Palo Alto Stanford Heritage and the Palo Alto Historical Association have named SiliconX Construction the winner of their 2021 Commercial Preservation Award for work on the historically accurate renovation of the 526 Waverly Street building in downtown Palo Alto.

Commercial real estate firm, Thoits Bros., Inc., purchased the building from the original owners and worked closely with Randy Popp of Randolph Popp Architect to create the necessary blueprints. Popp carefully studied the original drawings and specified the elements required to restore what had been a significantly altered façade and entries back to its original 1927 design.

SiliconX and other team members then worked diligently to custom fabricate historically accurate windows, doors, tile and ironwork to complete the work and return the building to its distinctive Spanish Colonial Revival appearance. The restoration has become a valued addition to Palo Alto’s historic downtown core.

Remarkable Heritage

Designed by prominent local architect, Birge Clark, and built by Wells Goodenough, the building originally served as the family home of Palo Alto resident H.J. Hoffacker, as well as commercial space for Hoffacker’s business, the Palo Alto Sport Shop. But after almost a century of use, the building’s luster had faded.

Creative Construction Approach

SiliconX worked to complete the upgrade with painstaking precision while ensuring that there was no disruption to commerce in the downtown area.

Some exterior architectural elements were fashioned with foam and integrated into the concrete exterior, then covered with stucco mixed to match the style of the original. Window trim was recreated from powder-coated aluminum, and handmade ceramic tile was sourced from Fireclay Tile of San Francisco for the decorative wainscoting below the windows.

SiliconX also identified a supplier for the historically accurate wrought iron balconies and other ironwork. In the end, it all came together in a breathtakingly accurate refresh and renovation — with 5,800 sq. ft. of functional retail space on the ground floor and an additional 3,150 sq. ft. of multi-purpose space on the mezzanine.

SiliconX is honored to be part of the award-winning team for such an important project situated in Palo Alto’s historic downtown area.

For the video of the award program:  https://vimeo.com/644979669 (award presented at minute 42)

Winning Team Members

Owner/Project Manager: Thoits Bros., Inc.
Architect: Randolph Popp Architect
Contractor: SiliconX Construction, Inc.
Key Supplier: Fireclay Tile
City of Palo Alto: Amy French, Chief Planning Official

One of the hottest trends in real estate during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the conversion of general office space into specialized labs and offices for life sciences firms.

In a related area, organizations that provide a variety of mental health services are expanding as more individuals seek help dealing with depression, anxiety and other conditions made worse by the lengthy COVID-associated lockdowns.

SiliconX Construction has emerged as a leader in tenant improvement (TI) projects for mental health facilities in the South Bay — recently completing two significant TIs and now in the midst of working on a third.

LifeStance Health

Dealing with a challenging project schedule impacted by pandemic considerations and safety requirements, SiliconX completely demolished the existing interiors, and then created a welcoming reception area, numerous private offices for patient counseling, a conference room, and break room.

Telecare Corporation

SiliconX also recently completed 8,600 sq. ft. of space for Telecare, which offers community-based, acute, crisis, residential, and longer-term recovery programs. Telecare’s services include various state and county programs, those connected with the criminal justice system, and numerous treatment options designed to serve individuals diagnosed with a range of mental health conditions.

The new two-story facility located at 425 East Santa Clara Street in San Jose incorporates a variety of clinical spaces and offices. SiliconX Construction’s work required extensive precision millwork and cabinetry, installation of doors and doorframes, window coverings, electrical, and telephone/data cabling.

Timing of the process was affected by the long lead times for some of the materials due to COVID-19. However, SiliconX was able to meet all deadlines so Telecare could start moving in within eight weeks.

Family Tree Wellness

If you’d like more information about the specialized expertise and experience SiliconX brings to the creation of these unique mental health facilities, please contact Tony via email, or call (408) 418-0099 (w) or (408) 318-1869 (c).

Highlights

•     Renovated 8,600 sq. ft. of interior offices, plus ground-floor parking in a 3-story building in the downtown San Jose corridor

•      Resolved numerous unexpected issues in the 35-year-old building and had to deal with scheduling delays caused by the COVID-19 outbreak

•      Installed new wiring, LED lighting, an HVAC system, and flooring — and built restrooms, break rooms, and 10 private offices around large open-office areas

•      Created an inviting entry for tenants — with a raised ceiling, large glass storefront doors and tile floors

Originally built in the mid-1980s, the three-story office building at 425 East Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose clearly needed an upgrade. The exterior facade, with its generous glass and distinctive awnings, could eventually use a refresh. But the 8,600 square feet of interior office space was all potential — definitely in need of a complete renovation.

When the new owners, Bill and Stephanie Noryko, purchased the building, they turned to SiliconX Construction to complete a comprehensive upgrade that would reflect the sweeping revitalization that’s continuing in the downtown San Jose corridor.

