Mt. View Sanitary District

Administration Building and Visitor Center, Martinez, CA

The client is a leader in advanced waste treatment processes and have won numerous state awards. As a result, they are permitted to discharge their effluent directly into the surrounding wetlands. The site is surrounded by marshes, to an extent fed by the plant, and the District welcomes a lot of birdwatchers, as well as schoolchildren and professionals eager to learn about waste treatment. Here are progress photos as of 3/02.

This building is up on a little hill just above the 680 freeway, about five miles north of Concord. The exterior paint scheme is incorrect and will be fixed. We originally presented a sweeping, asymetrically curved roof instead of the gable, which might have supported the avian imagery better.


The drum-shaped lobby, inspired by the many brightly colored refinery tanks surrounding the site, will contain educational exhibits. The stainless steel chandelier is derived from the banks of UV tubes which sterilize the effluent near the end of the treatment process.

Here's the site plan. You will need the Autodesk DXF viewer to see it. Unfortunately Autodesk changed their system...it used to automatically download. You can't see it in Firefox, sorry.

Right-click for viewing options.

The building is surrounded by wetlands and the Exxon and Shell refineries. The freeway is to the north (up). A xeriscape wildflower meadow will surround the building.

Paul Dent: project architect (design through construction documents)
Frants Albert, principal-in-charge
Frants Albert Associates, architect of record
Under Construction, 2001

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