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The Creation & Restoration of Balboa Park

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Balboa Park’s origin story

Just outside downtown San Diego are 1,200 acres of land dedicated as park space by the City of San Diego. Known as Balboa Park, the space includes many natural and planted areas as well as buildings that represent some of San Diego’s most iconic architecture.

Central Park in New York City was the first large-park dedication by a U.S. city. In 1868, Balboa Park became the second.

It was actually in 1835, when the land was still part of Mexico, that authorities set aside 1,400 acres for public recreational use, most of which would eventually become Balboa Park. Once the land was ceded to the U.S., the City of San Diego’s Board of Trustees created a public park using this land.

Shaping the buildings

While the park was built in 1868, with multiple architects involved, most of its buildings sprung up later – because of two major events: the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition, both hosted at Balboa Park. Today, Spanish colonial revival, mission revival and pueblo revival architectural styles dominate the park.

According to its Wikipedia page, “The park and its historic Exposition buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark and National Historic Landmark District in 1977, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Bertram Goodhue was hired as site planner and architect for the Panama-California Exposition which was to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal and to spotlight San Diego’s port. He and his associate Carleton Winslow combined several styles of architecture to create the Spanish Colonial Revival style used for designing the buildings in the park.

For landscape design Goodhue’s team also included Kate Sessions and Frank Lloyd Wright Jr.

During this time, Goodhue and his team created the Botanical Building, the Cabrillo Bridge, the California Bell Tower, Spreckels Organ Pavilion and the buildings now known as The Museum of Us and the Balboa Park Club.

Later, for the California Pacific International Exposition, which boosted the region after the Great Depression, San Diego architect Richard Requa led design and oversaw the addition of the Old Globe Theatre (later rebuilt after a fire), the International Cottages and the Spanish Village.

From temporary to permanent

Many of these iconic buildings survived repeated calls for their demolition, including from Goodhue himself.

Structures built for the Panama-California Exposition were not constructed with durable materials, because organizers expected they would not be necessary beyond 1916. After the City of San Diego determined that they could be restored for slightly more than the cost of demolition, restorations started thanks to private donations and funding from the federal government for the labor.

A similar effort to raze most of Balboa Park’s structures that surfaced after the California Pacific International Exposition was squashed again.

Restoration continues

The need for restoration remains an issue for many of Balboa Park’s buildings, including the Botanical Building.

Designed by Carleton Winslow, it was the largest wood lath structure in the world when it was built and remains one of the largest to this day.

Thanks to Alfred Robinson, the world’s leading begonia breeder of his day, the idea behind including the building in the park was to serve as an anchor for a botanical garden. The Botanical Building is now home to more than 2,100 plant varieties.

When originally built, it was one of only four Balboa Park structures that were meant to remain indefinitely (along with the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the Museum of Us building and the Cabrillo Bridge).

Balboa Park Conservancy leads the charge

Remaining indefinitely, however, requires significant restoration, and San Diegans have the Balboa Park Conservancy (now rebranded as Forever Balboa Park after a merger with Friends of Balboa Park) and government funding sources to thank for efforts currently underway to restore the Botanical Building. The Conservancy made the building a priority and raised or secured all the funds for planning and design. Forever Balboa Park oversees the restoration project, along with the City of San Diego.

The team of RNT Architects, Spurlock Landscape Architects and Tres Fromme (horticultural designer) created architectural bridging documents for the restoration.

Now, our team, which includes EC Engineers, Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Michael Baker Intl, Estrada Land Planning, AB Court & Associates, Degenkolb, Turpin & Rattan Engineering, Recon, Meridian and Milford Wayne Donaldson, will work through construction to refine and implement the bridging documents’ vision. Construction will likely begin early next year.

The work will repair termite damage, deferred maintenance issues and more, in addition to returning the building to its original 1915 appearance. It will also include new restrooms, water- and energy-saving measures and improved visitor and educational engagement.

