Beautiful, graceful titanium & stainless steel wind-driven kinetic sculpture. 15 feet tall. Located in front of main entrance to Scripps Hospital Encinitas, 354 Santa Fe Avenue, Encinitas, CA 92024. Installed spring 2009; created 2008.

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Trail system throughout Balboa Park mesas and canyons has been rehabilitated, expanded. New signs, path maintenance creates a great urban park trail system.Allows public to enjoy the unique geography of San Diego.

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Vacant for many years, the Wonder Bread building has undergone a major renovation and historic preservation through the vision and design direction of Graham Downes, Founder and Principal of Graham Downes Architecture Inc and BLOKHAUS INC, the design-build developer. Appropriately renamed the WonderHaus building, this icon of East Village, San Diego, consists of three contiguous historic warehouse structures and is the foremost landmark of the district. The extensive project took over three years to complete due to unique challenges faced constructing the required improvements to the buildings, including complete seismic, life-safety and universal design upgrades, and assembly occupancy capacity enhancements, all while retaining the sites historic designation. Mr. Downes integrated numerous sustainable design elements including: retention of existing structure with raw, uncoated finishes; extensive utilization of natural light and ventilation throughout; siting in an urban environment in close proximity to basic services and public transportation; special glazing systems; modernizing mechanical and electrical utility components. The renovation team went to great lengths to preserve the historical integrity of the building while recapturing its industrial aesthetic for new uses. The interior spaces are characterized by voluminous ceilings up to 45 feet high, generous use of natural light and skylights, original wood bowstring trusses, red brick, wood beams, raw steel and concrete. In one place the floor is inset with discarded antique manhole covers, a collection of the former developer, and massive round concrete bases that supported cylinders once used for grinding flour. The 55,000-square-foot brick bakery building, designated as an historic structure in 2001, was originally built in 1924 and contains a 16-foot-diameter, 40-foot-tall steel silo where flour was siphoned from trucks to the rooftop of the silo. WonderHaus is now home to an eclectic mix of creative and innovative enterprises and is in high demand for its recently completed event space. BLOKHAUS was founded by San Diego architect, Graham Downes AIA NCARB RIBA LEED AP, in 1998 for urban infill development projects and as a “think-tank” for undertaking special projects. These include the incubation, development and branding of unique businesses relating to progressive urban lifestyles. Downes is joined by Simon Terry-Lloyd LEED AP, an accomplished entrepreneur who focuses on management, new business opportunities and overall strategies for BLOKHAUS. The organization’s experience in urban redevelopment and revitalization primarily consist of adaptive re-use opportunities. More information about the building is available at www.wonderbreadhaus.com, the design firm at www.grahamdownes.com and the developer at www.blokhaus.com.

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UCSD Department of Music's new Conrad Prebys Concert Hall opened in May 2009 and gives San Diego one of the finest small concert halls in the world--a mix of astounding acoustics and Picasso-like angular forms. The hall was designed by Mark Reddington of LMN Architects (Seattle) with renowned acoustician Cyril Harris. Harris is now in his nineties and is a world-renowned innovator in concert hall acoustical design. Over the years his projects have included Avery Fisher Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, Minneapolis Symphony Hall, and Seattle's Benaroya Hall. Music critics including the Union-Tribune's George Varga have praised Conrad Prebys Concert Hall for its superb acoustics. The new concert hall (and Conrad Prebys Music Center) are a part of UCSD's emerging urban district at the heart of campus. The concert hall is also noteworthy because Harris says it is his last project, and he also says it is his best--the summation of all he has learned in the course of 50 years of concert hall design. The Conrad Prebys Music Center and Conrad Prebys Concert Hall are named for the San Diego developer who contributed $6 million to name the center, and another $3 million to name the hall. There is much more info about the concert hall and music center here: http://musicweb.ucsd.edu/about/about-pages.php?i=405

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This Library project with it's wonderful sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean leant itself well to producing a palette of finishes that enhanced this view. Cool colors, natural finishes and a layout that optimized the view and created a relaxing place in a public setting.

