RGS Design Studio's History
2002
Ren Santizo singlehandedly began in 2002 assisting a local dentist with a custom single-family residence in Ventura CA. The positive experience and collaboration were the seed that flourished into RGS Design Studio, Inc. It began with the old school yellow page ad in a local directory, business cards and word of mouth.
Through the mid 2000's he participated in Community Development project forums for the City of Ventura West Side, worked on Historic Preservation and attended seminars on Natural Resources conservation and GREEN design standards.
By 2007 RGS became incorporated. It trained in LEED Construction and Major renovation from the USGBC, in "Historic Preservation" from the State Office of Historic Preservation, and in "Wood Design for Non-Residential Structures" from the "Wood Products Council". It began support for The National Trust for Historic Preservation dedicated to salvaging, funding preservation and restoration for buildings of national historical value.
Becoming of Age
2008 - 2012
During these years it held membership in The US Green Building Council, the organization for LEED training and accreditation. The Great Recession forced consolidation, pro bono work, and marked the end of an era, RGS became 10 years old.
With relocating to an Executive suite in downtown Ventura, and a three-staff team it successfully ended the recession.
Expansion
In 2013 RGS expanded services to Interior Design, and landscape. It teamed up with a Nursery owner to complete a large scale 8,500 sq.ft. residential outdoor living space, from concept - documentation to construction. In this project graywater was diverted to the landscape, drought tolerant plants with no grass were used for 5,000 sq. ft.
The Lean Times
2014 - 2019
In 2014 RGS relocated to the Veterans Building in Ventura and began considering the remote business model for the future.
It made the full transition into it in 2017, closing the physical office, streamlining protocols, buying new equipment, and outsourced printing.
In 2018 RGS Design Studio, Inc. opened a virtual office in Santa Barbara, CA. with a remote team of four; manager Ren Santizo and staff; Oscar Hernandez, architect in training Longi Cao, and Noelle Koeppe from Dream House LLC. In 2019 opened a second virtual office on Palma Drive in Ventura. The covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented growth including light industrial projects like the Harbor Patrol maintenance dock at the Santa Barbara Harbor.
2020 - 2024
Thanks to our continued relationships and strong work ethic we stay strong in this competitive environment. At twenty-two years in business, we see residential construction changing, people are embracing ADUs in their backyards or garages, and digital planning and processing are the norm to satisfy the housing demand. If you have a project in mind, give us a call. The first consulting hour is complimentary.