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for maximum environmental and human...

Branko Prebanda of Retail Design Collaborative gives his expectations for grocery design and technology implementation in the wake of Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods means big changes coming for grocery stores. While investors will also be shifting their strategy and working with existing tenants to stay...

Not only have we re-located and re-branded, we've also expanded our line of services to incorporate sustainability with the addition of our new Sustainability Director, Sara Hickman, LEED AP, WELL AP.                                                           MARKET                                                      TRENDS Over the past 16...

Blank walls and little to no artistic features is what we might be seeing in the near future with the development of augmented reality (AR). Augmented reality blurs the lines between what is real and what is computer generated by enhancing what you see, hear, feel and smell. Forbes recently reported that over $2 billion has been invested in AR...

Famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritages, Hangzhou, the political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang province, is nearing completion. The design for the Hangzhou Urban Roof Garden celebrates the city of Hangzhou, famed for its natural scenery, by anchoring the top of a mixed use commercial project. This urban...

Surprisingly, Irvine’s first food hall is being developed on a parcel of land not owned by the Irvine Co. Though we suspect the city’s largest landowner has culinary aspirations for the ex-Macy’s space at Irvine Spectrum Center. TRADE, formerly Michelson Marketplace, is a joint effort between Lincoln Property Co., Alcion Ventures and Retail...

Leading architecture firm Retail Design Collaborative today announced Brad Williams as new Chief Executive Officer, elevating him from Chief Operating Officer. The firm’s former CEO, Steve Ruth, remains President and Chairman of the Board.   “Brad is the right choice for us. He’s inspirational, dedicated, personable, and is admired among our...

On March 29 we hosted our official ribbon cutting ceremony for the unveiling of our new 34,300 SF creative office in Downtown Long Beach. Our new office is located within a 350,000 square-foot urban, pedestrian oriented shopping center off of 3rd Street and Promenade North. The new office marks the first phase of the revitalization of the former...

VP of Brand Strategy, David Sheldon, will be moderating a panel discussion at Connect Media's Retail West Conference on Thursday March 16th.PANEL DISCUSSION 3:45 PM- 4:35 PM Everyday Luxury Luxury retail is about more than space, it is about creating an experience. Hear from both the top retailers and most active CRE players regarding their...

On a recent business development trip to the East Coast and Chicago, my team and I had the pleasure of staying two nights at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel on Michigan Avenue across from Millennium Park. This was my second stay at this hotel, which was created as an adaptive reuse of a venerable old building just east of the historic...

Each month we invite our staff to answer a simple question, inviting them to share some diverse and sophisticated answers. This month we asked them: What are your three favorite buildings you’ve visited in person? Take a tour through some of the buildings we’ve visited across the globe. 1 La Sagrada FamiliaBarcelona, ESArchitect: Antonio...

The bar cart came rolling by. Following a full day of site visits and hand-shaking, I happily treated myself to a martini and settled in for a roundtable conversation with my partners. I hadn’t even finished the second sip when I was pinged with breaking news: Sudan is suffering an alarming increase in locust infestations, our national security...

Jonathan Lopez, Project Design Director at Retail Design Collaborative, today moderated the Tenant Demands panel at Bisnow’s The Evolution of Silicon Beach. Drawing upon his experience designing workspaces, including Retail Design Collaborative’s new office in downtown Long Beach, Jonathan led the lively discussion exploring tenant demands and...

Local Architects Aim To Impact Retail, Long Beach From The Ground Up: Retail Design Collaborative And Studio One Eleven Redesign/Relocate To City Place   Upon walking into the new digs of architecture firm Retail Design Collaborative (formerly P + R Architects) and partner brand Studio One Eleven, it’s clear that the way the space had been...

Boutique Design Magazine presented the 27th Annual Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design last month where The District on The Bloc Restaurant at The Sheraton Grand in downtown LA was awarded a Gold Key Award for Best Restaurant Casual Dining. As the executive architect, Retail Design Collaborative worked closely with the design...

Experts from Retail Design Collaborative spoke at this year's ICSC CenterBuild Conference to discuss topics on the future of retail, the evolution of mall retailing, creating retail experiences and more!MITRA ESFANDIARI Experience is King Discuss how robust growth of e-commerce has caused traditional "Brick and Mortar" retailers to focus on being...

The Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce, Zelman Development Company and Retail Design Collaborative, in cooperation with the City of Yorba Linda City Council, welcomed the public during a ground breaking ceremony for the newly designed Yorba Linda Town Center on Tuesday, November 1st. The project is located at the corner of Imperial Hwy and Yorba...

Retail Design Collaborative, formerly P+R Architects, is excited to welcome Sean Slater, AIA, as the newest Principal to the firm. Thought leadership in retail design is a core tenet of Retail Design Collaborative. Sean's role will be heavily involved in furthering this tenet, as well as working closely with the Principals in all aspects of the...

Retail Design Collaborative is Dedicated to Creating Architecture that Makes Everyday Places Extraordinary and Celebrates the Retail Realm as One of the Focal Points Of Human Interaction Today, 37-year-old architectural firm P+R Architects (Perkowitz + Ruth Architects) renames to Retail Design Collaborative. The decision to rename and rebrand...

Retail Design Collaborative is excited to announce the move of our office headquarters in Long Beach. Repurposing a large Nordstrom Rack facility, the open space allows us to create a collaborative atmosphere. This move reinforces our dedication to revitalizing communities and making everyday places extraordinary. ONE NEW OFFICE On October 17th,...

Recently we welcomed three key players involved in the “Future of Retail” to share their insight on the changing reality of retail to our staff. The future of retail is diverse, and Retail Design Collaborative is proud to be on the cutting edge of trends, looking forward to the next generation. At the event we challenged our staff to...

On August 5th, 2016 Five Lagunas broke ground on a redevelopment of an 870,000 SF shopping mall in South Orange County. Over many years of planning, Merlone Geier Partners, the City of Laguna Hills, and our team are excited to see the once Laguna Hills Shopping Mall become what is to be the city’s newest vibrant, outdoor plaza.   The project...

The Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula Shopping Center has been undergoing a major remodel over the past few years and is slowly coming back to life. RETAIL TRANSFORMATION Once a substantially vacant and deteriorating shopping center, Retail Design Collaborative together with Vestar gave the 300,000 square foot retail space a major face-lift,...

Last Friday we welcomed three key players involved in the “Future of Retail” to share their insight on the changing reality of retail to our staff. As architects, urbanists and designers of the retail environment, we are looking to understand and help shape the changing paradigm of how we live, work, recreate, commute, and acquire our goods....

Our project The Sheraton was recently awarded during the Los Angeles Business Journal Commercial Real Estate Awards. THE SHERATON GRAND AT THE BLOC The Sheraton Grand at The Bloc won Gold for “Best Hospitality Project,” running against other major architecture and design firms. The Sheraton's design concept plays on the city’s heritage of 1920’s...