Kevin Kappes: one intelligent 11 yr old

June 17, 2013 by dbrds

In April the San Diego Architectural Foundation was contacted by a gentleman named Steve Kappes regarding his 11 year old son Kevin’s interest in architecture. The enthusiastic father reached out to SDAF to obtain some guidance on how to enhance Kevin’s knowledge of the profession & to see if there were any local programs that Kevin could participate in. Luckily for Steve, SDAF Executive Director Leslee Schaffer responded to his request informing him of the upcoming La Jolla Historical Society‘s Young […]

Categories: design, education • Tags: Architecture, DBRDS, Design, education, La Jolla Historical Society, San Diego Architectural Foundation

2013 ORCHIDS & ONIONS: NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!

May 22, 2013 by dbrds

Categories: media • Tags: Architecture, Balboa Park, DBRDS, Historical, Interior design, Landscape, nominations, Onions, Orchids, Sam Zien, San Diego Architectural Foundation, San Diego Museum of Art, SDAF, Sustainable

AFC? not with this attitude

May 2, 2013 by dbrds

In case you missed it, former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders was on NBC San Diego’s ‘Politically Speaking’ segment last saturday afternoon with Gene Cubbison. While the segment itself was fine, there was one particular quote that had us here at DBRDS scratching our heads thinking ‘did he just say that, so care-free, like there is just nothing we can do about it’? Its not so much what the former Mayor said, we deal with it everyday in our profession, […]

Categories: media • Tags: California, community, DBRDS, Jerry Sanders, leaders, Mayor, NBC San Diego, San Diego

102 el cortez

April 26, 2013 by dbrds

Mavrix Equity Vice President & Co-founder Erin Wicomb came to DBRDS in 2011 with an opportunity to help him redesign a 1,000sqft+, 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom New York style loft that he had recently purchased in the Historic El Cortez building of downtown San Diego. The existing space was rather bare & predictable. The original beige kitchen cabinetry remained with the dated white appliance package. Oversized air conditioning ducts running through the space with no consideration of placement, while a highlight […]

Categories: design, photography • Tags: California, Darren Bradley, DBRDS, Design, Downtown San Diego, Equity, Erin Wicomb, Historic El Cortez, Loft, Mavrix, New York Style Loft, San Diego, Space

idea: reclaim balboa 2015

April 12, 2013 by dbrds

Over the past 12 months I have invited a solid group of local designers into the DBRDS office for random Friday afternoon design dialogs. For full disclosure, I often entice this group of very busy designers into the our studio by offering a ‘tasting of sorts’, sometimes with beer, other times with whiskey, & so on. Either way, my intent is always to spark an interesting dialog for ideas in San Diego. What generally happens is we all get fired […]

Categories: design • Tags: Balboa Park, Balboa Stadium, Craig Howard, David McCullough, DBRDS, Design, El Prado, Howard Blackson, James Brown, Master Plan, Plaza de Panama, San Diego, TEDxAFC, United States, UrbDeZine, Vicki Estrada

ENR California: Top 20 Under 40

April 2, 2013 by dbrds

In late 2012, I was invited to be a judge for ENR’s California sector of ‘Top 20 Under 40′ awards. With three rounds of voting, we collectively reduced the overwhelming group of entries down to the Top 20. The awards ceremony is set for later in the year, however you can read all about the 2013 honorees at the ENR website here.

Categories: construction, design, media • Tags: Arup, Atkins, Awards, California, DBRDS, ENR, Gary MIller, Leah Hislop, Marylou Flanders, Pauly De Bartolo, RBF Consulting, Top 20 Under 40

503 el cortez

March 27, 2013 by dbrds

Sasha Favelukis (Partner of Sequoian Hard Money Lenders) came to DBRDS in late 2012 with a project in the Historic El Cortez building in downtown San Diego. Sasha had recently purchased a 600+sqft 1 bedroom + 1 bathroom condominium located on the north-west corner of the building on the 5th floor. With fantastic views across downtown towards the San Diego bay & an overwhelming ‘beige on beige’ existing color scheme we set about measuring the space for the redesign – […]

Categories: construction, design, furniture, photography • Tags: 503, Bing Crosby, Darren Bradley, DBRDS, Design, Downtown San Diego, Dwight D. Eisenhower, El Cortez, Elvis Presley, Gerald Ford, Heather Eves, Hold It Home, interior, Ivan Rimanic, Lyndon B. Johnson, modern, Pacific Design & Construction, Pacific Drapery, Pauly De Bartolo, San Diego, Sasha Favelukis, Sequoian, Urban Lighting

La Jolla Historical Society – Young Architects Summer Camp

March 26, 2013 by dbrds

For the second year running, the La Jolla Historical Society is hosting its ‘Young Architect’s Summer Camp’ in July 2013. Continuing her leadership role is local Architect Laura DuCharme-Conboy (who also sits on the Advisory Board for the NewSchool of Architecture & Design) joined by Pauly from DBRDS. The Summer Camp starts the week of July 15-19 for Middle School students, following into the week of July 22-26 for High School students. Activities will include hand sketching (1-point & 2-point), […]

Categories: construction, design, photography • Tags: Camps, DBRDS, Google Sketchup, High School, La Jolla, La Jolla Historical Society, Laura DuCharme-Conboy, Middle School, NSAD, Pauly De Bartolo, San Diego, SDAF, Summer Camp

Beneath The Moon II: Journey Through The City

March 11, 2013 by dbrds

In case you didn’t know, the San Diego Museum of Art (recently partners with the San Diego Architectural Foundation for the recent ‘Let’s Talk About Building Together’ talk) is currently hosting an exhibit called ‘Beneath the Moon II: Journey Through The City’, an interactive sculptural art piece by Miquel Navarro, originally commissioned by the Center Pompidou in Paris, France. Fun for kiddies & adults alike to place with elements of the built environment…go check it out!

Categories: design • Tags: California, DBRDS, France, Paris, San Diego, San Diego Museum of Art, SDAF, United States

not your average site measure: a Cliff May designed house, La Jolla CA

March 4, 2013 by dbrds

Since opening our office some 5 years ago, we have measured over 100 houses & condos all over San Diego. Sometimes simply to document the ‘as-built’ floor plan for sales & marketing, sometimes to analyze the development potential providing clients with multiple options for any additions & alterations in preparation for permit approvals. Unfortunately, the majority of the housing stock we have measured is of extremely poor design & construction quality. In most cases, the houses are nothing more stucco boxes with […]

Categories: design, photography • Tags: Cliff May, DBRDS, Doug Kramer, La Jolla, site measure, Southern California