Blue Diamond Growers Renovates & Restores Historic Buildings in Downtown Sacramento

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dreyfuss + Blackford reconfigures three historic buildings creating 26,600 square feet of improved employee work environments

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Blue Diamond Growers (BDG) is investing in renovations of three historic buildings at the Sacramento company’s downtown headquarters. Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture (D+B) was hired to reconfigure the longtime company’s underutilized buildings and bring core departments into functional alignment. “It is part of our business to continually enhance and maintain the Sacramento manufacturing plant,” said Alicia Rockwell, public affairs director at Blue Diamond Growers. Large-scale interior renovation work is underway for cross-department collaboration and efficiency. Construction is expected to be complete in August 2017.

“This was a great opportunity for Blue Diamond to reuse and upgrade their existing historic buildings. These buildings tell an amazing story about the history and we wanted to celebrate this, while introducing flexible workstyles and creating innovative work environments to attract and retain top talent,” said Stephanie Swain, director of Interior Design at D+B, and lead designer on the projects. Swain added, “Blue Diamond is investing in its legacy to preserve its identity and recognize its long history in Sacramento.”

Buildings being renovated include the Diamond “G” Coffee Building, an historic two-story with exposed beams and brick walls; both floors of the Art Deco-style Main Office building; and areas of the main floor of the oldest building on campus, the Blue Diamond Building, with work being done adjacent to the existing Nut & Gift Shop. Several amenities are being incorporated into the design to accommodate rapidly changing technology and the need for more versatile spaces. The new expansion also provides improvements to life safety and seismic resistance.

“The renovation of our offices encourages greater collaboration within and across functions, as well as enable new ways of working. It also represents our continued investment in creating a great place to work in Sacramento,” said Eric Ingram, senior vice president of Human Resources at Blue Diamond Growers, Inc.

Diamond “G” Coffee Building

An existing building on the Blue Diamond Growers campus, it is part of the C Street Industrial Historic District. It has been home to a tannery and a coffee roasting company before BDG purchased the building and converted it into office space to accommodate the various needs of their diverse Campus Operations Department. The interior design is clean and simple, as not to detract from the historic brick walls and exposed beams already existing. Subtle design elements pay homage to almond orchards throughout the seasons.

Main Office Building

Both the first and second floors in this Art Deco-style building, were redesigned to create an open office work environment, with adjacent break-out, touchdown, and conference rooms. With fewer private offices, there is an increase in natural daylight and number of workstations. A new café/breakroom area and multiple coffee bars and lounge spaces were added throughout to increase collaboration between groups and departments.

Blue Diamond Building

The Historic Blue Diamond Building is located at the front entrance to the campus. It houses the Nut & Gift Shop, processing plant, employee theatre, and several administrative offices. The new spaces for the Information Technology Department will maintain the historic architectural features, such as exposed wood trusses, monitor windows from the plant’s processing days, and brick walls, while providing an open and bright work environment with bold colors, and an overall modern, tech design aesthetic. New spaces created to accommodate the different ways in which people work include hoteling stations, lounges and an open office environment.

Project History Information

Blue Diamond Growers is the largest cooperative of almond growers, producing over 80 percent of the world’s almond supply. The company has been headquartered in Sacramento since 1910. The Sacramento campus is comprised of manufacturing facilities, an innovations lab, administrative buildings, and public Nut & Gift Shop.

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Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture

Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture, founded in ­1950 in Sacramento, Calif., with an office in San Francisco, is a mid-size firm headquartered in the California capital. The firm serves corporate, public, and institutional markets with solutions achieved through collaboration and innovation. Committed to a sustainable future, D+B brings expertise in architecture, master planning, interiors, graphic design, and construction services. Recently completed projects include CLARA Midtown, Placer County Animal Services Center, and ICON Aircraft Headquarters.