Group 4 Architecture Research & Planning

08/20/2025

Libraries today are embracing bold new models of play + learning...and local families here in the Bay Area are taking notice!

Was great to see The Mercury News spotlight Santa Clara County Library District - SCCLD 's reimagined children’s areas, designed by Group 4 Architecture + Luci Creative. From Gilroy’s Earthen Excursion to Saratoga’s Redwood Romp, these immersive play spaces are designed to nurture early literacy, spark curiosity, and bring caregivers and children together in new ways.

More than playgrounds, these environments support a variety of types of play, exploration, and social connection, reflecting the library’s role as a true community hub. By combining storytelling, interactive learning, and inclusive design rooted in local identity, SCCLD is also attracting new users who may be stepping into the library for the first time.

Stay tuned as the Cupertino, Los Altos, and Campbell branches soon complete their new playscapes and join the other locations in the re-imagined Storybook SCCLD experience!

Read more: https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/18/bay-area-libraries-new-strategy-gilroy-resurgence/

03/10/2025

Libraries and performance spaces share a common thread: they bring communities together. At Group 4, we continuously explore how these environments can enhance each other. Lunch on Monday included a design charette to spark fresh ideas on integrating culture, learning, and creativity into a seamless experience—where books, music, and movement coexist. Group 4's best ideas emerge when we collaborate, challenge each other, and leverage all our team's experience in crafting the libraries and cultural spaces of tomorrow.

02/07/2025

The Chabot College Library and Learning Connection (LLC) redefines student success by blending academic resources, study spaces, and wellness areas into a single, student-centered hub. Designed for Chabot’s diverse student body, the LLC supports first-generation students, lifelong learners, and those balancing work and school.

A four-story atrium creates visual connections across library, study, social, and support spaces—reducing stigma around seeking help and fostering a welcoming, inclusive learning environment. Students can gather in active social spaces, quiet study areas, or outdoor amphitheaters equipped with Wi-Fi and power access.

Sustainability is at the forefront: natural daylight floods the interiors, while a louvered shading system and thoughtfully placed windows reduce heat gain and glare. The all-electric building minimizes environmental impact, and native landscaping enhances biodiversity.

From the grand social stair to specialized Learning Community spaces, the LLC is more than a library—it’s a beacon of equity, collaboration, and opportunity for Chabot’s students and the broader East Bay community.

PROJECT TEAM:

Co-Design Architects:
Photography: + HMC Architects
General Contractor:
Programming:
Landscape:
Civil:
M/P:
Fire/LS:
Electrical: O'Mahony & Myer
Structural:

01/03/2025

Group 4 + Champlin Architecture’s work for the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library Downtown Main Library receives more recognition! Great work team 💪🏼

Cincinnati is stacked with architectural history and design talent. The Enquirer lists the top projects featured at the 2024 Cincinnati Design Awards.

12/06/2024

🌟 Swim, play, and discover seamless indoor-outdoor connections at the San Bruno Recreation & Aquatic Center! 🌟

Designed as a bridge between nature and city life, this dynamic facility integrates aquatics, recreation, and community spaces with the surrounding park. From the double-height living room and outdoor patios to the splash pad and outdoor pool, every element is crafted to inspire movement, connection, and discovery.

Set within a revitalized City Park, SBRAC represents a shared vision brought to life. Thank you to the City of San Bruno, its dedicated community, and the incredible collaborators who created a space for connection, recreation, and discovery for generations to come. 🏊‍♀️🤸‍♂️🌿

📸: Cesar Rubio

11/15/2024

11/05/2024

Thrilled to see Group 4 Architecture's recent projects – the Chabot College Library and Learning Connection and Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library's Main Library renovation – featured in Library Journal . These designs illustrate the transformative potential of architecture to create spaces where communities can connect, engage, and thrive.

The article highlights how grand social stairs in these libraries function not only as physical links but as democratic spaces, becoming "civic plazas" that welcome everyone—students, families, visitors, and more—to gather, collaborate, and access resources in an open, inclusive environment.

