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, worked on Historic Preservation homes and attended seminars on Natural Resources conservation and GREEN design standards.
In 2007 RGS incorporated, trained in 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 supporting The National Trust for Historic Preservation who funds preservation and restoration for buildings of national historical value.
Becoming of Age
2008 - 2012
These years were marked by USGBC membership and more training in LEED environmental design, T.I. projects, pro bono work through The Great Recession, relocating to Executive Suites in downtown Ventura, and becoming of age at 10 years of service.
Expansion
In 2013 RGS expanded services to Interior Design, landscape, and restaurant design. It completed restaurants in Oxnard, and Ojai, CA and teamed up with a Nursery owner for a 8,000 sq.ft. of residential outdoor living space, from concept - documentation to construction. 5,000 sq. ft. of the landscape was fed with the home's graywater and drought tolerant plants without grass.
The Lean Times
2014 - 2019
RGS relocated to the Veterans Building in Ventura in 2014 and began a plan for a remote business model,
completing the transition in 2017, closing the physical office, streaming of protocols, and outsourcing printing.
In 2018 RGS Design Studio, Inc. opened a virtual office in Santa Barbara, CA. with manager Ren Santizo and staff; Oscar Hernandez, architect in training Longi Cao, and Noelle Koeppe from Dream House LLC. In 2019, a second virtual office was opened on Palma Drive in Ventura. The covid-19 pandemic brought unexpected growth with light industrial projects such as the Harbor Patrol maintenance dock at the Santa Barbara Harbor.
2020 - 2025
Thanks to our continued relationships and work ethic we have stayed strong in this competitive environment. At twenty-three years in business, we adapt to changes in residential construction, people embracing ADUs in backyards or garages, where digital planning and processing is becoming the norm. If you have a project in mind, give us a call. The first consulting hour is complimentary.