MEDIA CONTACT:
Alicia Griffiths
San Diego Architectural Foundation
951-404-8349
alicia@sdarchitecture.org

 

Low-res photos are available online at https://orchidsandonions.org/nominations. Please include photographer credits as indicated on the nominations page. High-res images are available from Alicia Griffiths.

 

San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF) Announces Official 2020 Orchids & Onions Winners

-San Diego County’s favorite and least favorite projects, spaces and places revealed-

 

SAN DIEGO (October 1, 2020) – The San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF) has announced this year’s architecture & design winners and losers throughout San Diego County at the 2020 Orchids & Onions awards at a ceremony held virtually on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The ceremony revealed this year’s Orchids (winners) and Onions (losers) chosen from the 101 nominations received in the categories of architecture, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture and miscellaneous.

Orchids & Onions began in 1975 as an educational program to raise public awareness and appreciation for the design and development of built projects that improve the quality of life of San Diegans. Orchids go to projects completed in the past three years and honor excellence in design. Onions go to those that come up short.

The highest prize of the evening, The Malone Grand Orchid, went to The Center for Novel Therapeutics, developed by BioMed Realty and designed by architectural firm Perkins & Will. The 12 members of a professional jury awarded the Grand Orchid based on the ‘incredible’ use of materials, well-lit common areas, patient-center design, detail and all-around elegance, innovation and high-performance.

Kay Kornovich, Managing Principal and Director at Perkins & Will, commented: “Receiving the Malone Grand Orchid is a massive honor. We feel very fortunate to work on this inspirational project where someday, the scientists in the building may contribute to a cure for cancer.”

Another first for the event, in partnership with A Reason To Survive (ARTS) the event committee assembled a teen jury and asked them to cast their votes on the same short list used by the main jury. It turns out the youth and the professionals see eye to eye – as the teen jury selected the same Grand Orchid (Center for Novel Therapeutics) & Onion (Apartments at 1836 Columbia St).

Event Co-Chair Ben Dalton commented: “It’s always so exciting to see who will win an Orchid and Onion each year – and this year’s crop of winners is exceptional. Too often what is judged ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is done in our design silos, but our mission is to open up that discussion and give voice to the public, so that everyone that is affected by our built environment has an opportunity to have their voice heard. With the addition of a live People’s Choice Vote, and a new Teen Vote category, we continue to open up that conversation, and can’t wait to see what San Diegans decide next year!”

Projects receiving Orchids and Onions were first nominated by the public, and then reviewed and awarded by an esteemed jury of architecture and design professionals. As a first this year, the People’s Choice Orchid & Onion were first shortlisted based on comments on nomination pages and SDAF social channels, with the shortlist then taken to a final live vote during the gala event.

In another first, SDAF partnered with the newly forming San Diego chapter of NOMA, the National Organization of Minority Architects, to raise money toward a scholarship fund to support a young minority student of architecture. Donations raised live during the event will be applied to a scholarship fund to help foster a more inclusive field of architecture.

Orchids & Onions was Co-Chaired by Ben Dalton, Principal at The Miller Hull Partnership and John Martinez, Associate at Carrier Johnson.

The professional jurors were:

• Adonia Akers – Project Executive, DPR
• Brett Allen – Chapter President, ASLA SD / Associate, VDLA Landscape Architects
• Dame Brown – Project Engineer, ISEC
• Daniela Deutsch – Principal, Exitecture Architects / Professor, NewSchool of Architecture & Design
• Shawn Dixon – Interior Design Director, Gensler
• Steven Florman – Founder, Steven Florman Architecture, Art & Furniture
• Rocio Gertler – Principal/Design Director, LDG Landscape Architects
• Simon Ha – Principal, Steinberg Hart
• Stacey Lankford Pennington – Founder, SLP Urban Planning
• Katie Popolow – Principal, Miller Hull
• Ione Stiegler – Partner, IS Architecture
• Matthew Wells – Partner, Hannah Gabriel Wells

 

The complete list of 2020 Orchids and Onions is as follows:

Malone Grand Orchid
Center for Novel Therapeutics
9310 Athena Circle, La Jolla
Owner/developer: BioMed Realty
Architect/designer: Perkins & Will

Grand Onion
Apartments at 1836 Columbia Street
1836 Columbia Street, San Diego
Owner/developer: Steve Parikh
Architect/designer: DESS Partners

Architecture – Orchid
Mesa College Fine Arts Building
7250 Mesa College Drive -FA103
San Diego
Owner/developer: San Diego Community College District
Architect/designer: Hanna Gabriel Wells

Architecture – Orchid
BioLegend Campus
8999 Biolegend Way, San Diego
Owner/developer: BioLegend, Inc.
Architect/designer: Delawie

Architecture – Orchid
Chula Vista Fire Station No. 10 at Millenia
1715 Millenia Ave., Chula Vista
Owner/developer: City of Chula Vista / SLF IV – Millenia, LLC
Architect/designer: Jeff Katz Architecture

Architecture – Orchid
East County Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk (ARCC) and Archive
10144 Mission Gorge Road, Santee
Owner/developer: County of San Diego
Architect/designer: The Miller Hull Partnership

Architecture – Orchid
Louisiana
2305 University Avenue, San Diego
Owner/developer: Jeff Svitak
Architect/designer: Jeff Svitak