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Although not your typical Landscape Architecture project, the San Dieguito Lagoon Restoration Project is a worthy Orchid. This project has undergone over 15 years of planning, design, and permitting and then two years of construction. Today, the San Dieguito Lagoon is emerging as one of the largest and highest profile habitat restoration projects in southern california. The San Dieguito Lagoon Restoration project is restoring 150 acres of coastal wetland habitat. The San Dieguito Lagoon is located at Del Mar, just north of San Diego, California. Southern California Edison (SCE) is working in partnership with the San Dieguito River Park Authority (JPA) to carry out the restoration project. The San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project has been very carefully designed so that the rejuvenated lagoon will serve as a thriving fish hatchery, a refuge for migratory waterfowl and as an open space for recreational opportunities for local and regional communities alike. A public working group consisting of agency representatives, non-governmental organizations, and interested members of the public, worked towards developing a range of practical means of restoring the San Dieguito Lagoon. Construction is nearly completed. In total, approximately 2 million cubic yards of earth will have been excavated, creating a net of 150 acres of tidal wetlands, on both sides of Interstate 5. A cornerstone of the project is to remove the sand that has plugged the river channel for many years and keep the tidal inlet open in perpetuity. At high-tide, the created wetlands already support a population of snails, crabs, amphibians, small mammals, birds and provide fish a place to spawn and grow. Approximately 400,000 wetland plants were planted throughout the marsh habitats in early 2009. This planted vegetation is already thriving and serves as forraging and nesting habitat for dozens of bird species. The river park’s multi-purpose network of public trails are under construction and will follow the marsh shoreline, punctuated by interpretive wildlife viewing platforms.

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Capstone Advisors’ new corporate headquarters is a true reflection of the owner’s philosophy and character, both professional and personal. John McCulley, Principal of McCulley Design and Alex Zikakis, Founder and President of Capstone Advisors combined their respective talents to give new life to the interior of this 9,000 square foot office space located in North Carlsbad. Reflecting on the primary objective of the office space’s interior design, Mr. Zikakis commented, “We worked very closely with McCulley Design to design our offices to reflect the way we work – in an open, cooperative, team oriented environment. Since we spend so much of our lives at work, we designed our office space to be as comfortable and inviting as possible. I consider our office a combination of professional office space and a casual clubhouse.”

The building’s core has a somewhat industrial appearance, with 22 foot exposed ceilings, natural finish tilt-up concrete walls, exposed HVAC ducting and drop lighting, a combination that posed an interesting challenge. A colorful palette of earth tones, accented with deep reds, cool blues and authentic recycled bamboo flooring emits a truly artistic feeling when entering the space. Sophisticated, progressive and energetic, the Modernist architectural design is accentuated selected pieces of art from Mr. Zikakis’ personal collection. The most prominent piece of art is a backlit, continuously printed photographic image of the Island of Kauai. At 120 square feet, it is the largest light box mounted photographic image of its kind in the Western United States.

According to Mr. Zikakis, “One of the limitations of the interior of the building is the lack of windows along one of its main walls. We worked with legendary photographer Aaron Chang to turn the wall into a fantastic “window” that looks directly onto the North Shore of Kauai. The result is breathtaking and the piece immediately became a main focal point of the interior of the building.” Intentional arrangement of interior spaces purposefully integrate the interior office areas with natural light which fills and embraces the space from skylights in the high ceiling above and the floor to ceiling glass walls at the front and rear of the space.

New visitors repeatedly comment on the sense of professionalism and individuality that the space projects due to the openness, rich natural materials, contrasting colors and artwork. Employees truly enjoy coming to work, finding that the space engages the senses, is physically comfortable, and fosters an interactive productive environment. Whether it is the workspaces, the meeting areas, gym or the outdoor patio (which acts as an extended office space as well as the location for frequent company barbeque lunches) Capstone’s associates feel connected to the company. “There is a sense of balance, identity and purpose working here” shares one associate. Unlike a more traditional corporate office, this office feels entrepreneurial yet at the same time it feels institutional and professional. These are important images for visiting clients,” shares another.

