East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is upgrading their Walnut Creek Water Treatment Plant to improve and safeguard long-term water quality. Siegel & Strain, working with prime engineering firm Carollo Engineers, is designing a new Maintenance Building that consolidates existing maintenance shops, administration and storage to one location, as well as several process buildings.

The architectural team worked with EBMUD staff in a prior contract to complete a needs assessment to fully understand the existing dispersed maintenance operations and future requirements. This included a complete equipment inventory of three shops. The resulting design includes ground floor shops, washdown areas, storage, mud room and all-gender locker rooms; while offices, fitness, breakroom and training room (which doubles as an emergency operations center) occupy the upper floor.

To develop a comprehensive architectural design strategy for the plant, we first assessed the existing building inventory, including form, materials, finishes and colors, and then identified key themes. We then applied the aesthetic design principles to 20 new buildings and process structures in order to meet the engineering criteria set forth by the engineering team for the initial master planning exercise. In schematic design, we designed 10 structures that have a cohesive design vocabulary and fit into the landscape, minimizing impacts to views from the adjacent residential neighborhoods and nearby recreational trails.

Prime Consultant: Carollo Engineers
Architecture: Siegel & Strain Architects