McCullough Projects Nominated for SDAF Orchids & Onions Awards
We’re excited to share that Five50West and Topaz Student Housing have been nominated in the Landscape Architecture category for the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Orchids & Onions Awards! These nominations celebrate projects that make San Diego a better place to live, highlighting thoughtful design, community impact, and vibrant public spaces.
Five50West – Downtown Transformation
Located in the heart of downtown San Diego, Five50West underwent a three-phase exterior and interior renovation that revitalized both tenant amenities and the surrounding streetscape. The project enhanced pedestrian safety, upgraded the entry plaza with smart technology for outdoor meetings, and introduced a café to activate the space.
By addressing prior challenges in the public right-of-way—like improperly planted trees that created trip hazards—Five50West now features healthy, vibrant street trees and movable raised planters that buffer the plaza from the nearby trolley line. Material choices reflect the urban character of downtown with durable, elegant finishes, while thoughtful planting and seating design create a welcoming and functional space. The transformed plaza encourages social interaction, supports sustainability, and exemplifies thoughtful placemaking that contributes to civic pride and a vibrant downtown.
Topaz Student Housing – A New Urban Hub
Topaz is a ground-up, mixed-use student housing development serving SDSU students, featuring 53 units and 169 beds along with street-level retail and restaurants. Located just two blocks from a trolley station, Topaz promotes urban living and a car-free lifestyle.
McCullough’s landscape design creates a unique public realm inspired by San Diego’s canyons and coastal vistas. Rich paving textures, native plantings, site furnishings, and integrated public art enhance the pedestrian experience. Grand stairs lead to second-floor amenities framed by custom raised planters, while shaded third-floor common areas offer students spaces to gather, relax, and engage with street life below.
Sustainability is central to the design, with an innovative stormwater management system that captures and treats rooftop runoff before it enters the city system. By transforming the former site of a McDonald’s drive-through, Topaz thoughtfully integrates updated retail while enhancing neighborhood walkability, livability, and urban character.
Both Five50West and Topaz Student Housing exemplify McCullough’s commitment to thoughtful landscape design that enriches communities and shapes San Diego’s vibrant public realm. We’re honored to be recognized in the Orchids & Onions Awards and celebrate these projects that bring meaningful, lasting impact to the city we call home.