Our firm is honored to help restore one of San Diego’s most recognizable buildings, most serene spaces and most beloved destinations.

https://www.balboapark.org/

Photo by Leslie Yu on Unsplash

 

Aspects of Creativity in the Architectural Design Process

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Architecture is unique for its blend of art and science. Architect Antonin Gaudí, for example, is world famous for his unconventional shapes, colors and textures. But, at the end of the day, his designs for the Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell and other noted structures had to be technically sophisticated enough to reach into the sky without falling down and to last for centuries.

In a profession ruled heavily by technical and codified requirements, what room is left for creativity, and how does it shine through?

We posed a series of questions along these lines to some of our staff members, and some themes emerged.

The Spark

The architectural design process starts with understanding the client’s vision and needs, as well as the context of the project, and then touring the site. During the first site visit, the architect is looking to learn more about the texture of site, its environs and neighbors, its history, the social and environmental aspects, sun angles, views and more.

After this visit, the architect needs a creative spark. From this spark comes the design concept around which the rest of the project falls into place.

“With a strong design concept, all other decisions fit easily into a framework,” said Sandy Gramley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C. “As other people get involved, the design concept can guide them, too.”

For example, knowing that the North Pleasant Valley Desalter Facility in Camarillo, California was located on the border of the city, Naveen Waney, AIA, decided that using ‘gateway to the city’ as his design concept would spark the rest of his design.

Kristin Holbrook and Yolanda Velazco used a photo of a beautiful sunset as creative inspiration for the Oceanside Crisis Stabilization Unit color palette.

Sourcing a Spark

Where do these sparks come from?

In addition to the two examples above, the proverbial spark can come from anything.

“I look at lots of different resources,” said Naveen. “It might come from flipping through a magazine, from past projects or just about anything.”

The ‘just about anything’ often includes nature.

“We see a lot of nature-inspired design, including biophilic design,” said Sandy. “Biophilia is the practice of taking concepts found in nature and bringing them into design.”

She referenced the inspiration a fabric designer found in observing how geckos’ feet stick to surfaces to then create a removable wallpaper, and an engineer’s study of how a cactus sheds water in that engineer’s efforts to design a water preservation system.

Naveen also credits architecture schools for helping budding architects build a strong foundation for creative spark. History classes, for example, are helpful for reviewing magnificent architectural examples from the past and then working backwards to understand them, he said.

Kristin agrees, and added that travel is also important for sparking her creativity.

“Travel is a big inspiration for me personally. I don’t always get to execute the ideas I generate right away, but it opens your mind to a different aesthetic possibility.”

Sandy pointed out that technology has opened up travel as a design inspiration for designers who may not have the wherewithal to jet to a faraway destination. With the vast resources of the Internet, including Google Earth and three-dimensional or virtual reality tours, architects can expand their creative horizons much more easily than in decades past.

The Role of Technology

Technology, however, can be a double-edged sword.

“Now, computers allow conceptual designs to develop three-dimensionally much faster,” said Sandy. “But is that better or worse? You still have to be able to do a lot in your head. [Formulating the design] without a computer can be a slower process that gives you time to work through some parameters. Conversely, a computer offers more opportunity for iterations.”

Naveen added that technology can work in the opposite direction of modeling, but neither starting point is right or wrong. “My generation learned by sculpting with chipboard, but now many architects are used to having environmental data and light studies that they can use to work backwards to shape the building,” he said.

Despite technology comprising a significant part of her architectural education, Kristen realizes the standard options available in many software programs can stifle creativity.

“If you rely on technology over drawing, you can let it make all the decisions,” she said.

Will I Dream?

In 2010, the sequel to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the partly sentient computer HAL asks, “Will I dream?” – a chilling reminder that we don’t expect a computer to think like a human. It is, in fact, the human element that an architect must be responsible for infusing into a project.

“The architect has to understand where the project’s stakeholders are coming from,” said Sandy.
We need to step into their shoes, especially to have cultural sensitivity if that’s something relevant to project.”

Civic projects make up a big portion of our work at Platt/Whitelaw, so we often seek input from many different people and groups.

“[Community input] will always color your perspective,” said Kristin. “The architect should be sensitive to it and ask, ‘Who is this project is for? What is their culture? How do we honor it in the design?’”

