studio e architects, san diego
Michael Graves may design toasters, but Studio E Architects is right on his heels. The firm has designed what it refers to as a “toaster cover” for the parking garage at PETCO Park, the home of baseball's San Diego Padres. The cover will come in the form of an L-shaped multifamily building slated for completion this fall. “The garage, which we also designed, has two very elaborate facades,” says Eric Naslund, a Studio E principal and the project's architect. “The city redevelopment agency wanted to completely mask the other two sides.”
In response to varying site conditions, Naslund designed two very different unit types. The 24-foot-deep north end of the building features double-level stacked townhomes, a strategy that reduces the required amount of common circulation space. On the 60-foot-deep western facade, high-ceilinged lofts take advantage of ample sunlight and ballpark views. Storefront windows and corrugated metal siding complement the cast-in-place concrete structure, and ground-floor retail spaces enhance the project's lively connection to the street. “There's not one gratuitous plan gesture,” remarked a judge. “It yields a rich, dynamic facade.”
principal in charge / project architect: Eric Naslund, FAIA, Studio E Architects
architect of record: Martinez + Cutri Corp., San Diego
developer: Citymark, San Diego
general contractor: Turner Construction, San Diego
landscape architect: Deneen Powell Atelier, San Diego
interior designer: Megan Bryan Interiors, La Jolla, Calif.
project size: 727 to 1,335 square feet per unit
site size: 0.4 acre
construction cost: $150 per square foot
sales price: approximately $300,000 to $800,000
units in project: 77
