You can huff and puff, but you can't blow Ridge/Lytton Springs Vineyards down Ridge/Lytton Springs Vineyards
is "the biggest straw bale building in the U.S.", states Mark Vernon, COO of Ridge Vineyards, "and with one or two possible exceptions, it may be the largest straw bale building in the world." Built with 2-foot thick rice straw bales, treated and compressed into a suitable building material, it forms the wall construction and serves as excellent insulation for the temperature control system in the winery. The San Francisco architectural firm of Freebairn, Smith & Crawe designed the remodeled winery. The electrical engineering firm of Zeigler Engineering from Oakland joined with the general contractor, Molofsky Builders,
Knights' Electric of Windsor and Vernon, who maintains an
office in San Jose to oversee the other Ridge Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, serves as the project manager. The unique structure posed challenges in the construction process. The straw bale walls
were covered with a metal lathe that served as a routing surface for electrical wiring and cabling as it was strung through and tied to the lathe. "Knights' Electric is a really good team player within the
design team
their time and effort helped us throughout this project, they were very creative. We also had to consider atmospheric conditions in terms of corrosion and we required long life electrical components due to this type of construction, Knights' was a great resource for us in these areas."
When the building is completed the wall surfaces inside and out will be textured with an earth and plaster finish
that is comprised of dirt and clay from the vineyard. "It's interesting to look at, you can see the straw within the textured wall and the color is a true earth tone", muses Vernon. When Ridge/Lytton Springs is completed, it won't just be a curiosity. It will also be a "smart winery" as we will see in Part 2 next month.
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Ridge/Lytton Springs Tasting Room |
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Specifically built by Pacific Design
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Don Thrash of Knights' Electric adjusts a light senor for Mark Nilson, president of
Pacific Designs |
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Pacific Design & Manufacturing President Mark Nilson was well aware of Knights' Electric from their reputation in the wine industry
. Both companies had been on winery job sites together
in the past. Pacific Design manufactures and fabricates wine equipment such as catwalks and they are developing new equipment like their automatic fermentor and vibrating table/conveyor to move grapes
more gently. So when it came time to build a new and larger facility, which is located in the Airport Business Park area, Knights' Electric was a natural fit for this design/build
project.Nilson oversees the construction project, Rob Knight is the project manager and
Knights' Electric designed the entire electrical plan, which includes an 800 amp, 480 volt, 3-phase service that powers the building. A motor control system
enhances the air quality by turning on fans to clear the air of exhaust from the production area. Knights' lighting design for the production area is a white light
concept that uses down-lighting and prismatic lenses that also bounce light off the white ceiling some 30 feet high using Ruud, metal halide fixtures with 400 watt –
277 volt power producing more light lumes per watt for a cost-efficient, bright work area."Knights' Electric moved the electrical design plan through County approval which
helped get the building shell approved early and kept the project on schedule", said Nilson – "another thing I liked was that Bob Knight came out to check on some
details, even though he wasn't there daily. Their experience and anticipation is a plus and they're up on all the latest technology." In the upstairs office loft all the
overhead lighting is 277-volt parabolic, prismatic lens, fluorescent fixtures with motion and heat sensors to determine if the room is empty to automatically turn off
the lights. As Don Thrash of Knights' Electric shows Nilson how to adjust the timing on the light sensor, Nilson smiles and says to no one in particular, "Knights' is taking good care of us." Springtime is a season of change
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Ceiling cove lighting above a chandelier
at Shiloh Estates residence |
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Spring of 2002 marks the unofficial start of this year's construction season. This is especially true for the residential
construction industry that coincides with the real estate season for home sales and housing starts. This is also a season of change for many construction companies who foresee the need to
increase their work force in the areas of management, labor and administrative talent. For Knights' Electric it marks a season of change in the Residential Department as Vice President Eric
McDonell is embarking on a new direction with his career, leaving Knights' Electric to form his own business concern. Rob Knight currently oversees the Residential Department
along with project manager Matt Sweeney who has previously worked on a
Shiloh Knowles project in the exclusive
gated community adjacent to Mayacamus Golf Course. A residential project coming to completion in Atherton involves structured cabling for computer systems
including a server, home automation and ambient lighting. Another project is just starting on a new residence in Stinson Beach.
Knights' Electric has established itself as an industry leader in specialized ambient lighting with PLC based automation and programmable lighting controls. Visit us at www.knightselectric.com
in the Residential Department to find out more about our services along with the companies and customers we have worked with in this dynamic and growing industry.Back to Top
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