Client of the Month: Eden Housing

March 28, 2023 / Catherine McCullough

As a non-profit dedicated to creating and sustaining high-quality affordable housing communities that advance equity and opportunity for all, McCullough is thrilled to feature Eden Housing as our Client of the Month.

For a brief history, Eden Housing began in the late 1960s and started out as a volunteer organization in the Bay Area by a group of community activists who were concerned about the lack of accessible, affordable housing. The volunteers would meet at local coffee shops or restaurants and would come together as advocates for a statewide ballot initiative supporting what we now call ‘fair housing.’ Fast forward to today, Eden Housing has developed or acquired nearly 12,000 homes in communities throughout California, currently serving a diverse population of 22,000 low-income residents from all cultures and backgrounds. More than 100,000 people have come home to an Eden community. Eden Housing is celebrating their 55th year anniversary this year.

Eden Housing and McCullough Relationship

In 2019, Eden Housing hired Chris Arthur as Director of Real Estate Development in Southern California. With a focus on expanding their Southern California operations and since he is a lifelong San Diegan, Chris was engaged to open the San Diego development office to build out the portfolio of new construction projects. In this role, he oversees all development projects in Southern California including new construction multifamily developments and senior living communities.

The McCullough/Eden Housing Relationship began soon after Chris joined the team during a ULI trolley tour in San Diego where Chris connected with our Senior Associate, Benjamin Arcia. The two are now working on three exciting projects together.

Chris states,

“I like working with Ben because he has artistic prowess and possesses the strength and vision to create something beautiful. If we tell him we have a certain budget, he can revise without compromising the themes and overall aesthetic concept. He understands that there are different levels of spending but that does not have to detract from the overall feeling. It is very impressive what he comes up with.”

Mulberry Garden Apartments, Riverside, CA

Eden Housing is working with McCullough Landscape Architecture and Dahlin Architecture on Mulberry Garden Apartments in Riverside, CA, which will consist of two phases - senior and family rental apartments, that will be 100% affordable and income restricted to a range of lower-income households.

The project will include 59 units focused on senior households and 150 multifamily units with a mix of one, two, and three bedrooms - all of which would be affordable to extremely low and low-income households. The site is over four acres, leaving a lot of opportunity for expansive site work and landscape design.

To serve residents’ needs, the development will include centrally located community rooms, management offices, mail and parcel rooms, laundry facilities, building maintenance shops, storage, and surface parking. The development also includes common open spaces such as a tot lot for families, BBQ and picnic areas to congregate in, space for a community garden, a bocce ball court, and covered tables for gathering.

73rd Street Apartments, San Diego, CA

The 73rd Street Apartments will be a 120-unit large family development located in San Diego, CA. This project is unique because it is part of the County of San Diego’s initiative to redevelop property they own.

The project will be developed on a single parcel, an approximately 1.26-acre parcel located in the College Area of San Diego, which is about nine miles east of downtown San Diego. The site is conveniently located near retail and transit, while nestled in a predominately single-family neighborhood. Preliminary drawings prepared by TCA Architects plan for a five-story building. Two courtyards will be located on the ground level, each with its own entrance on the east and west openings of the building. The management offices, kitchen, community room, laundry room, and bike storage room will be located on the west end (73rd Street) of the project.

At Eden Housing “Home is just the beginning.” What sets Eden Housing apart is their commitment to the creation of long-term sustainable communities where residents can grow together and live with dignity, regardless of their income level. For 55 years, Eden has been meeting this mission by developing communities where residents can thrive socially and economically while maintaining their sense of community. We look forward to our continued collaboration on delivering these projects to California and expanding the Southern California footprint of affordable housing, because everyone deserves a place to call home, while also engaging with their natural environment.

Melanie Loria
Marketing and Business Development Manager

San Diego Architectural Foundation (SDAF) Shares Legacy Video on David McCullough

Thank you to the San Diego Architectural Foundation and to Maddy MacEkwee, Founder & CEO at The Lighting Element and currently serving on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Architectural Foundation for the wonderful article on David McCullough, Principal Landscape Architect at McCullough.

Read more from Maddy’s article and check out the legacy video below.