Kristin added that as equity and diversity advance in the architectural profession itself, the shift will “open up exciting opportunities for creativity to unfold into projects” and to reflect sparks from more types of people.

Final words

As our staff contemplated the role of creativity in architecture, Naveen offered a good summary.

“Creativity doesn’t stop or have a specific place. It needs to continue through to building occupancy. It’s expressed consistently in figuring out how the pieces fit together.”

Photo by W K on Unsplash

San Diego History: Formative Architects and Architecture

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Calling all architecture enthusiasts! Want to cement your savvy-San Diegan status? Dazzle friends with interesting cocktail party conversation? Become a riveting tour guide for your out-of-town guests?

We’ve put together an overview of some of historic San Diego architects (some household names, some not), who designed notable places in San Diego. Feel free to bookmark this page so you can cram before your next social gathering. 😉

Let’s start with a big disclaimer. This list is not even remotely comprehensive. We’ve focused on architects who were designing San Diego structures in the 1960s and earlier, and primarily public-serving structures. Plus, we 100% acknowledge our bias in including our firm’s founder, Robert Platt.

Since we’ve also had a legacy of female ownership at Platt/Whitelaw, we’re shining the architecture spotlight first on a woman: Lilian J. Rice. This home-grown talent was born in 1889 in National City. She’s considered an early ecologist, and her understanding of the relationship between nature and architecture is evident in the Rancho Santa Fe Town Center, the ZLAC rowing club and the many homes she designed in La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe.  Eleven of these are on the National Register of Historic Places.

A bit more ornate in their designs were the Quayle Brothers. Charles was born in 1865 and Edward in 1869. They were responsible for the San Diego Police Headquarters building downtown (now the renovated Headquarters at Seaport District), a couple of now-historic Gaslamp buildings, the North Park Theatre and the Cal Western School of Law (where, incidentally, Platt/Whitelaw Architects provided a face lift and some historic preservation work recently).

Skipping ahead a bit in time, a trio of very well-known contemporaries began designing in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries in San Diego. They were Irving Gill, William Templeton Johnson and Richard Requa.

Gill, who lived from 1870 to 1936, used to work alongside Frank Lloyd Wright under Louis Sullivan. Gill is credited with creating an original, regional modern style in San Diego. This style is manifested in his designs for the La Jolla Woman’s Club, the La Jolla Recreation Center, the Ellen Browning Scripps house (now part of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – La Jolla), the First Church of Christ Scientist on Second Avenue and several houses in Bankers Hill. He also worked on the George W. Marston House and designed the Fountain at Horton Plaza Park, although these two structures are designed in a more historic style.

Requa apprenticed as a draftsman to Gill and was best known as the creator of the Southern California style of architecture, a mash-up of Spanish Eclectic style with influences from the Mediterranean region, Mexico, and Central and South America. He also designed the Darlington House in La Jolla, the County Administration Center (along with Johnson and others), the Old Globe Theatre (later rebuilt and modified after a 1978 fire) and the Del Mar Castle.

In addition to working on the team designing the County Administration Center, Johnson was responsible for designing downtown’s San Diego Trust & Savings building and Samuel L. Fox building, as well as the Francis Parker School, the La Jolla Public Library, La Jolla High School, the San Diego Museum of Art, the La Valencia Hotel and the Junipero Serra Museum.

A little later, Lloyd Ruocco (1907-1981), who attended San Diego High School, became the second most significant modernist architect in San Diego history, after Gill. He is famous for his post and beam construction with large expanses of glass.  In addition to designing the Fifth Avenue Design Center in Hillcrest and the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, he was an advocate for social change and sound city planning. Some know him best as the co-founder, along with Esther Scott, of Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3), a San Diego citizens’ planning group started in 1961.

During approximately the same time period as Ruocco, Los Angeles architect William Pereira (1909-1989) designed the iconic, futuristic Geisel Library at UCSD, and Sim Bruce Richards (1908-1983) designed the Morley Field Tennis Club and the Mission Bay Aquatic Center.

