AWARDS & JURY COMMENTS
2000-2001

2000 ORCHIDS & ONIONS

GRAND ORCHID

1. ST. GREGORY THE GREAT  CATHOLIC CHURCH- SCRIPPS RANCH (Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design)
Craftsmanship extraordinaire! Big graceful imagery! Truly inspired by the faith and spirit of the community it represents. Like a medieval cathedral, this facility exudes both substance and lightness. But it also, compliments rather than dominates the surrounding landscape. A challenging mix of eastern and western elements with a stunning wood lattice interior. This church has visual references to Balboa Park’s botanical greenhouse, a Victorian train station and a Romanesque dome… and it all falls peacefully together. This project has a peaceful, tranquil flow of architecture, interior and landscape elements. Quite inspirational!

ORCHID – MULTIPLE ORCHID AWARDS

2. BRIDGEWORKS/ HILTON GARDEN HOTEL- GASLAMP QUARTER, SAN DIEGO (Architecture, Interior Design- Hilton Garden Hotel)
The first new hotel in the Gaslamp in the last 10 years! This modern structure is a feast for the eyes. The whole concept is clearly sophisticated. The historic façade on the office building is melded with the postmodern hotel. The brick and cantilever walks bridge the time span between the historic Gaslamp and downtown’s radiant future. The interiors are modern and sophisticated with warm woods and big-city style. Outside, the hotel’s park entrance beckons visitors to promenade down the Linear Park.

3. NATURE’S BRIDGE TO DISCOVERY –SILVER STRAND (CORONADO/IMPERIAL BEACH) (Landscape Architecture, Environmental Solutions)
Most people experience the Silver Strand whizzing by in a car, but this eco-friendly installation offers a more contemplative way to appreciate the same environment. Playful surf-shaped piers and outlooks explain and educate pedestrians and bicyclists about San Diego Bay wildlife habitat. A teaching environment using the most logical of materials in an attitude of respect for the native setting.

4. NOKIA OFFICES- SCRIPPS POWAY PARKWAY, SAN DIEGO (Architecture, Interior Design)
Smooth Operator! Nokia’s 3-story research and development building is hard to miss on this prominent hill above Interstate 15. But a closer look reveals an incredible design that reflects Nokia’s Finnish heritage with extensive use of teak and stone. The interiors are modern and present different textures and materials no typically found in an office setting. Incredibly well-conceived, this office space definitely promotes “intellectual work” in a pleasant, stimulating and sustaining environment. This rings our bell… no need to set the cell phone to vibrate.

5. CARLEY’S MAGICAL GARDEN/ONCOLOGY GARDENS AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL- KEARNEY MESA (Fine Arts, Landscape Architecture)
There are surprises of color, pattern, and texture everywhere. Three gardens hold a river with animal islands and fountains. Bronze animals and bugs are everywhere. Huge butterflies float overhead and provide shade under their wings. A wonderful mix of imagination and balance turned to a vital purpose: to sustain the body as well as spirit of a child.

ORCHID – ARCHITECTURE

6. ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH (COURTYARD & FACILITY ADDITIONS)- DEL MAR
Glory! A beautiful addition of new buildings around a small courtyard heralds the original church sanctuary, the California vernacular architecture is done on a human scale, designed as a series of small bungalows that create a community of buildings that are warm and serene. This expansion shows amazing restraint and good judgment as this new facility succeeds without overwhelming the site location in the village of Del Mar. Bless you for using such care and taste!

7. KENSINGTON PARK PLAZA- KENSINGTON
A refreshing vision for retail buildings that respects the historic architecture of the California bungalow. Historic elements pop and percolate off this new building’s façade. A nice transition from residences to the commercial village along Adams Avenue. The jury appreciates the building setbacks from the street. And the corner pedestrian plaza is a great place to grab a “cup of joe”. This building adds to the character and retail services in Kensington.

ONION – ARCHITECTURE

8. KAISER PERMANENTE MEDICAL OFFICES – SAN MARCOS
Oh doctor… heal thyself! This bleak tilt-up box decorated with squiggles is an eye-sore to weary patients and neighbors. The industrial design appears incomplete with a lack of entry plaza or façade to the structure. Where does one enter this box? You have to circle the building to find a way in…and winding pedestrian path from the main road provides no help; it looks like a sobriety test!

