The story of Challegned Athletes Foundation and the thousands of athletes worldwide whose lives are changed through this San Diego based organization is told via an active and impactful narrative throughout the building via supergraphics, murals, timelines, larger than life hero-like applications, signage, kiosks and digital display to inspire and encourage athletes struggling to overcome their challenges, and donors, volunteers and supporters to step up and help in any way they can. The cause is aptly championed through this narrative and lives are transformed as a direct result. The single positive keyword driving the interior concept is "Momentum." From athlete to donor, to families and loved ones who are involved, everyone who embarks on this mission is propelled forward in life changing ways.

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Food&Fun. Refueled. The tagline sums it up well. The tired, original Busalacchi Restaurant was dark, dank, musty and almost forgotten adjacent to lively spots on what is becoming San Diego's new Restaurant Row on 5th Avenue near Hillcrest. If not an orchid for breathing a creative new life and feelpgood energy into a rundown and tired space, the entire block deserves a nod for collectively raising the bar and improving a district that attracts foodies and locals alike with neighbors including Celedon, Pappalecco, Hash House and The Tractor Room, RGang adds some nostalgic icing on the cake. The simple graphic touches along with paint, color and material shifts have opened this space to celebrate community with a celebrity chef who has kept the vision grounded with lively tastes and visual inspirations from the past.

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El Take It Easy is a farm to table Mexican restaurant and bar in North Park. As part of North Park's latest surge in night life and food life, El Take It Easy has settled in as one of the coolest spots in the neighborhood. The concept for the design was inspired by concrete ruins of old buildings and cantinas throughout Mexico. The highlight of the space is a 100% recycled wall made up of recycled polycarbonate panels and 2x8 wood ceiling joists that were removed from the ceiling of the existing building. The wall is internally lit using rope light LED fixtures. When removing the existing ceiling finish and joists, the existing barrel roof and steel trusses were discovered to be in great condition so it became important to highlight the ceiling space and celebrate the existing structure. The bartop is a cast-in-place concrete top with the hardware from existing framing reused and cast into the bartop. Since it's opening in 2010, the space and design has organically transformed with the needs of its clientele and Owner, creating neighborhoods within the space. A partial height wall now divides the open space, creating a more intimate bar area and hinged openings in the entry wall were added to provide indoor/outdoor seating, connecting the neighborhood to the interior. Whether the event is a dance party, "Bacon Bingo", or jazz night, it was important that the space be flexible and transformable, much like the food and cocktails change with the seasons, bringing fresh local food and design to the local patron.

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I have worked in various Call Centers and they usually deserve their reputations as “boiler rooms” - high pressure, loud, aggressive and demoralizing. I recently started working at the Customer Service Center for the Carlsbad medical diagnostics company, Genoptix and could not believe it is basically another call center. I quickly learned the difference; we are not selling products or services; we deal with patients and doctors involved with frightening illnesses. We were carefully trained to be compassionate and caring and I found this care and compassion central to the fantastic environment the architects created. Acoustics and lighting that create soft and quiet workspace help us provide the support calmly, sympathetically and promptly – these clients really need the information as quickly and accurately as possible. Recognizing the inherent stress of this job, Genoptix provided us with beautiful, bright, colorful break and training areas along with exercise and rest areas so we remain fresh and ready. The way information technology is threaded into the space and how the colors and materials are used to provide comfortable ergonomics at each station was obviously carefully thought through; it all just ties together to make us feel like important members of the diagnostic team. This is no boiler room – this is a place that supports healing and we love working in it.

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When the Bucci Brothers from Tuscany came to us for a new concept store, we started looking for a way to incorporate there Existing branding to this new location. Pappalecco has been about bringing people closer to Italy, our design approach was to incorporate a modern store into a “old building”, using the existing concrete shell of the new building we took advantage of the material and sandblasted the concrete making it look like the unit was old, our proposed intervention will be the modern aspect of the store juxtaposing with a old and raw material. The store layout is intended to attract people by creating a display storefront, positioning the gelato machines in front of the entry, catching the attention of the passing people and bringing them in.

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The top-notch local restaurant experience. Amazing renovation. It shows off a subtle but aggressive attitude in exposing and exploiting the best of an old building. There is non-stop invention and innovation in exquisite, thoughtful detailing of lighting, doors, flooring...its pretty flawless and hard to find shortcomings in any aspect of this design(or its menu). This space was done with a mature eye for all the things that matter, saying no to over-sweetened themes in the manner of most local fare. With Banker's Hill as new benchmark, San Diego is finally on par with the most memorable restaurant experiences found in LA, SF and NY.

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With the recent grand opening, Esther Williams dream came true. She desired to offer a unique salon experience and with the help of designer, Logan Brion, that dream came true. Brion likes to work with remnants of metal, fabric, and wood. The expression of this is apparent throughout the space. The vibrant accent colors and graffiti-inspired wall finish provide a nice contrast to the exposed brick and concrete floors. The facade has a new feel with the addition of horizontal lines. Photo credit: Jen Bently Photography

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DFS Flooring San Diego Offices, a 15,700 SF tenant improvement in the Scripps Ranch Business Park consists of 6,700SF of office space and 9,000SF of warehouse area. The tenant improvement included a transformation from a beauty supply store to a brand new office space. The owner's goal for the building renovation was to create an office environment in which employees could combine working in the privacy of their traditional offices and interacting socially with their coworkers. Thus the program focuses on providing an employee lounge, fitness room with shower and dining area that allow employees to relax. The floor plan layout encourages a seamless interaction between employees and flooring vendors with multiple conference rooms and gathering areas for business to occur. Sliding glass doors were used to promote flexibility in the use of the spaces and a clean elegant color palette and use of contemporary materials can be seen throughout the project.

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In October 2010, Jon Mangini launched this stylish restaurant in the artsy North Park neighborhood. The restaurant features an industrial feel with concrete floors and exposed elements. The 5,000 square foot space also displays old conveyor belts, factory lights, and retractable overhead doors that open up to the street.

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Michael Borrelli, owner of Borrelli Design and Cabinetry, spotted the former Superior Fabric warehouse for sale in University Heights. A grant from the city’s Storefront Improvement Program helped transform the 16,000-square-foot building into a showroom for his artistic cabinetry business. There is also space for galleries, studios and semi-private offices. Most of the interior partitions are not floor-to-ceiling, which provide an overall air of community. About fifteen businesses occupy the various areas in his building. The Artworks’ hold monthly networking meetings in which all the occupants are invited to share their work and leads on clients, and simply socialize. Art events are also held on-property, and the walls are consistently filled with inspirational paintings and other media.

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