It’s a testament to how thoughtful design can foster inclusion and vibrancy in public spaces, building social bonds and enhancing the civic fabric.

📖 Explore how thoughtful architecture transforms libraries into thriving community hubs:

In today's evolving world of public spaces, design is capable of catalyzing deeper connections between communities and users who don’t often cross paths or journeys. The blending of architecture and social function plays a pivotal role in fostering environments where diverse communities can gather...

09/24/2024

🥂Thank you to all our collaborators, clients, and forever Group 4 family who joined us for our 50th anniversary celebration! Your presence made the afternoon truly special, and we are grateful for your ongoing support throughout the decades. 🥳

A special highlight was gathering at the newly designed San Bruno Recreation & Aquatic Center, which served as a stunning backdrop for our company picnic that followed the anniversary celebration. The center embodies the heart of community-focused design, and seeing it in action during our celebration was a proud moment for us all. Here's to 50 years of creating spaces that inspire and connect—and many more to come!

09/17/2024

Learn about the award-winning NZE Burlingame Community Center from Teresa Rom of Group 4 Architecture - our local champion of resilient community destinations!

As a presenter and a tour leader, Teresa will guide attendees through the building, highlighting the process of fulfilling sustainability and decarbonization goals.

Teresa is a highly skilled technical architect and strong facilitator in the planning, programming, and design of sustainable public facilities. With nearly two decades at Group 4, she has contributed to some of Group 4’s strongest examples of resilient, sustainable design solutions, including the LEED-NC Platinum Palo Alto Mitchell Park Library & Community Center and the new Zero-Net-Energy Burlingame Community Center.

Learn from an expert, network, explore the mini-trade show, and participate in a building tour at ZNCD+Talks!

+Talks

09/17/2024

Learn about the award-winning NZE Burlingame Community Center from Jonathan Hartman of Group 4 Architecture - our local champion of resilient community destinations!

As a presenter and a tour leader, Jonathan will guide attendees through the building, highlighting the process of fulfilling sustainability and decarbonization goals.

Jonathan leads Group 4’s technical design team, helping clients and designers evaluate and incorporate sustainable design strategies. During his two decades of sustainable design experience for public projects, Jonathan has led some Group 4’s most innovative and complex sustainable design projects such as the multiple award-winning LEED-NC Platinum Environmental Innovation San Jose, and is active in industry organizations including Sustainable San Mateo and Greenbuild.

Learn from an expert, network, explore the mini-trade show, and participate in a building tour at ZNCD+Talks!

+Talks

09/17/2024

Learn about the award-winning NZE Burlingame Community Center from Dawn Merkes of Group 4 Architecture Research & Planning - our local champion of resilient community destinations!

As a presenter and a tour leader, Dawn will guide attendees through the building, highlighting the process of fulfilling sustainability and decarbonization goals.

A recognized leader in planning and design, Dawn has spent over 30 years at Group 4, shaping vibrant, resilient community destinations. Her work spans diverse communities and project types, consistently prioritizing user-based, sustainable solutions. Beyond the office, her leadership extends through active involvement in AIA San Mateo County, California Parks and Recreation Society, and SSMC.

Learn from an expert, network, explore the mini-trade show, and participate in a building tour at ZNCD+Talks!

+Talks

08/19/2024

"Using every transition space as an actual place to be and to gather is something that we are seeing a lot of—a forum space, or a grand central stair, that does double duty of being a place and not just a space that you’re walking through." - Group 4 Associate Principal Carolyn Carlberg

Read more takeaways from Group 4's participation at Library Journal's Design Institute at Spokane Public Library's Central Branch, a recent transformation led by Group 4 + Integrus, and we hope to see you at the Fall LJDI in Cincinnati!

Spokane Public Library, WA, served as both host for Library Journal’s May 9 Design Institute and—using its creative and community-responsive systemwide redesigns and new construction as a jumping-off point—the inspiration for many of the day’s discussions. Fortunately, the conversation didn....