9. EDWARD’S THEATRE – MIRA MESA
The Incredible Hulk! A monument to a lack of creativity. What a missed opportunity for a theatre that could help convey the magic and escape of the movies. Instead, you’ll want to escape the exterior. From I-15, this is an ugly wall of concrete. There’s nothing here to throw a spotlight on! The colors and the tiny lights on the façade look like an afterthought and make the structure tired and dated, even though it’s brand new. Other movie theatres in redeveloped areas try to create a vibrant hub of activity… take a look at the Gaslamp Theatres downtown. Maybe this Onion award will inspire a better sequel!

10. ANGOVE ROWHOMES – EAST VILLAGE
Are these tenements for demolition? Or halted construction for the ballpark? There are few features to these boxy beige and brown residential units. We’re not even sure these qualify as row homes… more like cereal boxes. Is this the residential architecture that will see more of in Centre City? Will this attract more residents to the East Village redevelopment area? We hope not. New York City’s East Village may have dumped these units in the river to sleep with the fishes.

ORCHID – LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

11. JAPANESE FRIENDSHIP GARDENS – BALBOA PARK
The vibrant colors and serene environment of these gardens are a calming and reflective journey for its visitors. These gardens provide a window to another culture and an opportunity to experience an Eastern locale in Balboa Park. From the rim of the canyon, the flowing paths and Japanese structure help convey the calming and reflective nature of the koi ponds and landscaping. A beautiful example of an ancient landscape art form.

ONION – LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

12. RAILROAD GRADE SEPARATION PROJECT – SOLANA BEACH
The grade separation of the railroad tracks from the road was deemed necessary for public safety and convenience. But its execution is like using an A-bomb to kill a fly! The enormous gash in the ground, the concrete ramps, and bleak industrial design looks like a railroad platform outside some European factory town. All concrete and gunite (GUN-IGHT), there is very little vegetation to soften the hard surfaces. Is this an old zoo enclosure? Are there bears and gorillas on display here? Probably just the train passengers climbing up from the depths of this gravel pit.

13. OLD TOWN PARK ENTRY FENCE – OLD TOWN
Is this the entry to the jungle cruise? We expected to find shrunken heads impaled on the ends of these spear-like fence posts. Not only is this fence a visual barrier, but the spikes are ominous. Dracula had better beware of these stakes! This fence seems to herd visitors like cattle from the transit plaza on the entry of Old Town. Maybe there is a historical reference here… but we don’t recall that Old Town needed a fence for protection from a stampede of wild horses. This entry path needs a softer touch to welcome visitors to the most lucrative State Park in California.

ORCHID – INTERIOR DESIGN

14. HOTEL PARISI – LA JOLLA
Be Our Guest! A bit of Europe right in the middle of La Jolla. This elegant space mixes stone, ironwork, woods and fabric into a warm invitation to linger. A calming yet classy use of muted colors and interior lighting. This boutique hotel has a dramatic staircase rising to a posh lobby and integrates retail space on the first floor with 20 sophisticated guest rooms and conference rooms on the second floor overlooking Prospect Street.

15. MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS – BALBOA PARK
The clean interior lines and simple interior architecture let the photographic arts be the star. This renovated museum space has been expanded to a larger layout that puts the focus on the photography exhibits. The new theatre with its twinkling starlit ceiling is a wonderful venue to sink into plush seats and be transported by classic films shown on this big screen.

FRITTATA AWARD (SCRAMBLED ORCHID/ONION) – INTERIOR DESIGN

16. THE PRADO RESTAURANT – BALBOA PARK (“If its not baroque, don’t fix it”)
This award for Interior Design gave our jury some trouble. It was hard for them to decide: Was it an ORCHID? Or an ONION? The jury votes were SCRAMBLED so they created this Frittata Award. Some Orchid comments: Such a polished, classy and comfortable interior to this wonderful asset to Balboa Park. The detailed and colorful ceiling is echoed in the vibrant furnishings. Adds a new dimension to this wonderfully restored building in Balboa Park that will fortify hungry visitors. And some Onions comments: What is going on here? Is this the Madonna Inn? The ornate ceiling and setting is tricked up with goofy glass bulbs and antlers. This crazy interior makes your head swirl and stomach churn. This is not what I want to experience when sitting down to a good meal.