“I want to tell you about my good friend David McCullough.
David has contributed an abundance of time and effort to the San Diego Architectural Foundation for the past 16 years, starting way back in 2006! That was when he and Maxine Ward revived the Orchids & Onions Awards by spearheading the purchase of the program from AIA. For the whopping price of one dollar! That one deal instantly made it the largest program in SDAF’s line up of great events.
David also brought PechaKucha (PKN) to San Diego in 2009, – and led this community event for 13 years, most recently as November of 2022. He has done everything from finding amazing presenters and venues, to setting up mics and sound equipment on the night of each event.
As an SDAF leader he has done everything! He sat on the executive committee for multiple years and was Treasurer for many more with a role as Vice President in 2022.
But it isn’t just us. This talented guy also finds time to sit on the Historical Resources Board of San Diego – in fact, he was selected to sit on that BOD and serve as Chair by the Mayor of San Diego and City Council, and advises the City on Historic Sites application and other preservation projects.
And he hasn’t stopped! David is currently working with Margit Whitlock on the SDAF’s special project for the World Design Capital 2024. David and his superstar wife and partner Catherine, own McCullough Landscape Architecture, an award-winning landscape architectural firm, which he founded in 1999.
Honestly, David brightens the room when he walks into it, and his infectious laugh always warms my heart. Please enjoy this Legacy Video, featuring the magnificent, David McCullough.”
By Maddy MacElwee

SDAF Legacy Video for David McCullough

Welcome to the Team, Matt and Ryan!

McCullough is thrilled to welcome Associate, Matthew Belanger, ASLA, and intern, Ryan Khalaf to the team! Matt brings fresh, creative ideas and has designed and managed projects for communities, parks, streetscapes, and retail centers. Ryan is excited to expand his skills for a professional career in urban development. Please join us in welcoming both to the McCullough team!

Matthew Belanger

Matthew’s first experience with landscape architecture occurred when he was about 10 years old. His family moved to a new home in Napa, California. When they moved the backyard was just dirt for the first few months. It was muddy, and he didn’t care. One day a man with a drawing pad and a vision came to visit while he was warping dirt with a basketball. He was a landscape architect, and he would be taking measurements and providing concepts for a new yard and court. He showed his sketches and talked for a short bit about what he does. His ability to transform the yard in a matter of weeks was inspiring. Matthew used that court and yard he designed all throughout Junior High up until when he returned home from the Air Force with his son almost twenty years later.

Matthew found landscape architecture once more after serving three of six years of active duty. He realized it was the perfect profession as it allowed him to be passionate about his art and allowed him to be a visual thinker.

In 2015 while studying landscape architecture at UC Davis, he enjoyed seeing fresh ideas in creativity and being able to share and collaborate with others. In 2016, Matthew studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain. He found it fascinating to see how culture, history, economics, and art all mesh to form what is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. After graduation in 2018, he stayed in the Sacramento area where he learned from skilled and dedicated designers. Working with many cities in the greater Sacramento area, he designed and managed projects for communities, parks, streetscapes, and retail centers.

Read Matt’s full bio here.

Ryan Khalaf

Ryan started his educational career at Orange Coast College (OCC) in the City of Costa Mesa majoring in architecture. He also continued his passion for playing two sports as a student athlete on campus, water polo and swimming. As a proactive student in and out of the classroom, Ryan leads by example, including in sports. Ryan’s experience on the swim team in college exemplifies his drive to overcome challenges and uplift those around him. In 2021 Ryan transferred from OCC to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) where he is currently a senior majoring in Urban Studies and Planning (USP). Ryan is expected to graduate in the Winter Quarter of 2024.

As a student intern at McCullough Landscape Architecture, Ryan plans to expand his skills through professional training to help boost and complement his education and to also prepare him for a professional career in urban development. In the office, Ryan is a self-starter and is a team player within the firm.

Read Ryan’s full bio here.

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A New Vision for International Friendship Park

February 23, 2023 / Catherine McCullough

From east to west, the US/Mexico border runs through river, desert, and mountains before it dives into the waves of the Pacific Ocean. At this junction between two nations and the sea, the land rises gently to a point known as Monument Mesa. This is the site of International Friendship Park, a public space that straddles the border, and for years has allowed people to reconnect with loved ones. If you’d like to get caught up to speed on the history and meaning of the park, there’s a quick slideshow here.

Sadly, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shut down the U.S. side of the park in February 2020. In September 2022, the community organization Friends of Friendship Park set up talks with CBP to discuss a path towards re-opening the park. Our Senior Associate, Benjamin Arcia was a participant in this two-day summit that involved opening a dialogue with federal officials, creating conceptual design studies for a re-envisioned park, and collecting input from local leaders. This is his report on the two-day summit:

Day One: Meet with CBP

Day one’s dialogue started with a presentation by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP officials shared the history of the border barrier and listed the operational requirements they wanted to fulfill by extending the existing eighteen-foot-tall fence to thirty feet, per the design approved by the Trump Administration.

