San Diego , California

1995 Orchids & Onions Awards

For Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design

1995 ORCHIDS & ONIONS CONTEST THEME: "LOVE THY NEIGHBORHOOD"

The nonprofit Orchids & Onions program is celebrating its 20th year of community consciousness-raising to encourage quality design and sensitive urban planning. Some of this year's awards went to projects that help (or failed to help) disadvantaged people in the access to public buildings.. The jury also rewarded historic preservation successes.

Proceeds from the 1995 program went to benefit the Tijuana-San Diego chapter of Habitat for Humanity, an international group that helps poor people build their own homes. $15,000 was raised.

The 1995 Jury:

Michele Caputo: San Diego State University student and member of the city of San Diego Mayor's Subcommittee on Removing Architectural Barriers.

Helen Duffy: Mission Beach activist and Mission Bay Park advocate.

Joan FitzSimmons: President, Community Heights Development Corp.

Helen-Maria Erawan Ofield: Lemon Grove activist and preservationist.

Andrea Skorepa: Executive Director, Casa Familiar - San Ysidro.

David Swarens: President, Sherman Heights Community Center, and former president of Save Our Heritage Organization.

Master of Ceremonies for this year's awards event: Neil Morgan: Senior Editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Orchids & Onions chariman: Thomas Anglewicz, AIA

The Grand Orchid:

South Chula Vista Library, for architecture, disabled accessibility, graphics and signage, interiors, landscape architecture, lighting, and planning.

Orchids:

• The Ayres Group office, Symphony Towers, San Diego, for interiors and lighting.
• Balboa Park Club, Balboa Park, San Diego, for historic preservation: architecture and interiors.
• Batiquitos Lagoon enhancement, Carlsbad, for environmental planning.
• Campina Court Apartments, La Mesa, for architecture, disabled accessibility and planning.
• New Carlsbad Village transit station, Carlsbad, for architecture.
• Cedros Design District, Solana Beach, for planning.
• City Heights Tower, San Diego, for public art.
• Del Mar Highlands Town Center, Del Mar, for landscape architecture.
• Horton Fourth Avenue apartments, San Diego, for architecture.
• Lowenstein Building (housing Bob Johnstons's Sports Palace), Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, for historic preservation: facade.
• Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretive Center, San Diego, for architecture, disabled accessibility, environmental planning, graphics and signage and landscape architecture.
• Sanitarium arch, Paradise Valley Hospital, National City, for historic preservation: historic treatment of a landscape feature.
• Sportsfishing basin at America's Cup Harbor, Point Loma, San Diego, for graphics and signage and lighting.
• Tecolote Shores tot lot, Mission Bay Park, San Diego, for planning.
• Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center, Imperial Beach, for architecture, environmental planning an landscape architecture.
• Transitional Housing and Women's Center, Oceanside, for planning.
• Vermont Street bridge, Hillcrest/University Heights, San Diego, for public art and planning.
• East County Square habitat conservation project, Lakeside, for environmental planning.
• Washington Street median, Mission Hills, San Diego, for landscape architecture.

Grand Onion:

Poinsettia Coaster station, Carlsbad, for architecture, disabled accessibility, environmental planning, graphics and signage and landscape architecture.

Onions:

• California Center for the Arts, Escondido, for disabled accessibility: lack of integrated accessibility.
• Gaslamp Quarter sign implementation, San Diego, for graphics and signage, sign regulations.
• Georgia Street bridge, North Park, San Diego, for historic preservation: proposed demolition of a 1914 historic landmark.
• Hillsdale Middle School, El Cajon, for architecture and planning.
• Sidewalk portable toilets for the homeless, San Diego, for planning.
• La Jolla Village Square renovation, San Diego, for graphics and signage and interiors.
• Planet Hollywood, Horton Plaza, San Diego, for architecture, graphics and signage.
• Pink stucco buildings, 2878 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, for architecture.
• San Diego Unified Port district's non-controversial public-art policy, San Diego, for art in public places.
• Maryland Street Senior Housing Renovation, University Heights, San Diego, for lighting and planning.
• Seaside Day Use Park, South Cardiff State Beach, Cardiff, for environmental planning and landscape architecture.

VILLAGE GREEN AWARDS:

For Neighborhood Programs -

• Carlsbad Village Streetscape Project
• Mission Avenue Median Improvements, San Diego, University Heights
• Park Boulevard Streetscape Program, San Diego, University Heights
• Community of Azalea Park

For Neighborhood Landmarks -

• Lemon Grove "Lemon" monument.

For Educational Programs -

• North Park Historic Bungalow Tour Hosted by the ASID Student Chapter of the San Diego Design Institute.
• Neighborhood History Days Hosted by the California Council for the Humanities. Program highlighted San Diego Hillcrest, San Diego Little Italy, and San Ysidro.

FERTILE FIELDS AWARDS FOR PLANNING PROGRAMS

• Mission Bay Park Master Plan Process, San Diego
• Bay-to-Bay Planning Process, city of San Diego
• City of San Diego Livable Neighborhoods Program

SCORCHED EARTH AWARDS FOR PLANNING PROGRAMS

• Dismantling of the San Dieguito River Valley Park Plan
• San Diego Convention Center Expansion Planning and Design Process

Other San Diego Web pages:

• Gaslamp Quarter --"The Historic Heart of San Diego". A short walk from the San Diego Convention Center, fine restaurants, clubs, galleries and shops. Includes a "virtual" tour.....photos and text help you plan your visit to San Diego's downtown area.
• Seaport Village -- Over 50 fine restaurants and shops along San Deigo's sparkling bay. Just a short walk from the San Diego Convention Center.

• Horton Plaza -- 140 stores, restaurants in a 7-level, 6 1/2 city block mall that is a total delight to visit.

For a complete listing of other sources of information on San Diego news, events, restaurants, clubs, shops, hotels, try the latest edition of the HomeTown Free-Press^SM