Amy’s Kitchen

Company:
Quezada Architecture
639 Front Street, First Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
(415) 331-5133
https://www.qa-us.com/
Contact:
Julie Satterwhite
Business Phone: (415) 331-5133

Project Location: Petaluma, California
Completion Date: 10/20/2023
Owner: Amy's Kitchen and TMG

Architects Involved:
Hannah Simonson, Page & Turnbull, Historic Architect, San Francisco, CA
Julie Satterwhite, Quezada Architecture, San Francisco

Additional Team:
Tom Stubbs, TMG, Owner/Client, Petaluma, CA
Paul Schiefer, Amy's Kitchen, Owner/Client, Petaluma, CA
Luke Wilson, ZFA Consulting Engineer - Structural, Santa Rosa, CA
Meng-Hsiu Chen, MHC Consulting Engineer - MEP, San Francisco, CA
Peter Rumsey, Point Energy, Consulting Engineer - Sustainability, San Francisco, CA
Robert Alvarado, SMW, Acoustic/IT/AV/Security, San Francisco, CA
Jonathan Plumpton, LUMA (Jonathan formerly with LUMA), Lighting, San Francisco, CA
Elliott Grimshaw, Premier Structures Inc, Contractor - Owner, San Francisco, CA
Diane Siuda, Premier Structures Inc, Contractor - Superintendent, San Francisco, CA
Robin Sedor, Inside Source, FF&E, San Francisco, CA
Dave Grocott, Clarke & Reilly, Interior Design Consultant, Oakland, CA
Bridget, Dwyer, Clarke & Reilly, Interior Design Consultant, Oakland, CA
Jason O'Rear, Jason O'Rear Photography, San Francisco, CA

Project Description

Amy’s Kitchen is a fiercely independent family-owned business founded in Petaluma in 1987. They make a broad range of delicious and convenient meals, snacks, and soups made with organic and vegetarian ingredients. The Amy’s Kitchen Headquarters in downtown Petaluma is an adaptive reuse of a historic building on the National Register, updating an old department store that had been vacant for many years and transforming it into a new home for the local company and a vibrant center for hosting events with the community. The design is centered around a tasting and demonstration kitchen which is the heart of the dramatic triple-height atrium space lit by the two-story curved window over the entrance. The home concept was reinforced throughout with more public entertainment and collaborative space activating the ground floor and street level and more private and contemplative offices on the upper floors with visual connection throughout. The full seismic retrofit and mezzanine tie the existing fabric of the building together and provide additional floor area.

The addition of new windows brings natural light to all corners of the upper levels and gives a view across the city towards the local farming landscape. The project will serve as a sustainable model through adaptive reuse, energy-efficiency strategies, a commitment to source 100% renewable off-site energy, and low-impact materials. Finish materials, furniture, and brand elements were reused, re-purposed, and sourced locally to support the Petaluma economy and reinforce the commitment to the vitality of the city’s growth.

Design Challenge

One of the challenges typically faced with the adaptive reuse of a historic building is they are often left unused and neglected. The condition of the building was poor prior to us starting work on the project. It had been abandoned and had not been occupied for several years. Flooding at ground level required new drainage and the entire mechanical, heating, and ventilating system was replaced and a new roof was required. The features include a design centered around a tasting and demonstration kitchen which is the heart of the dramatic triple-height atrium space lit by the two-story curved window over the entrance. The seismic upgrade involved adding a new mezzanine that tied the external walls together at the second-floor level and adding square footage to provide additional drop-in flexible workspace. The project serves as a sustainable model through adaptive reuse, energy-efficiency strategies, a commitment to source 100% renewable off-site energy, and low-impact materials. Finish materials, furniture, and brand elements were reused, re-purposed, and sourced locally to support the Petaluma economy and reinforce the commitment to the vitality of the city’s growth.  These various sustainable elements and purpose-driven design make for an innovative project.  

Physical Context

The design of Amy's Kitchen intentionally utilizes a beautiful historic building and revitalizes it to create a new life and use of the building. To connect the building users with the natural environment, the design added new windows to bring natural light to all corners of the upper levels and give a view across the city towards the local farming landscape. The project serves as a sustainable model through adaptive reuse, energy-efficiency strategies, a commitment to source 100% renewable off-site energy, and low-impact materials. Finish materials, furniture, and brand elements were reused, re-purposed, and sourced locally to support the Petaluma economy and reinforce the commitment to the vitality of the city’s growth.