In these settings, phasing becomes more than a scheduling exercise. It is a strategic approach to maintaining continuity, protecting users, and ensuring that essential services remain uninterrupted.

Balancing Construction with Daily Operations

The most immediate challenge in phased construction is maintaining a safe and functional environment while work is underway.

This often requires clear separation between occupied spaces and construction zones, particularly in environments such as schools, healthcare facilities, and civic buildings where safety and accessibility are critical. At the same time, key facilities such as cafeterias, libraries, or shared spaces may need to be temporarily taken offline and replaced or upgraded.

Balancing these competing needs requires careful planning, sequencing, and coordination from the earliest stages of design.

Planning for What Cannot Stop

In occupied environments, certain functions cannot be paused.

Classes must continue, staff must be able to perform their roles, and core services must remain available. This requires identifying what must remain operational at all times and developing a phasing strategy that supports those priorities.

At Garden Grove Unified School District’s La Quinta and Pacifica High Schools, this meant maintaining full campus operations for more than 4,000 students while completing over 200,000 square feet of modernization and new construction across two campuses . Construction was organized into five phases, allowing new facilities to come online as older ones were renovated or replaced, without interrupting daily activities.

Sequencing as a Design Strategy

Effective phasing relies on more than dividing a project into stages. It requires sequencing that considers how spaces are used and how they can transition over time.

On the Garden Grove campuses, this included reconfiguring parking, circulation, and access points in parallel with building construction. Phasing diagrams mapped how areas would shift from active use to construction and back again, ensuring that essential functions such as student drop-off, parking, and campus circulation remained operational throughout the process.

This level of coordination allows projects to move forward while maintaining a sense of continuity for users.

Designing for Flexibility

Phasing is most effective when flexibility is built into the design.

Spaces that can adapt to temporary uses, support relocation, or accommodate shifting program needs make it easier to navigate construction without disruption. This flexibility allows teams to respond to changing conditions, whether that means relocating functions, adjusting circulation, or rethinking how spaces are used during construction.

These principles extend beyond education environments. In civic facilities, such as fire stations, maintaining operational readiness is essential. In healthcare settings, continuity of care is critical. In each case, the ability to adapt spaces and maintain functionality during construction directly impacts the success of the project.

Minimizing Disruption, Maintaining Experience

The goal of phased construction is not only to complete a project, but to preserve the experience of those using the space.

At Garden Grove USD, all phases were completed while maintaining uninterrupted campus operations. Classes continued without relocation, and students and staff retained access to essential services throughout construction.

When phasing is carefully planned and executed, the result is a process that feels seamless, even as a significant transformation is taking place.

A Strategic Approach to Phasing

Phased construction requires a clear understanding of how a facility operates, how it will evolve, and how to maintain alignment between design, construction, and user needs.

When approached thoughtfully, phasing becomes a tool that supports continuity rather than disruption. It allows projects to move forward while preserving the functionality and experience of the environment throughout the process.

Planning a project in an active environment? Let’s talk about how to keep operations running. Reach us at info@westgroupdesigns.com.

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The feature underscores how community engagement is embedded in the firm’s culture and strategy, from hands-on volunteer efforts to ongoing support of local educational foundations, food security programs, youth initiatives, and environmental restoration. In 2025 alone, Westgroup Designs’ 40-person team contributed more than 480 volunteer hours and nearly $23,000 in direct donations, supporting organizations throughout Orange County and beyond. The article also highlights the firm’s belief that social responsibility and design excellence go hand in hand, reinforcing long-standing partnerships with public agencies, school districts, healthcare providers, and civic organizations.

To read the full story, view this week’s edition of the Orange County Business Journal. The full article is featured in the Companies That Care report.

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Yesterday, August 27, 2025, marked the official ribbon-cutting for the Los Alamitos Unified School District’s newest campus addition. The Griffin Center is a 34,000 square foot, state-of-the-art athletics and events facility, and the second ground-up project completed in partnership with architecture firm Westgroup Designs.

Community, Leadership, and Vision

The event welcomed students, families, board members, and staff for an open house tour of the building. Guests explored the expansive three-court gymnasium, 2,000 seat retractable bleachers, four team rooms, weight training suite, and indoor-outdoor concessions. At the heart of the facility is the Hall of Champions, a double-height glass-enclosed lobby that celebrates the school’s storied athletic legacy and sets the stage for future generations of Griffins.

Westgroup Designs CEO, Sima Hassani, delivered remarks during the ceremony, thanking the District’s leadership and facilities team for their trust and coordination throughout the design and construction process. “The Griffin Center is more than a building,” Hassani shared. “It is a bold statement of what Los Alamitos values most: excellence, opportunity, and pride.”

