“We continue to serve our North Bay community, where our focus is on understanding our clients at a level where we can help them creatively address challenges and embrace opportunities that are important either to their lifestyles or the way they operate their businesses.”—Doug Hilberman, principal
What is there that’s new to say about a company that won Best Architectural Design Firm in NorthBay biz’s annual Best Of awards for the 11th year in a row? AXIA Architects lives up to its motto—“Architecture from all angles”—by working intimately with clients to understand and help realize their unique goals, according to Doug Hilberman, principal.
The firm, which has downsized slightly since checking in with NorthBay biz last year, consists of 11 staff members, five of which are licensed architects. AXIA works primarily in the five North Bay Area counties, working with clients to design projects ranging from financial institutions and corporate headquarters to high-end residential homes.
“We continue to serve our North Bay community, where our focus is on understanding our clients at a level where we can help them creatively address challenges and embrace opportunities that are important either to their lifestyles or the way they operate their businesses,” says Hilberman.
But AXIA, which takes on projects ranging from $1 million to $60 million, does more than just their normal workload. The firm also emphasizes giving back to the community—both on and off the clock. Hilberman says many of AXIA’s staff members donate their time to chairing committees for cities, leading local organizations and teaching youth sports, for example.
AXIA supported the North Bay community during tough times, such as recurrent wildfires and the pandemic. During the wildfires, employees helped to support nonprofits serving those affected by the fires, while donating time to educate victims on available resources. And during the height of the pandemic, the firm focused its support on Redwood Empire Food Bank, Social Advocates for Youth, as well as lunch and food programs for schools.
More recently, Hilberman says, AXIA donated time to draft permit drawings for the Windsor Community Shops, a business co-op that helps introduce high school students to business, started by Boomerang, Inc. in February. Windsor Community Shops operates out of Raley’s in Windsor, and helps micro-business owners with other jobs maintain permanent storefronts through a co-op model.
Hilberman was also keen to highlight the firm’s recent work designing a permanent facility for the Roseland Accelerated Middle School (RAMS), which had previously been housed in portables. “Students of Roseland Accelerated Middle School were recently able to move into their new facilities,” says Hilberman. “We designed those and recently celebrated the completion of construction. We’re very excited to see them move into their new home.”
The 23,000 -square-foot RAMS facility, on Burbank Avenue, consists of 15 classrooms, administrative facilities, and a future multi-use. “RAMS had previously been housed in portables. The District did an amazing job knitting together grants and funding to give life to the facility. We collaborated with the District in very creative ways to develop an efficient modern school that also provided opportunities for social gathering spaces for the students. It has been wonderful to see them embrace this facility as a more permanent home.”
In regards to winning the award for the 11th consecutive year, Hilberman says, “I think the piece we really appreciate is the fact the community views us in that manner. It’s quite an honor. We appreciate what the feedback represents, and we try to live up to it.”
The staff of AXIA, which weathered the pandemic by working remotely, recently remodeled and moved into a new brick-and-mortar location in downtown Santa Rosa.
[Lead photo courtesy of AXIA Architects]
