Governor Gray Davis officially announced Castellanos' appointment on Monday, February 27. The appointment requires Senate confirmation. The firm specializes in school construction and healthcare facilities and has received numerous AIA chapter design awards.
Schools are the cornerstones of our communities and they deserve our care and attention.
As California's new State Architect, I understand the all-important need for the design and implementation of livable communities to help restore the quality of life for all Californians. Better planning strategies need to be developed to revitalize our urban areas and preserve our agricultural, recreational, and wildlife lands, while supporting the housing needs of a growing population in a thoughtful way. Castellanos enjoys a solid reputation in his community as a citizen-architect and has initiated and led collaborative workshops to improve the design of community spaces in his local community of Stockton. Such efforts include the Pacific Avenue Merchants Association Revitalization Committee and the Miracle Mile Revitalization Workshop. His firm also provided pro-bono design and construction services for the Stockton Children's Museum, which commemorates the victims of the school yard massacre that occurred in Stockton.