Keep exploring HGA in Northern California. This page brings together more stories from our San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento teams, including office happenings, project updates, community involvement, and key milestones from across the region.
Welcome to our 2026 Summer Interns!
Shruti Mankale joins our San Francisco healthcare team from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Yu-Hsuan Huang joins our San Francisco interiors team from San Jose State University, and Clara Ruefer joins our San Jose interiors team from the University of Cincinnati. We’re excited for the creativity, curiosity, and fresh perspective they’ll bring to HGA this summer.
Award Win: DBIA Western Pacific Region Design-Build Innovation Award
HGA’s Sacramento team was recognized with a DBIA Western Pacific Region Design-Build Innovation Award for the State of California DGS Resources Building Renovation. The award celebrates the project team’s collaborative design-build approach and the creative problem-solving required to transform an existing state building into a more modern, high-performing workplace.
The win reflects the strength of the project partnership and Sacramento’s continued role in delivering complex civic work that supports the future of California’s public infrastructure.
Panelists: Jon Riddle & Amin Mojtahedi at SCUP Pacific Regional Conference
At the SCUP Pacific Regional Conference, HGA Science + Technology Principal Jon Riddle and Design Innovation Manager Amin Mojtahedi joined UCSF’s Alicia Murasaki for Bridging Silos: Designing for Convergence, Equity, and Innovation. Their session explored integrated planning, stakeholder co-creation, universal design, and measurable impact across higher education, healthcare, and civic work.
Panelist: Joseph Marshall at BISNOW Bay Area Life Sciences & Biotech Conference
Joseph Marshall, HGA Science + Technology Principal, joined industry leaders at Bisnow’s Bay Area Life Sciences & Biotech Conference for the panel “How Universities & Incubators Fuel Innovation and Growth.” The conversation explored what it takes to build resilient innovation ecosystems, from research and talent to capital and specialized infrastructure that can support long-term growth in the Bay Area life sciences market.
2026 HGA Founder’s Awards NorCal Honorees
Northern California celebrated three standout Founders’ Award winners this year: Isvet Paz in San Francisco, Steffie Szto in San Jose, and Angela Falla in Sacramento. Their recognition reflects the leadership, collaboration, and commitment to excellence they bring to their teams, projects, and office communities across the region.
San Jose Tradition: Pillars of HGA Awards
The Pillars of HGA Awards are a San Jose office tradition recognizing the people who shape the studio’s culture every day. Rather than focusing only on project milestones, the awards celebrate the behaviors that make the workplace stronger: collaboration, support, curiosity, and meaningful impact.
This year, Jana Page was recognized for Empathy, honoring the care, thoughtfulness, and support she brings to her colleagues. Sarah Brown was recognized for Curiosity, celebrating her thoughtful approach, willingness to ask questions, and energy for learning and problem-solving. Rafael Gali was recognized for Impact, highlighting the way his work, leadership, and follow-through help move ideas forward and contribute to stronger outcomes for the team.
Together, the Pillars winners reflect what makes the San Jose team special: a culture built on talent, generosity, curiosity, and people who make others feel valued.
Sacramento Team Hosts Women in Construction Job Shadow Day
HGA’s Sacramento team welcomed Career Technical Education students from Luther Burbank High School and Sacramento New Technology Early College High School for a Women in Construction Job Shadow Day. Students toured the office, learned about HGA’s history on R Street, explored career pathways across architecture, engineering, construction, marketing, and business development, and heard from women leaders in the industry.
The day also included practical career guidance, speed networking, and a hands-on team activity where students created their own firm name, values, and project presentation board, giving them a closer look at how ideas move from concept to completion.
SFBT Bay Area Interior Design Rankings 2026
HGA ranked #5 on the San Francisco Business Times list of largest interior design firms in the Bay Area, based on 2025 local revenue. The recognition reflects the growing impact of interiors in shaping experience, performance, and long-term value across the built environment.
SFBT Bay Area Architecture Firm Rankings 2026
HGA ranked #5 on the San Francisco Business Times list of largest architecture firms in the Greater Bay Area, based on the number of local architects. The ranking reflects the scale of our Bay Area practice and the complex, multidisciplinary work our teams are delivering across the region.
Sacramento Business Journal Architecture Firm Rankings 2026
HGA ranked #2 on the Sacramento Business Journal list of largest architecture firms in the region, reflecting the strength and scale of our local practice. The annual list ranks firms by their Sacramento-area presence, highlighting the teams shaping the built environment across the region.