Elizabeth Graux

Born and raised in Southern California, Elizabeth was lucky enough to visit many historic sites and buildings on family vacations. Those trips sparked her interest in architecture and preservation. She is known for her ability to solve complicated problems and successfully working with owners, contractors, and stakeholders.

One of her more intensive assignments was the repair and restoration of San Francisco’s fire-damaged Pier 29 bulkhead structure. The Port of San Francisco completed the project in 10 months under a schedule driven by the America’s Cup. Recently, Elizabeth was part of the team leading the seismic rehabilitation of the Napa County Courthouse, which was severely damaged by the 2014 South Napa earthquake. The structural strengthening solution for the building required design changes during construction to allow for the appropriate reinstallation of the historic finishes. She worked closely with the contractor, construction manager, and structural engineer to address the issues, and all historic finishes were successfully reinstalled.

Elizabeth believes historic preservation is inherently sustainable by reusing existing buildings. She has experience applying sustainable design practices to many of her projects. She has worked on four LEED-certified projects, including the Stanley Mosk Library & Courts Building Rehabilitation, San Francisco Animal Care & Control Adaptive Reuse, Gevena Car Barn Rehabilitation, and War Memorial Veterans Building Rehabilitation. She is a licensed architect, an architectural historian, and a Certified Access Specialist (CASp).