Platt-Whitelaw Architects

City of San Diego

APWA Awards: A Banner Year for Our Clients

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The vast majority of our firm’s architectural design work happens for public agency clients. That’s why honors from the American Public Works Association (APWA) mean so much to us.

We’re celebrating our clients’ wins this year at the San Diego APWA Awards Program:

Oceanside Crisis Stabilization Unit, County of San Diego – Project of the Year: Structure

  • Oceanside Crisis Stabilization Unit is a new, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week walk-in facility based on a living room model that offers a kinder, gentler approach to intervention and stabilization for anyone suffering from a behavioral or mental health crisis.

Bud Kearns Memorial Swimming Pool, City of San Diego – Project of the Year: Historic

  • The Bud Kearns Memorial Swimming Pool is an outdoor facility located in Morley Field Park in the North Park Community. First opened in 1933, it is San Diego’s oldest public pool. It was reopened this year after a two-year renovation process.

North Park Mini Park, City of San Diego (prime consultant: KTU+A)

  • North Park Mini Park is a new, half-acre park and plaza with family-friendly amenities situated behind the historic North Park Theater.

Ocean Beach Walkway, City of San Diego

  • The walkway needed rebuilding over a jetty to provide an accessible path of travel onto Dog Beach.

As projects of the year, Oceanside Crisis Stabilization Unit or Bud Kearns Memorial Swimming Pool could be selected by the jury to be recognized at the APWA San Diego chapter gala in the fall. That project would then get submitted to the national APWA competition.

Further North

It’s also worth noting that further north, the Ventura County APWA honored the City of Camarillo for its North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter Plant. We teamed with engineering lead Brown & Caldwell and their partners to design a reverse osmosis facility. Here the city of Camarillo can leach enough salt from the groundwater to significantly reduce its reliance on imported water.

Congratulations to all of these agencies up and down Southern California for your vision and leadership and to the many firms that collaborated to bring these projects to life.

Photo Left to Right: Sandra Gramley.

The Botanical Building in Balboa Park – Makeover Edition!

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Iconic San Diego structure will soon be restored to its original condition…plus a few improvements

By Sandra Gramley, AIA, LEED NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, principal at Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc. 

Restoration is underway on the Botanical Building in Balboa Park! If you’ve been following our news site, you know that we’ve written about this building before…and a time before that. But how can we not celebrate the kickoff of this historic restoration with a special article?

First, a review of the building’s history

The Botanical Building was originally built for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition as part of an effort to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal and to spotlight San Diego’s port. Bertram Goodhue was hired as site planner and architect for the Panama-California Exposition.

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. Except for the Bell Tower and the Balboa Park Club, these were the few structures that were meant to remain indefinitely.

The Botanical Building itself was designed by team member Carleton Winslow to serve as an anchor for a botanical garden. It was the largest wood lath structure in the world when it was built and remains one of the largest to this day.

Restoration needed

To remain indefinitely, a building needs some regular maintenance work. The Botanical Building has suffered from a lot of deferred maintenance and changes to the original structure, but the work underway will give it new life.

Thanks to the efforts of the Balboa Park Conservancy (now rebranded as Forever Balboa Park after a merger with Friends of Balboa Park) and government funding sources, the Botanical Building is receiving some TLC. The work will also address major termite damage, severe rust and those years of structural changes and deferred maintenance. Forever Balboa Park oversees the restoration project, along with the City of San Diego and the Parks and Recreation Department.

A 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 Constructors, 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.

What’s happening now

Can you imagine moving over 2,100 varieties of plants out of the Botanical Building? A handful of larger plants will stay through the construction, but the majority are now headed to the City of San Diego’s nursery for safe keeping.

In addition to working around the plants that must stay, our project team is figuring out ways to lower the soil level of the building’s planting beds, which has risen over time, without compromising the plants that have to remain in place. To do this, we’ll create planters within the planting beds, surrounding what would otherwise be exposed trunks and roots.

Our team will also restore this building to its original 1915 condition. In addition to some general sprucing up and structural repairs, the work includes reintroducing arched windows on the north and south sides of the structure to return the building to its original 1915 appearance. It will also include new restrooms, water- and energy-saving measures and improved visitor and educational engagement spaces.

A new public entry on the north side is also planned to provide better access for private events. Just outside the northeast corner of the building stands a Moreton Bay Fig tree that is over 100 years old. We’re adapting the design and construction methods to save this tree and accommodate its roots – some of which have grown into the building.

Right now, we’re putting final touches on the design. The construction trailer is in, plants are moving out and the team is looking forward to getting the permit to start construction. The building is closed, but visitors can still enjoy the koi pond out front and the surrounding lawn areas. Completion is expected for summer of 2023.

