Context + History: Located in the picturesque back country of San Diego Co. the very small historic St. Bartholomew’s Chapel was destroyed by a wildfire that ravaged the Rincon Indian reservation in late 2007. Only the original adobe bell tower and original Mission bell survived, which would become the anchor element in the redesign planning. The needs of the current community changed significantly over the past 100 years. The fire presented a “blank slate” opportunity to expand and update the facility primarily by doubling the seating capacity and adding a standalone multipurpose social hall which created and framed a third space; an outdoor prayer garden. It is a beautiful project that is even better experienced in person, the drive alone through the backcountry makes the visit worth it. Design Objectives: The new design by Kevin deFreitas Architects, was conceived to reverently knit together “past” and comfortable traditions, while acknowledging and offering something relevant to current and future generations. Thus, emulating or recreating the past literally was not a project goal. Native American as well as Catholic/Christian symbols and metaphors were referenced in every design element; plan, section, and elevation as a way to infuse meaning into the chapel on several layers. Sustainability + LEED: In an effort to reconnect with traditional Indian culture of living “lighter” on the land, the client specifically requested that the redesigned project incorporate a thoughtful complement of green materials, efficient technologies, and sustainable strategies. Low tech high mass walls, oversized roof overhangs, skylights, protected operable and clerestory windows were combined with high tech products such as a thin film solar PV system, a tankless water heater, a computerized lighting control system, and high performance glazing and insulation. The result, a building that consumes approximately 26% less power, and 35% less water than comparable structures. The chapel is currently pursuing LEED certification at the Gold level. Natural Materials: The Chapel utilizes a significant amount of site harvested building materials; the signature element being the massive rammed earth walls that flank the sanctuary, each nearly 60 feet long, 18 feet tall, and 2 feet thick-a first in San Diego County. Symbolically important, these beautifully textured and organic walls are literally molded from 120 tons of sacred reservation soil. Other eart

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Completed in January 2010, the newly remodeled Mormon Battalion Historic Site is a drastic improvement from the original visitors center. Overlooking Old Town San Diego, visitors are welcomed by the entry plaza with a water feature, battalion statue, period cannon and a wagon (which you can climb into!) This begins your INTERACTIVE experience through the museum. Passing rocking chairs while entering the foyer, pictures of battalion members come to life and start talking to you! Taking you back in time, you enter a series of rooms, each detailed with period artifacts. From a tent camp to an old fort, the attention to detail is on the same level of work from Disney Imagineers. Concluding, you can pan for gold, make bricks, and eventually climb the tower to view a scenic lookout of Old Town. Not only is it fun, but an informative journey to learn about the men, women, and children who walked the longest military march in history! It is more than a museum but a memorable experience for the whole family. Not to mention, a great addition to the Old Town State Historic Park.

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Let's put the traffic, parking and our beloved Barrio Logan issues aside for a moment...The proposed new Charger stadium stretches from K Street to Imperial Avenue and takes up several city blocks. The rendering, released in May of this year, included PETCO Park and downtown San Diego. FUNDING for the estimated $900 million to $1 billion stadium is STILL IN LIMBO. The Centre City Development Corporation is still waiting for approval to lift its property tax/spending “cap”. Right now, the CCDC has a project list that costs about $1.5 billion but less than $400 million to build them. The last reported annual operating income of the Chargers was $41.6 million for the 2008 season, excluding revenue sharing. San Diego voters appear to be aware that the Chargers franchise is quite profitable and needs no subsidies: 71% percent of respondents to a Channel News poll on December 11, 2009, said that taxpayer dollars should NOT be used for stadium construction. This comports to a June 15, 2002 Union-Tribune poll wherein 61% of respondents said that they were opposed to using public money to keep the Chargers in San Diego. Nevertheless, the City and the Chargers appear to be planning a new stadium using public monies. The cost of a new San Diego stadium at the currently hypothesized downtown site is now estimated to be $800 million. The Chargers are proposing to invest about $200 million to build a 62,000 seat stadium, with the balance to come from: $500 million public tax dollars in the form of tax increment bonds to be paid from property and sales taxes, and $100 million from a National Football League (NFL) financing program. However, the NFL funding is apparently not available, so the public financing could be about $600 million. Moreover, with the latest construction proposal, a retractable roof, the $800 million estimate may well be significantly low. The new roofed stadium of the Dallas Cowboys that opened in 2009 cost $1.2 billion, of which owner Jerry Jones put up $800 million. Now, about that traffic... read the Grand Jury report: http://media.signonsandiego.com/news/documents/2010/05/19/100520qualcomm...