She added, “The building tells a story through its very form. At the entry, the abstract geometry of the canopy suggests the powerful motion of a Griffin’s wing. It is a symbolic tribute to the school’s mascot and enduring spirit of athletic pride.”

Superintendent, Dr. Andrew Pulver, echoed those sentiments, adding:
“Westgroup Designs… brought vision and heart to this project—and, honestly, have you seen a high school gym ever look like this? I have not… As soon as you come up the driveway, you can’t help but see this Griffin pride.”

More Than a Gym

The Griffin Center was intentionally designed to serve more than just athletics. It supports PE classes, student assemblies, community events, and performances. For the first time, outdoor sports now benefit from access to restrooms and concessions. The project reflects the District’s Four A’s framework: Academics, Athletics, Activities, and the Arts, ensuring equity, flexibility, and long-term value.

“This is a place where every student can grow, physically, mentally, and emotionally,” Hassani said. “We are truly honored to be part of this journey and look forward to supporting the District’s continued vision.”

A Shared Milestone

Throughout the evening, the excitement was palpable. ASB students who had joined the project photography team were thrilled to explore the finished facility. They commented on the scale of the space, noting how much larger it felt than the old gym, and eagerly asked what new project might be next.

With the Griffin Center now open, Los Alamitos High School gains more than a new building. It gains a destination. A space that strengthens school pride, supports student life, and stands as a symbol of community investment for years to come.

The post From Vision to Victory: Griffin Center Opens Its Doors appeared first on Westgroup Designs.

Westgroup Designs is proud to announce its selection as the design firm for Riverside City College’s new state-of-the-art Cosmetology Building, an anchor project in the Riverside Community College District’s (RCCD) bold investment in the future of career and technical education. The transformative facility is among the first to be funded by RCCD’s recently approved $954 million bond measure, signaling a district-wide commitment to innovation, equity, and workforce development.

WD brings decades of experience in higher education design and will lead both the architectural and interior vision for the new facility. More than just a learning environment, the building will immerse students in a professional, real-world salon setting complete with modern learning labs, interactive client spaces, and industry-aligned technologies that support excellence, hygiene, and hands-on learning.

“Our team is deeply honored to partner with RCCD on a project that merges educational excellence with design innovation and industry relevance,” said PariSima Hassani, CEO and Managing Principal of Westgroup Designs. “With our interdisciplinary approach and the unique insight of an in-house licensed cosmetologist, we are distinctly positioned to design a facility that not only reflects RCCD’s mission, but also embodies student success and advancement.”

The design will be shaped through close collaboration with RCC faculty, staff, and students, ensuring the new facility supports the college’s academic goals and creates a pathway to meaningful careers.

Supporting WD is a seasoned team of consultants, including Pezeshki Engineering, IMEG, VCA Engineers, Ridge Landscape Architects, Veneklasen Associates, and OCMI each bringing deep expertise in DSA-compliant, high-performing educational environments across California. With design efforts already underway, the new Cosmetology Building is poised to become a landmark of RCCD’s facilities modernization, an inspiring blend of innovation, community, and opportunity under one roof.

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Our team scored a home run with the recently completed varsity-level facility, featuring dugouts, bullpens, bleachers, and everything needed to train the next generation of athletes. While the Fillmore Varsity Baseball Field is game-ready, our work continues on the Fillmore High School Athletic Complex—bringing a 3-court gym, locker rooms, wrestling room, and training spaces to life.

We're proud to deliver projects that shape the future of sports and empower student-athletes to achieve their best. Play ball!

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WD is a 2024 Platinum Bond Contributor.

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Westgroup Designs has been selected as an Honoree for the 2023 National Philanthropy Day,  recognizing the contributions and spirit of giving the firm and its staff continue to make, in support of many Orange County areas.

WD’s fundamental value centered on investing in the region’s non-profit organizations, foundations and causes serves to benefit, enrich and empower the global community.

Spanning a variety of activities and events, from sponsoring and fundraising, to actively working with Veterans, the  underserved, women & children’s groups, shelters, environmental and charitable organizations, Westgroup Designs is proud to drive positive change in our communities.

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This past Saturday, our commitment went beyond admiration. Team WD took a proactive step to ensure the continued beauty and health of our coastal gem by participating in the National Coastal Cleanup Day. Equipped with gloves, trash bags, and an unwavering spirit of community service, we set out to rid the shores of waste, ensuring that the bay remains a pristine haven for its marine life and a cherished space for the community.

Our actions are guided by a belief that businesses should play an integral role in the welfare of their communities. As we worked alongside other volunteers, it was evident that collective action can lead to significant change. Every piece of trash picked up is one less contaminant affecting our environment.

So, the next time we glance out of our office windows at the serene waters of Back Bay Newport Beach, we'll not only admire its beauty but also take pride in knowing we played a part in its preservation.

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