Architecture – Onion
BLVD North Park Apartments
2020 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego
Owner/developer: HG Fenton
Architect/designer: Architects Orange + Foundation For Form

Architecture – Onion
Hampton Inn and Suites San Diego Airport Liberty Station and Townplace Suites by Marriott
2211 Lee Court, San Diego
Owner/developer: InnerMountain Management and the Corkey McMillin Companies
Architect/designer: Degan & Degan Architecture and Interior Design

Architecture – Onion
Lofts on Laurel
2466 1^st Avenue, San Diego
Owner/designer: JANCO Development
Architect/designer: H2 Architects

Historic Preservation – Orchid
The Guild Hotel
500 West Broadway, San Diego
Owner/developer: Oram Hotels
Architect/designer: PGAL+ Sormeh Rienne

Historic Preservation – Orchid
Laundry Building at the Hotel Del Coronado
1500 Orange Avenue, Coronado
Owner/developer: BRE Hotels and Resorts
Architect/designer: obrARCHITECTURE

Historic Preservation – Onion
Chula Vista Public Library South Branch
389 Orange Avenue, Chula Vista
Owner/developer: City of Chula Vista
Architect/designer: No Architect Involved

Interiors – Orchid
Broadstone Makers Quarter Common Areas
1601 Broadway, San Diego
Owner/developer: Broadstone
Architect/designer: Paul Basile, BASILE Studio

Interiors – Orchid
Fit Plunge
3115 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego
Owner/developer: Pacifica Real Estate Services
Architect/designer: Jules Wilson Design Studio

Interiors – Orchid
Louisiana
2305 University Avenue, San Diego
Owner/developer: Jeff Svitak
Architect/designer: Jeff Svitak

Landscape Architecture – Orchid
Civita Park Phase 2
7960 Civita Blvd., San Diego
Owner/developer: Sudberry Properties
Architect/designer: Schmidt Design Group

Landscape Architecture – Orchid
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center
9455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego
Owner/developer: Kaiser Permanente
Architect/designer: Spurlock Landscape Architects

Landscape Architecture – Orchid
UCSD Tata Hall for the Sciences
UCSD Revelle College Neighborhood, San Diego
Owner/developer: UCSD
Architect/designer: Spurlock Landscape Architects

Miscellaneous – Onion
Campland by the Bay Lease Extension
2211 Pacific Beach Drive, San Diego
Owner/developer: City of San Diego

Urban Planning – Orchid
UCSD Mesa Housing Pedestrian Bridge
Miramar Street, La Jolla
Owner/developer: UCSD
Architect/designer: Studio E Architects

People’s Choice Orchid
The Children’s Workshop
9524 Kearny Villa Road, San Diego
Owner/developer: The Institute for Effective Education
Architect/designer: Kevin deFreitas Architects / LandLAB – Landscape Architect / Bowyer – Environmental Graphics and Colors

People’s Choice Onion
Lofts on Laurel
2466 1^st Avenue, San Diego
Owner/developer: JANCO Development
Architect/designer: H2 Architects

NEW CATEGORY: TEEN VOTE 

Teen Orchid
Center for Novel Therapeutics
9310 Athena Circle, La Jolla
Owner/developer: BioMed Realty
Architect/designer: Perkins & Will

Teen Onion
Apartments at 1836 Columbia Street
1836 Columbia Street, San Diego
Owner/developer: Steve Parikh
Architect/designer: DESS Partners

For a self-guided tour of all Orchids & Onions, download the ArchiMaps app via Apple App Store or Google Play and select the ‘Orchids & Onions San Diego 2020’ event.

 

EVENT SPONSORS

Title Sponsor
NewSchool of Architecture & Design

Watch Party Sponsors
Perkins & Will
The Miller Hull Partnership + CW Driver

Category Sponsors
BWE
AIA

Affiliate Sponsors
Architectural Concepts
BNBuilders
Barnhart Reese Construction
Brady Architectural Photography
Cavignac
domusstudio
KPFF
Level 10
Michelle Harrison Design
Schmidt Design Group
Sierra Pacific Windows
Patzke + Doll Productions

 

A thank-you to
Jules Wilson Design Studio

 

Food & Drink
Hive Sushi Lounge
Snake Oil Cocktail Co.

 

To learn more about the Orchids & Onions program, visit www.sdarchitecture.org/program/orchids-onions/.

 

About Orchids & Onions
Orchids & Onions is an educational and fundraising program of the San Diego Architectural Foundation, a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and promote outstanding architecture, landscape, interior, and urban design to improve the quality of life for all San Diegans. SDAF sponsors public programs throughout the year, including youth programs, architectural tours, and community events. Orchids & Onions has been one of SDAF’s most successful and longest-standing programs for more than four decades. It serves to raise awareness and encourage practical discourse about the built  environment, thereby effecting positive change and more thoughtful design. To learn more about SDAF and Orchids & Onions, visit www.sdarchitecture.org.

 

About SDAF

The San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the mission to educate and promote outstanding architecture, landscape, interior, and urban design to improve the quality of life for all San Diegans. SDAF sponsors public programs throughout the year, including youth programs, architectural tours and social events.

To learn more about SDAF, visit www.sdarchitecture.org