ORCHID – HISTORIC PRESERVATION

17. EL CORTEZ HOTEL RESTORATION – SAN DIEGO
A beautiful and grand restoration of the long faded Grand Dame of San Diego’s skyscrapers. A vibrant classy restoration that will be the cornerstone for more residential on the best hill downtown. Long neglected, this astounding structure now stands up and demands to be noticed as one of the most beautiful buildings downtown. Makes all of the black glass and concrete down the hill look tired. And that brazen red neon sign is a beacon to the pulsating downtown scene. The restored Don Room has a ceiling that must be seen to be believed. The research into the building’s past is evident in the colors and carpets whose design was researched via old photographs. Graced with an Onion in 1997 for its past owners’ string of unfulfilled promises, this years Orchids and Onions jury proudly awards this Orchid to the new owner’s courage and vision in completing this astounding historical preservation and restoration effort. 

18. COURTYARD BY MARRIOT IN THE SAN DIEGO TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK- SAN DIEGO
Do yourself a favor and invest in a visit to this beautiful historic preservation in the San Diego Trust & Savings Building. A fine example of adapting a historic structure to a vibrant new use as a hotel. This wonderful restoration sets a standard for historic preservation with a perfect use of materials for this Templeton-Johnson landmark structure. Walking into the lobby is like time traveling back to San Diego in the 1930s. The polished lobby retains the grace of the original bank with teller windows now serving as the registration desk. The conference center is so sleek, the jury exclaimed the concept ‘bully.’ The meeting room set in the former bank vault with the original safety deposit boxes lining the walls is a ‘capital’ idea! Please, please invest in more classy projects like this.

19. RESTORATION OF THE KTU&A OFFICE BUILDING – HILLCREST
There’s nothing normal about this sleek office restoration on Normal Street. The retro façade is a shining resume for the landscape architecture firm that sets off what had been a tired old building originally built as a coffee roasting company. New colored pavement, new trees, and a compass emblem embedded in the front entrance tell clients that this team of designers puts their heart into their projects. How brave to put a design business into an older neighborhood! Let’s hope this dominos down the rest of Normal Street which needs to live up to this gleaming new standard.

20. RESTORATION OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO ADMINISTRATION BUILDING – SAN DIEGO
It’s the nicest Pepto Bismol pink in town! A terrific restoration of a jewel of a building right on the front porch to San Diego Bay. The County is commended for its commitment to preserving one of its most important assets. This County administration building is one of the signature pieces of downtown architecture, and this restoration was well-conceived and executed.

21. DEL MAR POWERHOUSE RESTORATION – DEL MAR
A gem of a project. Hats off to the restoration committee for taking the plunge and providing the power to this restoration effort. This structure evokes the quirky and nostalgic past of this coastal community. This is a functional community space with restrooms, an outdoor theatre and beach showers where everyone can rinse off the Del Mar sand, wiggle their toes in glee, and soak in its historic glow.

ONION - HISTORIC PRESERVATION

22. PAINTING OF THE E HOTEL EMBLEM ON THE HISTORIC RIVERIA HOTEL – SAN DIEGO
E-gads! The horror! This beautiful brick building has been covered with glaring white paint and a huge “E” emblem that looks like some giant bird dropping. This reeks like an onion from anywhere downtown! The sloppy white paint has destroyed this beautiful brick façade and double-paned windows. And to do all this and leave it unfinished for over 6 months! Hey buddy, thinking of coming back downtown? FUHGEDABOUTIT!

ORCHID – PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN

23. ROBB FIELD SKATEBOARD PARK – ROBB SPORTS FIELDS/OCEAN BEACH
Dude… this ROCKS! Finally, recognition of a true SoCal street sport. A well-designed environment to accommodate a popular activity. This successful park catches air in the heart of all skateboarders. And another is being developed on Coronado! These communities are embracing their youth culture and listening to what they need … a place for kids to shred and skate where they won’t be endangered by cars or harass pedestrians.

24. STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM – CITY OF SAN DIEGO
Street Life! Facelifts Ivana Trump would be proud of! The City’s innovative Storefront Improvement Program promotes active and vibrant neighborhoods by reworking the facades of historic storefronts. Bright colors and street furniture bring interior activities out to the street. Pedestrians are encouraged to linger, and drivers to pull over and join the crowd. You will notice how this program has spiced up the sidewalks in Little Italy, North Park, Hillcrest, University Heights and Golden Hill. This program promotes good development by polishing these gems for all to see. What an improvement!

ONION – PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN

25. WASHINGTON STREET RETAIL CORRIDOR – CITY OF SAN DIEGO/HILLCREST
Ooops… They Built It Again! These retail buildings are so close to the street, there’s barely enough room for a pedestrian to squeeze by. Pedestrians may be chased into the street by the Sweet Tart color scheme and glaring signs. The entrances to these retail buildings have turned their backs to the street and sidewalk. There is no place to walk, little landscape… just oversized stucco that have converted these uptown blocks into flimsy, flat-roofed franchises. Doesn’t this neighborhood deserve a better community character for its retail corridor?

ONION – FINE ARTS

26. WASHINGTON STREET MEDIANS: BIRDS ON GIANT SILVER POLES – MISSION HILLS
Bars and Birds? Alfred Hitchcock meets the Shawshank Redemption! There was an idea in here somewhere, but it got lost in the clunky execution. The incredibly big industrial poles look strong enough to withstand an assault and make the delicate birds perched on top just look silly. Are these silver poles recycled from the “Split Pavilion” public art removed from Carlsbad?

ORCHID – ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTION

27. FAMOSA SLOUGH RESTORATION AND REVEGETATION PROJECT – OCEAN BEACH
The restoration and revegetation of these treatment ponds helps to clean the urban run-off that comes from the watershed of Famosa Slough that ultimately flows into the San Diego River channel. The ponds will reduce the amount of dry season run-off that flows into the Slough and will increase the amount of salt marsh habitat. The revegetation of these treatment ponds promotes a healthy ecosystem for local and migratory birds in proximity to an urban center.

ORCHID – GOOD BULBS PLANTED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

28. LAUREL TREE APARTMENTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING – CARLSBAD
This affordable housing is a thoughtful execution of a necessary element to this master planned development. The units are clustered around courtyards with porches and balconies facing the courts and street. The design invites people to meet and gather; creating a wonderful community feeling. The development is designed for families and has several play areas and daycare facilities. The design immediately recalls a village atmosphere with a definite contemporary California approach.

 

2001 ORCHIDS & ONIONS

ORCHID FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION; ONION FOR LIGHTING DESIGN

1. JOHN M. AND SALLY B. THORNTON ROTUNDA (San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park)
The historic interior rotunda of the San Diego Museum of Art was dingy with 75 years of neglect. The original colors in the coffered ceiling have been uncovered and restored. The graceful chandeliers were restored and “re-lamped”. This historic preservation is a restored masterpiece… but with one smudge. Whose bright idea was it to add trendy halogen track lighting in the rotunda? Hopefully someone saved their IKEA receipt so they can return those fixtures and replace with more authentic, cohesive lighting.

ONION FOR ARCHITECTURE; ONION FOR PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN

2. COSTA VERDE VILLAGE APARTMENTS (8520 Costa Verde Blvd., UTC area)
How many worker ants are crammed into this 4-acre mud hut? The “projects” have come to UTC with these hideous and oppressive, prison-block apartments. Cold Shelter! This residential building belies the builder’s “dirty deeds done dirt cheap” with nary a façade flourish. The complex is crammed onsite with buildings looming over the sidewalk. Adjacent residential properties may have modest UTC character, but this eyesore hardly gives residents a warm and fuzzy feeling to come home to.