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

-the end-

PWA Project Profile: Park de la Cruz Neighborhood Park & Therapeutic Recreation Services

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By Sandra Gramley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Civic projects are the crux of what we do. Designing Park de la Cruz Neighborhood Park & Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS) in City Heights was especially rewarding for us because we were truly designing for universal use.

The intention of our client, the City of San Diego, was to transform the decaying former Copley YMCA building and gymnasium into a new TRS facility. As such, the project has traditional accommodations but also those for wheelchair basketball, indoor soccer and a calendar full of special events and activities. Accessibility upgrades were a specific priority for the entire project.

Beyond ADA and other code requirements, the entire renovation was designed for the community to be able to easily access and use all the facilities. San Diego is now one of only a few cities nationwide that has a dedicated facility for TRS services. The TRS facility at Park de la Cruz is able to offer services and activities for those with disabilities and special needs within the community, along with helping veterans and seniors throughout San Diego County.

In addition to designing something for all abilities, the renovation also has a social justice component. This project enhances and encourages recreation and provides much needed services to the mid-city community of San Diego—a community historically left behind when it came to new and upgraded parks.

Our design even includes a daycare space, providing the opportunity to address a frequent barrier to employment – the availability of childcare. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, emphasized the prominence and importance of Park de la Cruz when he held a news conference there in April about a new pop-up vaccination site in the City Heights neighborhood.

The design and implementation of the buildings’ renovation was preceded by a renovation of the adjoining seven-acre park, led by Schmidt Design Group in conjunction with Stantec. Features include a new skate park, a softball field and an outdoor multipurpose basketball court. Additional amenities added were picnic shelters, accent trees, sports lighting, solar canopy, drinking fountains, accessibility for persons with disabilities and path of travel improvements.

Our renovation of the 24,000-square foot TRS facility included offices and conference rooms for the staff, a commercial kitchen and a training kitchen, and outdoor and indoor areas for exercise and activities. Also integrated are rooms specifically for those with special needs and a variety of multi-purpose rooms for games, daycare, special events and dances, as well as for rentable space.

Gymnasium improvements include large insulated translucent windows with removable colored polycarbonate panels, fiberglass-sandwich-panel unit skylights, renovated restrooms and offices, new roofing, and new finishes, along with added air-conditioning and lighting improvements.

Earlier this year, Park de la Cruz earned an award from the American Public Works Association (APWA). We’re grateful for the chance to contribute to this terrific community resource that will serve San Diegans for generations to come.

 

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

 

Cesar Solis Community Park Wins APWA Award!

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We’re HONORED to learn that our Cesar Solis Community Park project just won the 2019 Project of the Year award from the APWA San Diego/Imperial Counties! We love designing community projects, and this one had a community of its own in our wonderful project team: City of San Diego, Schmidt Design Group (prime), BSE Engineering (Mechanical/Plumbing), BWE (Structural Engineering), Kanrad Engineering (Electrical)

Cesar Solis Community Park is a 20-acre, joint-use park located between Vista Del Mar Elementary and Ocean View Hills School in the San Ysidro community of Ocean View Hills. This active park features a comfort station, a concession building and picnic/shade shelters as well as two softball fields with a soccer field overlay, tennis courts, a skate park, playgrounds and more. The park, named for retired Assistant San Diego Police Chief Cesar Solis (who became the department’s highest ranking Filipino American), is home to the first skate park in southern San Diego.

We provided architectural design services to the landscape architect for the General Development Plan. The design concept and layout for the park was derived from the radiating pattern of the entry drive surrounding the central core of the adjoining school. A tree-lined seat wall arc sweeps along the park site. Quotes from various academic and sports venues are etched into tile lining the seat wall arc to inspire the park users to think about the link between physical and intellectual achievements.

We then provided complete services for Phase 1 amenities within the park and the joint-use area, which included parking, a comfort station and concession building, two lighted softball fields with a soccer field overlay, open lawn areas, four tennis courts with support/restroom building, skate park, picnic and overlook areas with two picnic/shade shelters, and playgrounds for all ages. The playgrounds include equipment for the 2 to 12-year old users, which includes a climbing rock.

Future Phase II amenities will include a gym-recreation center, and Phase III amenities will provide a community aquatics center. All recreational facilities will be equipped with sports field lighting for extended evening play.

Designing parks gives us a chance to explore the connections between people and nature and to think about how these public spaces should inspire, serve and engage the surrounding community. We value the opportunities we have to do this; the opportunities to provide spaces for people to come together.