It’s hard to talk about iconic San Diego architecture without mentioning Louis Kahn (1901-1974). Along with Luis Barragan (1902-1988), Kahn designed the Salk Institute, arguably one of the best places to view the San Diego sunset at equinox.

The next (and last) generation of significant architects we’re covering includes our very own Robert Platt (1921-1988), who’s noted mid-century designs include the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma and the Clairemont Library. Also of note is Robert Moser (1920-2015), who designed the Coronado Bridge, the Aztec Center at SDSU and Muir College at UCSD.

If you find yourself thinking in a very loud head voice, ‘hey, you forgot to mention so-and-so as a historic San Diego Architect!’, you’re probably right. Please feel free to write about so-and-so and link back to our article. The good news is that San Diego has so many cool structures, we could write for days about all the great architects involved…and so could you. Who will accept our challenge?

Photo by ARIS on Unsplash.

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, New Amenities, Buildings Complete

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By Naveen Waney

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, a self-sufficient, 190-acre, 7-lake park and RV campground in Santee, California, can now offer visitors and staff additional amenities, upgrades and a new administration building, general store, kitchen and dining deck.

Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc. worked with Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve and El Cajon-based construction and project manager CBSI six years ago to create the Preserve’s Dynamic Vision Plan, a 20-year guide for upgrades and improvements throughout the facility. Our firm subsequently provided architectural services for the latest upgrades and additions.

The Dynamic Vision Plan includes an expansive fishing dock; lake shoreline re-contouring, creation of new picnic areas and parking between lakes 2-4; a new administration building, expanded general store, coffee bar, kitchen and dining deck; clubhouse and pool improvements; a Yurt village, and various campground upgrades.

The latest project, a $9 million upgrade to the Preserve’s business hub at Lake 5, is the most expensive project in the Preserve’s history. This project encompasses three buildings: a 2,045-square-foot administration building, including four offices, a conference room, open workspace, public and staff restrooms, a break room and a locker room for park staff; the Event Center (formerly the Teen Center); and the General Store remodel, which includes a complete reconfiguring of the store and reservations center, the addition of an 850-square-foot kitchen, and construction of a 4,664-square-foot, steel-framed dining deck over the water of Lake 4, complete with a shade structure.

Site improvements throughout the project include landscape, new parking and fresh paint. Tin Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar will occupy the kitchen space.

The work represents the third major project of the Preserve’s vision plan and will be an iconic addition to this award-winning park. Working with a great leader like Director of Park and Recreation for Santee Lakes and City of Santee Councilmember Laura Koval has been inspiring.

CBSI handed over keys and a certificate of occupancy for the project to Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve staff at the end of April. Construction began in July of 2019.

“The entire team worked closely together to make sure that most parts of the Preserve could remain open during construction,” said David Suter, president of CBSI. “We were able to rotate staff and amenities to different buildings throughout construction to make sure park operations remained functional and accessible.”

Other team members included general contractor Team C, MEP engineering firm Turpin & Rattan, civil engineering firm Nasland, structural engineering firm AARK Engineering, In-Site Landscape Architecture and Food Service Design Group.

Originally Built by the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the 190-acre Santee Lakes attracts about 750,000 visitors annually.

If you haven’t visited Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve recently, now’s a great time to go!

What Does a Return to Work Look Like – One Year Later?

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By Sandra Gramley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, and Naveen Waney, AIA

The one-year anniversary of California’s initial lockdown has come and gone. With its passage, we at Platt/Whitelaw Architects are reflecting on the impacts the past year has brought to public workplaces and what a return to work could look like for those working from home offices or dining room tables.

At the onset of the pandemic, local government and school leaders closed facilities, shifted classes and programs online and adapted their constituent services to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Now, it’s common place to visit a public structure, from administrative buildings, schools, libraries and beyond, and see plexiglass sneeze guards, socially distanced desks and floor signage marking 6-foot increments.

Are these changes a permanent part of our new normal? Only time will tell.

