Anaheim Substation

Anaheim’s newest electrical substation needed to house a lot of different elements, from switchgear and transformers to restrooms and utility rooms, with a control room to run it all. So the City, with the help of JRMA’s architectural and structural engineering design team, went underground to build the project.

By building the substation underground, it could be located closer to the residents it serves while also taking up less land area. JRMA ensured everything was in place so that the substation could function safely and productively in its underground environment, creating a prototype for other utilities operating in tight, urban spaces.

The architectural design of the building, in a nod to Spanish Mission style, masks its purpose. Walk down the shaded sidewalk created by the newly planted parkway trees, and you might imagine a school inside, rather than a electrical substation.