Willetta McCulloh | A Positive Impact By Design

Her business card says “Vice President and Director of Design,” but that only begins to tell the story of who Willetta McCulloh is to her co-workers at Environ—and to the community beyond. Ever since coming on board in 1995, “Wil” (as she’s known around the office) has striven to give all the projects and lives she’s touched the chance to be all they can be.

It’s a trait that Environ founder Alan Burks spotted when their paths first crossed in 1995. During the next year they partnered on several successful projects. Realizing that their personalities and skill sets were a natural fit, Alan offered her a stake in the company, which he founded three years earlier with a plan to make community service part of its mission. “Environ would not exist as it is today without Willetta,” he says. “She is an integral component of the Environ brand and ethos.”

Heluna Health welcomes 2018 with a New Face and a New Space

Public Health Foundation Enterprises (PHFE), a nonprofit agency known as ‘the nation’s premier catalyst for optimizing population health,’ recently changed its name to Heluna Health. Heluna (a Hawaiian word for "total count” or “population") Health better reflects the organization’s work at the community-level implementing and supporting evidence-based interventions across the population health spectrum. Heluna Health partners with academic researchers, government agencies, foundations and private sponsors to offer services such as program development, contract/grants management, as well as fiscal and human resource support. With their new identity, Heluna Health will continue to grow its national portfolio. In addition to a new face, the company recently introduced a new space.

Newsletter December 2017

As the year wraps up, we reflect on 2017 at Environ.

Environ turns 25! The firm opened its doors in 1992 by founder and President, Alan Burks. A few years later, he partnered with Willetta McCulloh, Vice President, and the two have been leading Environ ever since. We are grateful for this journey and look forward to Environ's future.

Mental Health America Breaks Ground

Pictured here are Environ's Senior Architect, Leticia Mimila and President Alan Burks, who have been leading the team on the Mental Health America project since its conceptual design in 2014. In September of this year, we attended the groundbreaking of the new facility located on Long Beach Boulevard, which is currently under construction. Above is the latest rendering of MHA.

A Decade for Aimee Mandala

Aimee Mandala celebrates 10 years at Environ! As Director of Operations, Aimee handles all aspects of keeping the office running smoothly. She is a LEED Accredited Professional through the US Green Business Council and a Certified Design Firm Administrator through the Society of Design Administration. To learn more about her career success, check out the "Hats Off to Aimee Mandala!" feature. 

In Process: Bixby Business Center

Plans are underway for the renovation of the exterior and lobby areas of the Bixby Business Center, located at the cross section of Atlantic Avenue and San Antonio Drive. Above are renderings of the proposed upgrades.

Let There Be Light: A Study in Safety

Environ's CityWorks division has partnered with Lighting Designer Oculus and Safety Consultant Guidepost Solutions to improve downtown Hermosa Beach through a process called CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design). The proposed changes will not only provide a safer environment, but also an enhanced aesthetic to the area. Click on the image below for the CityWorks slideshow.

Introducing: Michael Anthony Gentile

Environ is pleased to announce its latest addition, Interior Designer, Michael Anthony Gentile.  Michael is a creative designer with a diverse set of skills including project and design management for multi-component international hospitality projects. With a dynamic design approach and focus on design communication, Michael is recognized for award winning projects.

In addition to a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SLU, Michael is LEED AP, and a member of NEWH, The Hospitality Industry Network. Michael lives in Long Beach with his wife and three children. We are thrilled to have him on our team.

"Flexing" for the Camera

Our latest flex space design is for a security technology company, ECAM Secure. They provide state of the art surveillance products and services for a wide variety of clients. This year, ECAM Secure is combining multiple locations into one. The space will serve to function on many levels with the technical departments operating alongside the administrative teams. Shown in the rendering below are the executive offices and conference room, which will be housed in one of four separate mezzanines planned for the space.

Introducing: The ON Series by EnvirON

an educational and fun periodical - look for more issues in 2018. Click on image to enlarge.

Kebony recognizes Environ's Blog

Kudos to our marketing team! We were listed number 20 of the top 100 architectural blogs to follow: "Environ’s blog stands out by offering more than most with tips on workplace branding, culture preservation and more. The casual mood of the blog conveys information in an entertaining, yet very professional, manner. " Thanks Kebony! To follow us, click HERE.

