OUR HISTORY
1997
The Kastrop Group restored the 2nd floor of the historic Foresters Hall in Redwood City and moved into offices there.
Our team focused mainly on retail stores in the early years and did a great deal of work for The Gap and The Limited all over the United States as the retail business boomed. We then broadened our portfolio to include other commercial, residential, and public projects.
1994
The husband and wife team of D. Michael Kastrop and Lorianna Kastrop founded The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects at the Sequoia Building in downtown Redwood City.
Mike was a partner at a medium-sized architectural firm for several years before deciding he would like to go out on his own. When Lorianna offered to add her business and financial expertise to his architectural experience and creative skills, they knew they had a recipe for success.
Redwood City was a good fit for the firm, because of their community contacts, which helped to build the business and establish a good reputation in the days when word-of-mouth referrals were crucial. Redwood City was also embarking on a revitalization of the downtown area, and Mike joined the Downtown Business Group, and participated in collaborating with the Planning Department on the highly successful Downtown Precise Plan. While times changed and The Kastrop Group embraced new technologies, these strong local connections remain an important part of the business.
2001
Our firm grew and moved to a neglected historic building on Main Street that we restored to its former glory.
Business was steady, though the advent of online shopping meant a decline in brick-and-mortar retail projects. The Kastrop Group responded by diversifying our portfolio, working on historical renovations, churches, offices, and restaurants.
This is also when we started our summer internship program. We took on a Sequoia High School student who was interested in a career in architecture. Since then we have taken on summer interns who live locally and are studying architecture in colleges throughout California, thereby enhancing their educational experience with a deep understanding of real world architectural work experience. Our 2022 intern Ann Mashraki, is transferring from College of San Mateo to University of CA at Berkeley to pursue her architectural degree.
2017
The Kastrop Group was awarded the first ever Torch Award for Ethics from the Golden Gate Chapter of the Better Business Bureau in the Small Business Category.
We celebrated the firm's 25th anniversary and took a team retreat to Cambria, CA including a visit to Hearst Castle. The firm moved to our current location on Birch Street, near beautiful downtown Redwood City.
2014
Marie Barron joined our team after graduating from University of California, Berkeley.
Marie obtained her Architecture license in early 2022. Her area of expertise extends to both residential and commercial projects. Heard over to our Team to read more about Marie!
2004
Brian Villavicencio joined our team after graduating from University of California, Berkeley.
Brian is highly versed in many areas of our industry and takes the lead on most residential projects. Head over to our Team to get to know Brian more!
2015
We celebrated our 20th anniversary with a retreat at
Vision Quest Safari in Salinas, with a side trip to Monterey.
2015 was also the year when we committed to moving all of our file storage and documents to “the cloud”, reducing our use of paper and providing protection from fire or other disasters.
2005
The Kastrop Group received the Golden Apple Award.
Presented by the Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce for distinguished support of local schools.
2008
The Kastrop group received the Bay Area Green Business Certification.
Our company was one of the first 6 companies to be certified in San Mateo County.
2019
The Kastrop Group was awarded the prestigious Sequoia Award for community service by a business, presented at a huge banquet held at Facebook headquarters.
We celebrated the firm's 25th anniversary and took a team retreat to Cambria, CA including a visit to Hearst Castle. The firm moved to our current location on Birch Street, near beautiful downtown Redwood City.
2020
The COVID-19 Pandemic resulted in a San Mateo County Public Health order to immediately shut down non-essential business operations.
Our office closed on March 17, 2020. Our employees were able to take home their office computers and internet-connected office phones and were quickly back to work, using project files stored in "the cloud". Construction was for the most part designated an "essential business", but many Planning and Building departments shut down for various periods of time, impacting the ability to obtain permits. Demand for residential architectural projects increased as more and more people were spending the majority of their time at home.
2021
Towards the end of 2021 The Kastrop Group resumed in-person operations.
We operate at project sites with masks. Our staff is fully vaccinated. We resumed visits to our office by clients, consultants and vendors by appointment.
Through the years our work has received several beautification awards, but our most gratifying recognition is when our clients are satisfied and give us referrals to their friends and colleagues. Currently, there is a trend towards transit-oriented development and commercial/residential multi-story buildings in downtown or urban core areas. The Kastrop Group currently has projects in the pipeline to meet this need. We are experienced and poised to help communities expand housing opportunities through Accessory Dwelling Units, and we are prepared for new opportunities and challenges that come our way.
We look forward to seeing what the future will bring and we are prepared for new challenges. No matter what changes in our industry, we will continue to serve our clients with the same personal touch and consistent quality that we have become known for in the last 40+ years.