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The City of La Mesa has committed an urban design crime! The civic center redo has recently been mugged by a beast of a building and ironically enough, the police are the perpetrators. This bad neighbor completely turns its back on the city and has massive and mean blank walls on all sides. Sadly enough it is the citizens of La Mesa that will be serving time for this one. Please, and I do mean please, book this one with an onion!

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Miscellaneous Building Category would be Land Use - and the plans for San Diego Convention Center Expansion STINK because they really have been closed to "Big Picture" thinking - How can we best make use of our Waterfront as we move forward with the expansion of the Convention Center? While numerous public meetings have brought up the question of the Cruise Ship Terminal being situated at 10th Avenue - the question remains ignored as we ask, "Why can't we build the Convention Center expansion and the Cruise Ship Terminal together?" Vancouver is a model for this. The idea would be to keep all of the truck traffic for supplying the cruise industry along with truck traffic for Convention Center load in at one location that can be developed and programmed for that kind of traffic, along with moving people out into the major venues in the East Village, and connecting to the rest of the City. It keeps the heavy traffic off Harbor Drive and our "Front Porch" Embarcadero - leaving the North Embarcadero to be a little more serene, more open, and a more accessible Waterfront for downtown workers, residents and visitors.

Inland North San Diego County, of which Escondido is at the core, is emerging as a regional economic leader in the forefront of job development and new industries. As the City has grown, replacement of the aging Main Fire Station No 1 became a priority. The passage of a local bond measure in 2004 allowed for the replacement of the existing station which was originally completed in 1966. The project included the construction of a new 28,340 square foot six bay fire station, 2,500 SF hose tower and 5,000 SF Reserve Building. The station itself is designed to accommodate 19 firefighters per shift. Among the features are 19 individual bunk rooms, kitchen, dining area, dayroom, fitness room and administrative offices. Also included is a training room for the department as well as a community room for community activities. Operational spaces include turnout lockers, decon and laundry facilities, hose storage, and a workshop. One of the main features of the station is the History Room at the entrance to the station which was designed to house the original 1926 engine that the city has restored. In addition the area is designed with a wall mural depicting historical events in the Department’s past and other memorabilia from the department=s long history. Also included in the project is a 2.5 acre training grounds incorporating a 6 story training tower with 2 burn rooms, a confined space prop, a trench rescue prop and a roof prop. It will enable the department to run both wet and dry training exercises, utilizing stairs, balconies, ladder access and roof access, as well as live fire training in the burn room. The training grounds are designed to allow for hose and nozzle testing, as well as providing an area for practicing vehicle extraction techniques. One of the features that was incorporated into the training ground area is a 40,000 gallon water vault and pump system to capture and recirculate all of the water used on the training grounds. Exterior site elements include an emergency generator, fueling facilities, and a hose-drying area. The fire station’s stone and stucco exterior, and metal roof relate to the surrounding neighborhood. The use of creative lighting and landscaping enhance the interior and exterior design features of the station. With well executed design and proper planning of required functions, Fire Station 1 provides the City of Escondido Fire Department the necessary tools to fulfill the needs of a growing city.

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After three years of construction, the dust has settled at Urban Corps of San Diego County’s three building campus in mid-city which includes two soon-to-be-LEED® Certified buildings. The result is a state-of-the-art campus loaded with green features which serves as a model of sustainable building, working & living practices. Urban Corps provides job training & education to youth in the fields of conservation, recycling, & community service, so what better place to do that than in these sustainably designed buildings! Building materials were chosen for their recycled & renewable content as well as those with low amounts of hazardous chemicals, which help reduce air pollution and create a safe, enjoyable environment. Most furniture was donated, saving money & raw materials. In the classrooms, one server powers all work stations, eliminating the need for personal computers, saving energy & reducing heat output. Solar tubes capture natural light from the roof & channel it to offices so lights are rarely needed. When lights are on, motion sensors detect inactivity & turn off. Windows open, providing fresh air, minimizing the use of AC, saving money and energy, and providing a wonderful location in which to work & learn.Other green elements include aerated faucets & low-flow toilets that help save water & energy; native and near native plants help reduce water; and special drains filter storm water for debris, removing contaminants before runoff enters watersheds. The Community Training Room features a 23-kilowatt SDG&E-owned solar system which provides clean renewable energy to the neighborhood. The adjacent green vehicle wash includes water reclamation technology to filter soap & debris for water reuse & prevent dirty runoff. The newly constructed Recycling ECO Center is dedicated to conservation education & includes a rooftop garden, conveyer belt & compactor machine to train youth on sustainable living & the recycling process. The garden features drought tolerant plants & an “edible wall.” A rainwater capture system, composting & vermi-posting support the garden. The garden provides a hands-on learning space while creating a sustainable green landscape.The completion of the green campus is quite a feat given the vast blend of public & private funders that joined forces to accomplish the shared vision. As the Corpsmembers work to change their lives, this progressive environm

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This March 2010, SEDC commissioned collaborating Artists Todd Stands, Miguel Godoy and Maxx Moses aka Pose 2, to embark upon a 400 long 1600 square foot mural titled Liquid Harmony located at the 62nd Street/Encanto trolley station.