Organizations have realized the benefits of a remote workforce. Costly, time-consuming commutes became a thing of the past. Employees and companies reduced their carbon footprints. Working with newfound flexibility, workers at home have been able to juggle doing their jobs with caring for their children and elderly family members impacted by COVID-19, be it by school closures or illnesses.

But as the pandemic ground on, the long-term viability of a remote work model came into question.

The novelty of a Zoom happy hour or staff meeting has worn off, and so too have the early work-from-home musings. With it the productivity gains employers witnessed at the start of the pandemic had begun eroding by the end of 2020. Part of this shift can be credited to the significant, almost universal increase in the average workday. According to a study released in July of 2020, the post-lockdown workday was up some 48 minutes, or 8% per day, according to meeting and email meta-data research from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

And while most workers continue delivering from home, it has come at a price. Recent studies have shown that working from home has introduced new types of work-related stresses. In part from being unable to separate their work and home lives, 69% of workers said the coronavirus pandemic is the most stressful time of their entire professional career, according to mental health provider Ginger.

Working from home has also taken a toll on workers emotionally, as interpersonal contact has all but diminished. According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 53% of American adults had their mental health negatively impacted because of stress linked to the pandemic.

As vaccination rollouts stymie the immediate coronavirus threat for many workers, we’ll likely see more people make their return to the office. Leaving designers industrywide grappling with the question: How do we get more people safely back at work?

That depends on the workplace. But ultimately, a return to the office may be more about the people than it is about the office. Bringing workers back to the office will be employee-focused, taking into account individual comfort levels, varying workstyles of employees and the actual work that’s being done.

As we move further into 2021, we are likely to see more permanent office design solutions that prioritize public health, bring the outdoors in and provide flexible workspaces for employees and hybrid schedules.

Filtered air and good ventilation will be a top priority. So, too, will promoting health in office buildings, which could mean bringing employees in contact with the outside environment. And while some employees are ready to get back to the office, others may envision a future where they only go in when absolutely necessary. If employees make the shift to a hybrid-working model, more office space could be dedicated to collaborative workspaces with less going toward individual workstations.

At Platt/Whitelaw, much of our work is community-based, involving structures where all members of the public are generally welcome. How do the oftentimes essential functions operating within these buildings transpire unimpeded in the future? What safety measures have to be in place to allow the public the access they need at these public buildings?

Again, preparing spaces for a return of the workforce comes down to the people and the customizations necessary to accommodate their expectations. Many public facilities function more like retail spaces than offices because occupancy varies greatly, and the designer must consider both the regular occupants and the frequent and infrequent visitors.

Whereas regular office staff may quickly grasp the rules and safety protocols, visitors are likely to require more direction and oversight. Lobbies and entry ways may become the first point of contact and control, requiring queueing and screening space, for example, as well as directional signage.

In short, holistic design solutions are more important than ever, and must include careful consideration of personal habits and preferences in order to provide a space where people feel safe, productive and happy.

 

Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, Sunshine! Platt/Whitelaw Architects Helps SDUSD Schools Go Solar

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By Sandra Gramley, AIA, LEED ap BD+C

At Platt/Whitelaw, we’re helping empower schools in more ways than one. While school design and modernization have long been part of our work product, some recent San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) directives have us literally powering schools.

As of September 2020, 7,332 K-12 schools throughout the nation use solar power. This number represents approximately 5% of all schools nationwide. The Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools report goes on to list the top five states for schools using solar power: California, New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts and Indiana.

It’s no surprise that the Golden State, especially with Southern California’s abundant sunshine, factors large on that list. Locally, SDUSD, California’s second-largest school district, is creating one of the largest distributed solar energy plants in the United States, according to news released by AMSOLAR Corporation.

Engie Services reported that SDUSD is expected to achieve $9.08 million in energy savings over the life of its solar program. As California’s second largest school district, SDUSD is a leading example of what schools can do to practice energy efficiency.

It’s not just other school districts that pay attention—it’s also the students themselves. SDUSD students can learn about environmental responsibility and solar energy through onsite science and education programs that incorporate these solar installations in the curriculum.

