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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