From the artist's website:

As we developed our concepts for the wall it became evident that our goals were geared toward illustrating the power and vitality of Chollas Creek and it’s endangered habitat and wildlife.
Chollas creek is a powerful water source that runs throughout the southeastern region of San Diego and on a local scale symbolizes the importance of water. By raising awareness of the creek and its benefits to the community through our art we hope to foster the care of this rich natural urban resource by the residents.

The collaborative process of artists is a powerful tool used to forge individualistic ideas into a unified vision. Each artist involved in this venture offered a unique skill that lent itself to the specific task of making this project a huge success.

Throughout the last 2 years Miguel Godoy, has made a strong impact upon Imperial Avenue with his unique style and imagery illustrated upon numerous painted utility boxes. His participation in this project extended the visual conversation already taking place within this community. Todd Stands, is a working artist in the Cholla’s Creek neighborhood. His 25 years of mural painting and public art experiences are often based on youth workshops and collaborations. As a professor at Southwestern College, he has the opportunity to work with a myriad of emerging artists thus enhancing his ability to unify ideas and visions of groups of people cohesively. These skills will galvanize our collection of youngsters and artists for this endeavor. His passion for the natural world and years of environmental work is a perfect marriage for the overall theme of this project. Pose 2 aka Maxx Moses, is an internationally renowned Graffiti Artist and Concrete Alchemist. His years of experience as a painter, Art Educator, and community activist are the components that attracted SEDC to seek out his services and head up this project.

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The newly renovated Bali Hai Restaurant, Shelter Island’s Tiki-themed institution is an example of controlled design expertise. The subtly handled remake of the iconic building that has resonated with generations for decades was mastermind by Graham Downes Architecture. "The community has great affection for this harbor landmark," says Downes. "The Bali Hai is like a house you’ve lived in your whole life. Patrons want that hominess and comfortable familiarity. We strived to maintain that pride and history while contemporizing and freshening the environment and improving the functionality." Inside, Graham Downes Architecture restored the original internal timber structure, comprising 15 different species of wood, by sandblasting away years of paint layers. A palette of warm, friendly colors and light sage green, infuse throughout the interior and complement the energizing aqua blue colors of the bay. In keeping with the Polynesian concept, natural materials such as grassy and bamboo wall-coverings/flooring are in place. Bali Hai’s extensive collection of Polynesian artifacts—including tiki figures, statues, antique tapa cloths, wood weapons, ocean charts, maps, and native pictures - have been refurbished to adorn the entire restaurant. Most notable are patterned tapas cloths pressed between glass panels to create room dividers. Other interior additions include a private dining room upstairs, a resort-style lounge featuring a backlit honey onyx bar, and classic-style Hawaiian light fixtures over the bar and staircase. Project team included Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing engineers KHL, Food Service Consultants Orness Design Group, Landscape Architects Garbini & Garbini and General Contractors Hawkins Construction Inc.

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The newly renovated Bali Hai Restaurant, Shelter Island’s tiki-themed institution is an example of controlled design expertise. The subtly handled remake of the iconic building that has resonated with generations for decades was mastermind by Graham Downes Architecture. "The community has great affection for this harbor landmark," says Downes. "The Bali Hai is like a house you’ve lived in your whole life. Patrons want that homeliness and comfortable familiarity. We strived to maintain that pride and history while contemporizing and freshening the environment and improving the functionality." For the circular, two-story structure, Downes' goal was to make Bali Hai's signature building feel sleek with modern lines and a consistent use of materials and finishes, such as integral-color cement fiber board siding and a new standing-seam green metal roof to match the Hawaiian Village outdoor pavilion that Downes completed last year. The architect and his team also restored two famous original tikis: the "Goof on the Roof" with its vibrant King Kamehameha colors, and "Mr. Bali Hai," welcoming guests at the front entrance. Out front, Downes created a dramatic "arrival experience," heralded by a redwood art screen façade by artist Miki Iwasaki, inspired by ancient stick charts of the Pacific Islands and tidal movements. The piece displays 85 synchronized white LED lights, preprogrammed to create a series of patterns such as night stars and ripples across the surface of the water. New signage, cantilevered wood-louver awnings, and decorative tiki torches define the entry. Other exterior elements include a ground floor patio shaded by a pergola structure and an outdoor redwood deck just off the upper dining room. Project team included Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing engineers KHL, Food Service Consultants Orness Design Group, Landscape Architects Garbini & Garbini and General Contractors Hawkins Construction Inc.

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