Sustainability is an important component of Capstone’s philosophy and it was a key objective in the space’s interior design. This objective was met by the use of renewable and recycled materials, the use of energy and water efficient fixtures and the integration of green practices into everyday policy and procedures. Capstone’s building has qualified for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star designation. In addition, Capstone has registered the building for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver designation and expects certification by January 2010. Once obtained Capstone’s building will be one of only two “existing” office buildings in San Diego County to achieve a LEED Silver certification.

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The University of San Diego’s new 55,000-square-foot Student Life Pavilion is seeking the campus’ first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Its distinctive Spanish Renaissance design belies the many modern environmentally friendly features contained within. “Green” features of the pavilion include natural ventilation with windows that open and an inner courtyard to promote air flow; the use of recyclable or recycled materials such as carpeting; a 40 percent reduction in water usage by low-flow water fixtures and low-water plantings on the rooftop offering panoramic views of Mission Bay and Tecolote Canyon. The building also has centralized AMX IT control to monitor energy use. The university is applying for the gold level of LEED certification. Sustainability efforts throughout the facility include rooftop herb and vegetable gardens; the use of compostable flatware, cups and plates; 100 percent Styrofoam-free, tray-less eateries and offerings of organic, Fair Trade and local foods and beverages. Additionally, the building is home to the first BioHitech system on a college campus. This system breaks down excess food scraps and converts it into water.

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The University of San Diego’s new Student Life Pavilion is a striking four-story facility that blends the best of the campus’ Spanish Renaissance design with the latest in technology and “green” building techniques. Designed to take advantage of the region’s sunny Mediterranean climate, with rooftop views of Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean, it is a welcome addition to the public spaces in the San Diego community. The 55,000-square-foot pavilion is a comprehensive social center that includes state-of-the-art food services, including mini-themed restaurants featuring exhibition-style cooking by culinary academy certified chefs and a natural foods grocery store, along with formal and informal spaces for a variety of student, university and community activities. It has also been skillfully integrated with the existing student center next door. The pavilion’s façade is designed using the traditional elements of Spanish Renaissance design, animated with a series of balconies and terraces. The building’s signature features also include a copper dome which sits upon a tower. The central design feature of the upper two stories of the building is a two level arcaded patio for use by the students, offering new meeting and study spaces in a totally wireless environment. An entire floor is dedicated to student leadership with offices constructed in an open-space forum to allow for student interaction. The lower two floors of the building’s interior design are highlighted by a dramatic two story dining space which flows out to a plaza. The building design is integrated into the campus master plan via a thoughtful landscaping design which incorporates two public open spaces. The upper terrace unites the university center with the new pavilion and is highlighted by an outdoor arched arcade. The second open space is the “Plaza Mayor” which will serve as an entry plaza for the University as well as a major open space for campus functions; it is highlighted by a grand outdoor staircase to the upper terrace. The new facility is seeking the campus’ first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and includes a variety of sustainable features such as reduced water and energy usage. With these “green friendly” features and inviting design, the Student Life Pavilion building and public plaza will create a new gateway for the campus that will be a source of campus and community pride.

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A 6,000 square foot remodel and expansion of the existing Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) created a naturally calming place for patients to awake from surgery. Conceptually, this “awakening” is accomplished through incorporating filtered and shaded natural light. Research has shown that daylight shortens the recovery time and reduces the need for medication.

A major part of this project was the complete redesign of the hospital’s eastern building facade. The existing entrance to the Emergency Department was extremely difficult to find and had no identity (see "before" photo). An emergency department entrance should be immediately recognizable and accessible and not create confusion for a patient or family member in an already stressful situation. The design uses the existing main entrance architectural vocabulary to create the de facto "front door” utilized by many patients. At night someone looking for the Emergency Department is immediately drawn to the entry by an narrow band of light at the top of the screen. The sculptural perforated metal screen structure allows for controlled light to enter into the PACU, defines the existing Emergency Department’s entry and literally stretches out to enliven the hospital’s image.

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