Challenge

At the site, the SiliconX crews found a building that was outdated and had a number of preexisting conditions needing to be remedied. This required a considerable amount of demolition to identify the issues and ensure that they were adequately addressed.

The combination of unexpected building issues and disruptions due to the changed environment meant that SiliconX had to work very closely with the building’s architect and the City of San Jose to meet adapt and obtain approvals.

Solution

Most of the office space is designed to be used in an open-office plan — with five private offices around the exterior on each floor.

SiliconX also put up extensive framing and drywall for the private offices around the outer edges of the floors, and laid upgraded flooring throughout.

In addition, SiliconX teamed with the architects to create a cozy entry — with raised ceilings fitted with LED light fixtures, large glass storefront doors and tile flooring. And in the garage, parking stalls were restriped and an ADA-accessible stall was created for disabled parking, with wheelchair loading and unloading.

Results

Today, 425 East Santa Clara Street offers one or multiple tenants upgraded, modern office space in a comfortable, elevator-served, low-rise building with access to downtown San Jose’s many transportation options and growing list of amenities — without the soaring costs of the downtown highrises.

Highlights

•     Renovated a 3,900 sq. ft. suite to create a reception area, numerous private offices, a conference room, and break room

•     Installed pre-engineered vinyl plank flooring to create the appearance of natural hardwood, and attractive faux brick wall and counter treatments

•     Dealt with COVID-19 delays and other obstacles and worked to complete the project on budget in a timely fashion

When PCPA was looking to open a new facility in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, the practice quickly settled on the newly renovated Solar Row at Winchester building —and arranged to have the tenant improvements handled by SiliconX Construction.

Challenge

The most difficult challenge facing SiliconX in improving the almost 3,900 sq. ft. space was dealing with the local COVID-19 shutdown. Work began in early March and then had to be paused for weeks due to the pandemic. When the project resumed, SiliconX was required to comply with very stringent guidelines set forth by the county’s public health department to keep the construction site safe.

SiliconX needed to ensure that the project remained on a tight timeframe, while continually keeping both Solar Row’s owner and LifeStance/PCPA up to date.

Solution

Work started with a complete demolition of the existing interiors. SiliconX then created a comfortable reception area and numerous private offices for patient counseling — in addition to a conference room and kitchen/break room for the staff.

The flooring throughout is pre-engineered luxury vinyl plank that’s highly functional, while looking like real hardwood. The upscale design also called for a faux brick wall, as well as faux brick under the counter in the reception area.

Results

LifeStance and PCPA chose SiliconX for the tenant improvements because of the quality of work that SiliconX did in renovating the full three-story, 72,000 sq. ft. Solar Row at Winchester office complex — which is managed and leased by Borelli Investment Company. The Solar Row location was selected due to the high-quality building amenities, as well as its proximity to suburban Silicon Valley and the many technology workers and other professionals residing in the South Bay area.

Improvements were completed on budget and as dictated by the revised timeline due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 shutdown. PCPA, which is conducting all sessions via teleconsult at the present time, looks forward to taking full advantage of the inviting, upgraded space once the pandemic allows in-person patient care again.

Choose a Contractor That Listens and Responds:

When the time’s right, we’ll help you get your space market-ready in no time.

We’ve all weathered an enormous economic shock over the past months. But as we come out of this, it will be time to get down to business again. To make space market-ready. Build out high-quality tenant improvements. open the doors, and welcome customers once again.

As a business broker or landlord, you have one objective: how fast can I make this happen? Nobody listens better or is more ready to respond to your needs than SiliconX Construction.

Active Listening

Tell us what you need. We listen actively and intently to understand and come up with creative solutions. We ask the right questions, to match our plans to your requirements. And our proposals typically include a number of options — higher-end or mid-level approaches as well as at least one designed to suit the tightest budgets.

In addition, we’re known for our ability to turn around TIs on tight schedules — with build-outs from a few hundred to tens of thousands of square feet. So, your tenants can bring business in sooner rather than later — after the past restrictions. We’re experts at:

•     Cost-efficient demolition

•     New drywall and metal studs

•     Installation of electrical fixtures, ballast or bulbs

•     Painting, floor patching and upgrading of wall bases

•     Installation of new plumbing for sinks, disposals or lavatories

•     HVAC installation and maintenance including filter changes

•     Expertise with any project — from high-quality office and retail space to clean rooms

Timely and Accurate Proposals

Most importantly, we know that when you’re talking with a tenant, time is of the essence. We provide timely and accurate proposals fast. How fast? How about within 48 hours or less for a good ballpark — and a relatively firm quote within a week?

Your Silicon Valley Resource

Most importantly, all of us at SiliconX Construction are contactable 24 hours a day. And we’re right here in Silicon Valley, so we can deliver the top-drawer service you expect. To learn more, email Tony — or call (w) (408) 418-0099 or (c) (408) 318-1869. We can also handle your facilities needs through SiliconX Facilities Management at (408) 310-7757.