ORCHID – ARCHITECTURE

3. HARBOUR LIGHTS RESORT (911 Fifth Ave. in the Gaslamp Quarter)
Urbane, sophisticated and confident. Once covered with asphalt parking, this snazzy deco-influenced building slid perfectly into its seat on Fifth Avenue. The detailing of the exterior is well-done and the building twinkles at night. The front façade is a refreshing perspective of the traditional Gaslamp Quarter style.

4. JENNY CRAIG PAVILION (University of San Diego, Linda Vista Road)
Classic California architecture is the new offspring of the ancient world. Noble cornices, colonnades, arches, and pediments repeat motifs that imply civility, though and quest for reason. A philanthropic success! The donation of the Jenny Craig Sports pavilion on USD blends beautifully with the existing buildings on this illustrious campus. The sports pavilion is the right ingredient of health and well-being that makes this campus body not only intelligent, but physically fit.

ONION – ARCHITECTURE

5. COLUMBIA AND ELM LOFTS (1805 Columbia Street, Little Italy)
Startled the bejesus out of us! We heard that pilots landing at Lindbergh Field gasp at this mustard and brown brick block. The entire approach to this building is off-course. This mud-encrusted oaf slouches into the neighborhood, looming over the three petite Victorians across the street and startles folks as they leave the humanly scaled precincts of Little Italy. We applaud the higher density residences being built in the re-emerging village, but this stands out for its total lack of articulation, its clumsy proportions, its poor detailing (check out the placement of the condenser units on the Elm St Façade), and its lack of any landscape planting.

ORCHID – LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

6. CIELO AT RANCHO SANTA FE (Calle Ambiente)
Bella Cielo! An Italian hill town cascades into Rancho Santa Fe, along with falling water, floating lilies and stone block that give this gatehouse its classical appeal. Terraces, pools, arches, and aqueduct-all elements fit well together. Colored stones and plants blend with the surrounding terrain, making it appear to grow out of the hillside. A tasteful integration of the old aqueduct recalls the ancestral quest for water. It looks as if the entrance has been there for years. Who wouldn’t want to come home to such a Tuscan beauty?

7. LEUCADIA BLVD (Between I-5 and Sidonia Street)
The Leucadia Boulevard right of way has been transformed into a dynamic and ever-changing corridor of explosive color and texture - - a moving sequence of tropical events and surprises to be viewed when traveling at 35 mph (or whatever speed we really drive) and when walking along the gently meandering foot paths. This streetscape proclaims that cities have as much right to be beautiful as they have to be safe and clean. We toss a bouquet of Orchids to Encinitas for keeping up the reputation as Flower Capital of the World.

8. TWIN OAKS VALLEY ROAD WIDENING (Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos)
The developer took a narrow, two-lane road and turned it into a four-lane thoroughfare, but did so with grace. They put in a beautifully landscaped center median for this two-mile stretch from Borden Road to La Cienega. The road also includes a nice pathway for those riding horses and plans a nice “country” feel, despite being in the middle of the large Twin Oaks Valley Ranch development.

ONION – LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

9. COLLEGE GROVE CENTER ROAD MEDIANS (College Grove Way, near College Grove Avenue)
The College Grove Center renovation project was begged for by the community. One forgotten element: landscaping in the asphalt medians of bordering roads. How about being good neighbors and installing some trees and landscaping to welcome customers… weeds and blacktop are not cutting it.

ORCHID – INTERIOR DESIGN

10. NOKIA PHASE II OFFICES (Scripps Summit Drive)
Rings our bell! Curves, colors, textures everywhere. This interior design mixes grace and elegance with funk and fun. Wood-slatted, curved ceilings and walls evoke both San Diego’s ocean waves and a Scandinavian sauna. Designers often have far more ideas than are possible to fit into one building, but sometimes they get away with including them all. Overhead and underfoot, something is going on in different color and textures of wall, floor and ceiling materials. Work spaces, public spaces, hallways, and stairwells feature arresting design ideas and colors, rhythmically expressed in varied materials-wood, textiles, plastic, metal, paper, glass…even the underside of carpeting. At Nokia, hard work is aesthetically rewarded.