Holiday Cheer!

In December, Environ's Willetta McCulloh hosted the Long Beach Rotary Club's "5 O'Clock Somewhere" event, complete with live music, a mashed potato bar by TGIS and wine from The Wine Country. We also enjoyed an office Pictionary competition and gift exchange. Click HERE for complete photo album.

Green Facility Gets Green Light - Environ's AES Design Approved

In early 2017, Environ was approached by AES Corporation's Director of Sustainability, Stephen O'Kane to come up with a facade design for its facility in Los Alamitos. The Alamitos Energy Center will replace its existing plant with a modernized facility.

The proposed modernization will include a replacement of their current water-cooled generators with air-cooled gas turbines, and three 300-megawatt battery buildings for which Environ designed the facades. The new plant will provide system stability by delivering reactive power, voltage support and frequency stability. It's a step forward in support of California's green energy goals. 

Newsletter July 2017

WEBSITE UPGRADE Environ's website got a face-lift. We've added more projects, information on CityWorks, and recent portraits of staff. Check it out here: www.environarch.com. RESTORATION OF SEABORG HOUSE The City of South Gate has engaged Environ Architecture to assist in the restoration of the historical landmark known as Seaborg House. Its notable distinction is due to its famous resident Glenn T. Seaborg. Glenn Seaborg was a Nobel Prize winning Chemist, famous for the discovery of ten transuranium elements, including plutonium. He was a member of the Manhattan Project and is one of a few scientists joining Einstein and Fermi to have a periodic element named after him while still living (Seaborgium). He was a Professor at UC Berkeley, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and advised many of our country's Presidents on nuclear policy. Environ's Alan Burks and Leticia Mimila are working with City of South Gate's Paul Adams to coordinate the restoration of the significant building. The Seaborg House was moved from its original location on San Antonio to behind the South Gate Museum, where it has sat boarded up until now. It will be moved to a permanent site along Glenn T. Seaborg Way at the south side of City Hall, where it can be viewed and appreciated by the public.

Cultural Heritage in Long Beach

A city is only as rich as its culture. How do we maintain that richness? Well, there's a Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) in Long Beach that strives to do just that. Today, we sit down for a Q&A with CHC Chair and Environ Architecture President Alan Burks.

How and when did you first get involved with the CHC?

In the mid 1970s I participated in the first survey of significant structures in Chicago for the Illinois Landmarks Preservation Council. Since then I was always interested in preserving and reusing the historic buildings that create places. In 1980 I co-founded Environ, Inc. Some of our early projects in Chicago repurposed warehouse and factory buildings into grocery stores, spas, housing, and offices. We also designed renovations at several National Register sites, such as the Chicago Academy of Sciences and the Field Museum of Natural History.

My interest in historical buildings continued after I established Environ Architecture, Inc. in Long Beach. While serving as President of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, we provided the design for many building improvements in the historic Pico-Union district, as well as the Westlake and Mid-Wilshire districts. We also renovated the Watts-Wilmington Train Depot and created the restoration plan for the Chinatown Gates. Knowing about our work, Amy Bodek asked me if I would be interested in serving on the Cultural Heritage Commission. I agreed, and then-Mayor Bob Foster appointed me in 2012.

"Architecture belongs to culture, not civilization."
Alvaar Alto 1898-1976

The Significance of Branding in Your Workplace

Most small and medium sized businesses overlook an important first step when they start their company: their workplace branding. Existing businesses need to revisit their workplace branding from time to time as well because their products, employees or services change and the marketplace does too. 

·    How does workplace branding differ from branding in general? 
·    Why is it important?     

Workplace branding is an extension of your personal or your company’s brand. Your workplace (skyscraper, office, warehouse, desk, etc.) is where you do your work. The simple branding model is YOU + your passion and knowledge or a company’s collective passion and knowledge. For companies of any size successful branding begins with the honest appraisal of your company’s main business, your strengths and your customers’ needs…and how you address them. Workplace branding is like putting the clothes on the model.
If you have not chosen the location for your business, or if you’re thinking of moving or upgrading, make sure your workplace and the company’s culturally distinct workspace inside it are a direct extension of the simpler branding ideal. Be it a warehouse, an office or a trendy loft, your workplace brand should reflect who you are and how you want both your employees and your customers to perceive you.