Platt/Whitelaw Architects is very proud to be one of two San Diego architecture firms providing its services to help implement SDUSD’s ambitious goals to create solar energy at every one of its more than 200 school campus as well as various administrative facilities. Bond measures passed by local voters made this possible.

The District has also worked with Sage Renewable Energy Consulting, an independent energy consulting and project management firm based in San Rafael, California, that provides public agencies with energy expertise to plan, build and manage solar, storage and efficiency projects.

Our architects are providing criteria design to be used by design/build contractors for parking lot and playground shelters topped with solar panels at fourteen schools. Platt/Whitelaw staff is now designing for twelve more sites, some of which are administrative support facilities, including a transportation center where the solar panels will support the District’s plans to electrify its bus fleet.

Performing this work during the pandemic initially meant delays as some of the project team members were unable to assess the campuses while they were completely closed to the public. Ultimately, campuses were opened to limited personnel, and installation became much easier without having to accommodate students on site during construction. Overall, projects are completing on schedule.

The design work comes with some challenges. Most of the solar arrays are mounted on shade shelters, so architects need to consider path of travel so that playgrounds and parking lots can remain accessible under Title 24 standards.

Solar installation standards must be considered in the design, too. Panels need to be level rather than conforming to the slope of the ground below.

Solar panels have been critical for defraying energy costs from cooling classrooms. Fortunately, the cost savings goes beyond covering just air conditioning.

By lowering operating costs, school districts boost their budgets for costs associated with altering instructional programs for distance or hybrid learning, hiring more teachers, updating and expanding book supplies and more.

SDUSD’s energy savings program also included conversion to LED lighting and HVAC system upgrades. In 2015, the SDUSD’s Board of Education adopted climate mitigation and adaptation goals to achieve 100% renewable energy use by 2030 and various other strategies to increase environmental responsibility.

Ten years shy of that time horizon, SDUSD has seen dramatic results. According to Distributed Energy, “the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) lays claim to having one of the lowest utility costs per student in the country.” The District has reduced its energy usage by 25% since putting in place energy efficient strategies.

We’re honored to help the District achieve its climate mitigation and adaptation goals and to play a part in creating teaching opportunities for SDUSD’s more than 135,000 students.

Rick Strickland Promoted to CFO of Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc.

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Congratulations to Rick Strickland, who has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Platt/Whitelaw Architects. His duties include management of all financial and human resources activities. He previously served as our Chief Financial Manager.

Rick joined Platt/Whitelaw over six years ago after working as Controller for another San Diego-based architecture firm for seven years.

“We’re elevating Rick’s position to reflect the value he brings, his years of experience and his unwavering commitment to our firm,” said Platt/Whitelaw co-owner Sandra Gramley, AIA, LEED ap BD+C.

“Rick has more than earned our trust and consistently identifies smart moves to sustain our firm well into the future,” said Platt/Whitelaw co-owner Naveen Waney, AIA.

Rick loves to work with numbers and financial statements. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from San Diego State University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

“I really appreciate working with Sandy and Naveen and all the other great people at Platt/Whitelaw Architects,” said Rick. “Working as CFO for an architecture firm is unlike other industries, because you have to understand the numbers and multipliers that are unique to building design.”

Rick also likes that Platt/Whitelaw has long-term projects but that every day brings new opportunities and challenges. “Our work is constantly changing, which keeps it interesting,” he added. Rick is an integral member of our valuable team, and we’re so glad to have him take a leadership role. We know we’re in good hands to grow our 65-year-old architecture firm for many years to come.

Water Works: Blending Design and Function to Bring Water to Communities

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At the heart of all architectural design projects is the combination of function and design…or how to make a building design look good while serving a specific purpose. Most people don’t think much about how water arrives to their faucet, but the facilities required to make this happen account for a good portion of Platt/Whitelaw’ work over the past three decades and some of our most lauded buildings.

When working on public projects, including water- and wastewater-related projects, the design vs. function dilemma is intensified by the need for the processes housed in the project to be accommodated in an efficient and cost-effective manner while also complementing the surrounding environment. Platt/Whitelaw finds ways to resolve these demands while also working in sustainable strategies in all our water and wastewater treatment plant and water reclamation projects. Natural daylight and ventilation, as well as material choices, help reduce the impact of the buildings on the environment while also supporting wellness in the workplace.