11. OFFICES OF TURPIN AND RATTAN ENGINEERING (4719 Palm Avenue, La Mesa)
This project is a remodel of an old Bank of America branch, constructed in 1954, in the Downtown Village area of La Mesa. The building was completely gutted and redesigned to meet the engineer’s specific needs. The interior has corrugated aluminum walls, exposed wood ceiling trusses, custom lighting and translucent wall paneling. The walls were left exposed with only a semi-translucent panel on either side of the metal studs so you can see into the wall but not through to the other side. Multi-colored wiring cascades down the walls in a type of high-tech waterfall. The casual yet professional feeling is the right combination for today’s work environment.

ORCHID – HISTORIC PRESERVATION

12. ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL RENOVATION (2728 Sixth Avenue, Banker’s Hill)
Hallelujah! Say it with me, brothers and sisters! Great cities around the world are punctuated by great houses of worship. St. Paul’s is an exemplar of how a specific faith translates into architecture and art, and then into the ultimate act of faith-historic preservation. Renovation of the cathedral is just the beginning of an on-going master plan for this complex, which was designed by the chief architect of the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.

ONION – HISTORIC PRESERVATION

13. EL PRIMERO HOTEL (Third and G Streets in Chula Vista)
What were they on when they did this? Evidence that LSD may still be on the streets. This quaint deco era hotel’s new psychedelic façade belongs in Haight-Ashbury circa 1968, not in Chula Vista’s little downtown.  They gave this tired lady the worst kind of face-lift-garish paint, harsh lines and no class. Now she is a painted tart on the street corner. It may seem bold and daring to combine pink, pastel green and brown using a sponge pattern on the side of a building but from our view on the street…IT DOES NOT WORK!!

ONION – GRAPHIC DESIGN AND SIGNAGE

14. SDSU MONUMENT SIGN (next to I-8 by College Avenue exit)
VIVA AZTEC VEGAS! To your right is San Diego State…in case anyone missed it! We keep expecting to see the glitzy marquee flash: LOOSEST SLOTS IN TOWN! SIEGFREID & ROY AT THE AZTEC BOWL! ALL NIGHT BUFFET JUST $3.99! San Diego State will never suffer an identity crisis again…but this sign certainly is contributing to an electricity crisis.

15. VIDEO OUTLET BY F STREET (northeast corner of University Ave. and Vermont St. in Hillcrest)
The purple porno onion. We can’t run this movie reel because this is a G-rated show. No missing this neon Grape Ape. This tacky, smacky grape Bubble Yum is not a fitting neighbor to the acclaimed urban village of Uptown District. We hope this isn’t a coming attraction of University Avenue turning to a seedy, rundown Sunset Strip.

ORCHID – PUBLIC ART

16. SAN DIEGO FIRE STATION #44 IN MIRA MESA (10000 Black Mountain Rd.)
Our heroes! A fitting tribute to those who selflessly serve this calling. The sculpture depicts the station’s heroic duty: two firefighters as they head for smoke and flames, sleeves rolled up and boots on, symbolizing the extraordinary courage of ordinary people. Orchid for the artist, the fire brigade, and the district that understands the significance of both.

17. BANNER ART AT SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (airport parking lots)
Banners by San Diegans hail your return home and welcomes all with colorful coastal icons. A vibrant welcome-home to passengers returning to their cars. These imaginative banners-and the process that prompted their creation-are a fine example of collaboration. Varied, bright and charming they welcome visitors with local whimsy.

ONION – PUBLIC ART

18. THE OPEN CAGE OF WILD BIRDS AND GRASSES (3011 West Canyon Ave.)
This birdcage squawks with dark menace, bordering on frightening. The birds’ eye view of this tortured contraption must be acutely distressing. Little feet and wings entrapped in a horror-whorl of cast iron tethers with nowhere to land. The landscaping is a hodgepodge of grasses, completely out of context with the existing landscape and looks like a maintenance nightmare. Quoth the Raven… never more.

ORCHID – LIGHTING

19. EARL AND BIRDIE TAYLOR LIBRARY (Cass Street, Pacific Beach)
A well-conceived public building that embraces social consciousness on all levels. Maybe it should be nominated for a Pulitzer? Superb use of amble natural light and energy efficient-savings ideas-all done with style. One can get away from it all in this light, airy and well laid out library. It is refreshing to see such promising design in a community library. Like spokes on a wheel, the shelves and lighting extend out from the main circulation desk under ceilings designed to utilize natural light from the sunny San Diego skies. Glass block wall adds interest as well as light. Great use of filtered clerestory lighting at the circulation desk.

