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 became incorporated. It 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 support for The National Trust for Historic Preservation who funds preservation and restoration for buildings of national historical value and completed few T.I. projects.
Becoming of Age
2008 - 2012
These years were marked by USGBC membership and more training in LEED environmental design, doing 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 doing 8,500 sq.ft. of residential outdoor living space, from concept - documentation to construction. 5,000 sq. ft. of this landscape was fed with the home's graywater with mostly drought tolerant plants and no grass.
The Lean Times
2014 - 2019
Relocating in 2014 to the Veterans Building in Ventura, RGS began a plan for a remote business model.
The full transition to this model was in 2017, closing the physical office, streaming of protocols, and printing outsource.
In 2018 RGS Design Studio, Inc. opened a virtual office in Santa Barbara, CA. with a team of four; 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 allowed growth into 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 have stayed 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.