Our portfolio showcases a diverse range of projects, including energy-efficient public schools, revitalization of public spaces, and sustainable commercial buildings. We prioritize a holistic approach that considers factors such as passive design, renewable energy integration including solar photovoltaic array design, water conservation, and use of locally sourced materials to create environmentally responsible and resilient spaces.
At the heart of our practice is a strong emphasis on community engagement. We firmly believe that sustainable design should be accessible and inclusive, reflecting the voices and aspirations of the people who will inhabit the spaces we create. We actively seek input from local residents, community organizations, and public officials, ensuring that our designs respond to their needs and aspirations.
HISTORY OF THE FIRM
Interactive Resources, Inc. was founded in 1973 by five individuals who shared a vision of a consulting firm that could provide comprehensive interdisciplinary services from site acquisition through project planning design and construction. In addition, the firm would participate as an owner in real estate development projects. The envisioned interaction of these resources was the source of the firm’s title.
The founders included Tom Butt, FAIA, John Clinton, SE, AIA, George Faucette, Robert Johnson and Patrick Leamy (now MacLeamy), AIA. Only Butt and Clinton went on to work in Interactive Resources, Inc.; the others remained in their existing occupations and eventually relinquished their ownership in the business. Butt was a licensed architect, licensed general contractor and licensed real estate broker, and Clinton was a licensed architect and licensed structural engineer.
Butt and Clinton first met when serving together as engineer officers in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vietnam in 1969, HHC, 159th Engineer Group, headquartered at Long Binh, Vietnam. They became reacquainted in 1971 when both were working for architectural firms in San Francisco and found themselves commuting on the Sausalito Ferry.
What happened to the other three founders? George Faucette, a real estate broker who grew up with Tom Butt in Arkansas, eventually migrated back to his home state and grew a family business into a regional real estate firm, Coldwell Banker – Harris McHaney & Faucette with multiple offices in northwest Arkansas. Robert Johnson is still in the Real Estate brokerage business in the San Francisco Bay area. Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, a university classmate of John Clinton, stayed with his employer and eventually became CEO of HOK (Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.), one of the world’s leading design and project delivery firms with 1,800 employees worldwide.
Interactive Resources, Inc. opened its first office in Point Richmond in 1973, just a block north of where the firm is located today. Butt and Clinton were the first full-time employees, but within a couple of years they were joined by Charles (Chuck) Beavers, AIA, in 1976, who later became the firm’s vice-president, Chuck’s older brother Jim Beavers, and Dale Sartor. All became shareholders in the firm. In the early 1980s Jim Beavers, who worked at interactive from 1975 to 1983, moved to Florida. Sartor joined in 1975 and stayed until 1983, when he joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he was the head of the LBNL Building Technologies Applications Team.
When Interactive Resources, Inc. formed in 1973, the energy crisis resulting from the Middle East oil embargo was already in full swing. Responding to widespread panic characterized by long lines at service stations and rapidly rising energy prices, Interactive Resources, Inc. quickly gained a reputation for energy-efficient design and alternative energy applications. By 1980, Interactive Resources, Inc. operated as three divisions— Structural, Architecture and Solar.
As we look towards the future, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainable design and fostering vibrant, resilient communities. Through our expertise, passion, and unwavering dedication, we continue to make a positive impact on the built environment while creating spaces that inspire, connect, and thrive for generations to come.