ORCHID – ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS

20. QUIETER HOME RESIDENTIAL SOUND ATTENUATION PROGRAM (historic residences east and west of San Diego International Airport)
Aircraft noise over residential areas has been a long-time burden for residents on the ends of San Diego airport’s runway. Finding noise insulation solutions that are consistent with the historic character of the homes is difficult, expensive, but well-worth the effort by the airport to help quiet its noise. Protecting the design and historical integrity of affected homes through use of compatible, unobtrusive noise abatement treatments for wall, doors and windows is an important accomplishment. These homes will keep their neighborhood character… and create a quieter environment for those nesting inside.

ONION – ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS

21. GRADING IN SORRENTO HILLS NEAR I-5/I-805 MERGE (next to the on-ramp from 805 to 5)
San Diego’s very own pyramids of Giza. Nightmare on Bald Mountain! How will these naked slopes ever hope to retain a blade of grass? Where are the soft contours of vegetation? The professionals who bought into this wholesale dismantling of the earth’s surface-instead of going the extra mile (no pun intended) and working with the natural terrain-inevitably approved another soul-destroying, history-wrecking grading project. Anyway you slice it, this is an onion and will probably bring more tears to the eyes of San Diegans than any other.

ORCHID – PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN

22. SDSU AZTRACK/PARKING FACILITY #5 (San Diego State University, near Montezuma and 55th St.)
This is a novel approach to a mixed-use facility. The top level is a state-of-the-art nine-lane track using the latest composite track decking materials and a regulation-size soccer field.  Located on two levels below the street are 1,480 much-needed parking spaces for SDSU. A wonderful parking facility that takes the street into account. Pleasing lines, landscaping, clever use of sloping terrain, simple but effective façade features, and a light, airy feeling make this ump-teenth parking facility a nice addition to the neighborhood and a better-looking entry point to the campus.

23. COASTAL RAIL-TRAIL PROJECT (San Diego Northern Railway right-of-way)
Once completed, this project will use existing railway right-of-way land to provide a multi-use public pathway that stretches from Oceanside to San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot. We’re onboard! A non-automobile project with the moxie to extend the full-length of the county. This excellent plan trail blazes for human-scaled uses pursued in a beautiful setting. This Orchid is additional encouragement to bring this visionary plan to fruition. One note of caution, the devil is in the details… the plan sounds great, but its implementation should give a high priority for pedestrian and bicycle safety so close to train tracks.

BULBS IN DA HOOD

Whimsy should appear in unexpected places! These projects were whimsical favorites with the jury for being unique contributions to their respective neighborhoods, in contrast to the ubiquitous chain stores and restaurants that populate San Diego communities.

24. JOE’S SHOE REPAIR MURAL (Fern Street between Grape and Ivy, South Park)
Alright Mac… let’s put your loafers up on the hoist and have a look at those treads. Joe’s clever mural elevates shoe repair to new heights. Delivers a clear message of what this little business does in the neighborhood. Once you’ve seen it, how can you forget Joes Shoe Repair next time your pumps need a tune-up?

25. CLAIREMONT FAMILY FARMS (Mt. Acadia Blvd., Clairemont)
Feels like Green Acres! The jury loved this “udder” transformation of old gas station into neighborhood market. This corner store offers plastic Bossies, a play horse on a bale of hay, and hand-painted graphics for an unexpected, down-home look in a former gas station.

26. SOUTH BARK DOG WASH (2037 30th Street, South Park)
You dirty dog! South Park has gone to the dogs… and they love it! This is the best building to bring your best friend to for a poochy facial. Once a former Laundromat, this “spot” houses bathing tubs, bubble lighting, an outdoor combing area and more spaces worth sniffing around. This ingenious Mom ‘n’ Pop enterprise has inventively filled a doggy need with humor and style. Makes you want to come back as a filthy beagle.