Of utmost importance, we have to consider how the flow of the process housed in the building needs to be considered in design. We work very closely with water experts to accommodate pipes, basins, filtration systems, treatment equipment and more. The extent of these requirements can present myriad complexities and require compulsive attention to detail.

“We may have to think about unique challenges like how to take valves and tanks in and out of buildings for maintenance,” said Naveen Waney, AIA, Principal at Platt/Whitelaw Architects. “For one project, we designed large, removable skylight hatches to provide access for a crane that can pull a valve out of its receptacle nearly 20 feet into the earth.”

Whether it is a wastewater treatment, potable-water or pure-water project, additional challenges always present themselves, and each job has unique issues. For example, chemicals such as acid are needed to clean and descale equipment on some types of projects. To purify water, some projects use filters while others use a heating process to create steam before recondensing it back to liquid water, leaving any impurities behind. Architects who work on water treatment and reclamation projects must face issues that they don’t face in most other types of building design.

Fortunately, the collaboration that goes into designing and building water and wastewater facilities is robust. Typically, the civil engineer lays out the facility. That professional knows where the water comes from and where it needs to go and makes specifications about distances, bends, pipe sizes and more accordingly.

With this information, the architect is programming, space planning and problem solving, while working closely with the engineers. The architects and engineers have to be flexible, inventive and work hand-in-hand. It’s helpful to consider the water as our mutual client and design to accommodate its demands.

Naveen and Platt/Whitelaw Associate Thomas Brothers  have worked closely together on several water and wastewater projects over the course of decades. Some of our firm’s projects include Operations and Maintenance buildings at the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, Encina Wastewater Facility and South Bay Water Reclamation Facility.  Along with pump stations at Scripps Ranch and one at the new North City Pure Water Facility in University City and Chemical buildings at the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant in Mission Trails Regional Park – all in San Diego – and a Desalter Facility in Camarillo.

As with most types of architecture, the location of a project is fundamental to the architectural design. The Desalter project, for example, is industrial, located adjacent to the city of Camarillo. The challenge for Platt/Whitelaw is in making it look approachable. The Platt/Whitelaw team typically works with the city or county where the project will reside to find an aesthetic that isn’t hidden but also isn’t overwhelming for the surrounding community.  

Sometimes, the water flow itself determines the location. Due to the topographic configuration of San Diego, the Point Loma North Operations Building and Grit building our firm designed sits where wastewater flows – to a low point, in this case right at the ocean edge. After it’s treated, the water travels to an outfall location several miles into the ocean.  

An important task for our firm was to design a facility that respected the flow of the water and the process required to treat it while celebrating the remarkable location at the bluffs leading to the ocean. We accomplished this through a multi-level building design that complemented the natural topography and accommodated the water flow; with sustainable strategies that reflected the importance of the area’s natural resources; and with material and color selections that would complement the site.

Public art can also help bridge function with design and is used by Platt/Whitelaw in many of its public projects. “It’s a way of saying to a community that there is civic importance to the project,” says Thomas. “And we help celebrate that by making a space for public art.”

Thomas also points out that public art is a way to communicate the purpose of a project. “Lay people don’t typically know what the process is behind the project. An artist can present it in a way that is visually interesting while making it more accessible and sometimes educational.”

Working with water projects also allows Platt/Whitelaw to be a part of cutting-edge technology, including pure water projects, where instead of sending treated wastewater into the ocean or irrigation lines, the treatment facility can make it drinkable. It’s a process that involves making the water so pure that it’s then returned to the regular treatment facility and then sent to storage and distribution tanks for potable use.

The innovative approach lets the region take less water from natural resources (like the Colorado River), which are diminishing, while making the community more resilient to drought and other changes.

“We take pride in working on something very important for the community and knowing we are a part of it,” says Naveen.

Thomas adds, “With water and wastewater architecture, you are thrust into realizing that your design is part of a greater system.”