Based on data collected in other border areas where the 30’ fence has been installed, a taller fence means fewer people trying—or succeeding, to get over. In CBP’s eyes, a taller barrier leads to more favorable outcomes. Our team pointed out that there is a proven higher mortality rate associated with the taller wall. People still try to climb, but now they fall from a deadly height. How many deaths justify a lower recorded attempt rate?

In the image below, the current 30’ tall fence stops before reaching the bullring in Tijuana. From this point on, it runs 18’ tall into the ocean. The visual impact of heightening this section would be undeniable. Extending this monolithic barrier to the beach that for decades has been a place for connection would be a symbol of the US turning its back to its neighbors.

Friends of Friendship Park members emphatically opposed increasing the wall height. Instead of negotiating a path towards a re-opened park, CBP was instead fixated on creating a more physical barrier between the two countries. Discussion of the park itself was limited to a few questions about rolling gates and meshes. Frustrated with CBP’s opacity and unwillingness to listen, we came away from the morning’s meeting with two goals:

Promote public opposition to a taller fence.
Envision a new version of Friendship Park that people will rally around.

Multi-disciplinary Brainstorm

After the meeting, our group’s facilitator Robert Lane helped us identify the objectives, policies, programming, and design interventions that we would focus on over the next two days. As a group of mostly designers, we shifted our efforts towards devising design solutions that would advance our key priorities: (1) attract people to the park, and (2) ensure a beautiful, dignified experience while there. We split apart for individual work and reconvened some hours later to share ideas.

Landscape Architect Michelle Landis presented a landscape plan for International Friendship Park. She envisioned the space between the two fences as a series of circles of different sizes. A circular meeting plaza, a circular native garden, and circular clearings for picnics and family gatherings.

The circle motif implies that the people of San Diego and Tijuana are one whole divided by a line. Michelle’s proposal builds on the existing circles of planting and hardscape from the original Friendship Park that survive on the Mexico side.

Architect Jim Brown focused on the connection between the ocean and the proposed, renovated Friendship Park. He designed a path that meanders down from Monument Mesa to the beach. At the beach, Jim envisioned an area for folding chairs for shared relaxation on both sides of the border.

Jim also studied a few alternatives for fencing details that could conform to CBP’s operational requirements while allowing visitors to have meaningful connection through the barrier. What could the experience be like with plexiglass, steel mesh, or movable panels?

Rob Lane proposed a few studies of monumental, elevated platforms that would provide an unobstructed view across the space between the fences. CBP ultimately rejected these ideas, but it was helpful to study some more ambitious schemes to discern the edges of CBP’s comfort zone.

While my teammates focused on the space between the two fences, I decided to study the larger picture. To the north of the federally controlled zone, California State Parks owns and manages the majority of Monument Mesa. The current park amenities are subpar. What if we team up with California State Parks to redevelop the park and bring it to life? With more eyes on the space, more people enjoying it, perhaps we can build pressure on CBP to turn the space between the fences into something that serves the community.

This new vision for Monument Mesa features an event green, a pavilion with views of downtown San Diego, a boardwalk overlooking the dunes, and a peace grove of trees that provide shade and tranquility. This simple layout builds on the existing park in a way that is impactful and sets the stage for visitors to have lifelong memories tied to the space.

Community Feedback

Later that afternoon, we collected feedback from local leaders in design, community organizing, and cross-border issues. We were happy to see that our initial ideas were received positively, and we ended the first day feeling encouraged about the effort that lay ahead.

Day Two: Creating a Vision

Our mission on Day Two was to bring our disparate ideas into one cohesive vision that we could share with Customs and Border Protection. We had a meeting scheduled with them for the afternoon, so the clock was ticking to create sketches, diagrams, and even some renderings in just half a day.

I was grateful for this opportunity to use my modeling and rendering skills to help the cause. In just a few hours, I assembled a loose massing model depicting our design, the border fence, and the surrounding context.

The event green offers wide views of the Coronado Islands and downtown San Diego.

A boardwalk leads us past the Peace Grove to the border monument, erected in the late 1800’s.

Friendship Park is seen here restored, featuring a new walkway that connects it to the sand, shade trees and picnic areas sprinkled throughout, and a re-planted bi-national native garden.

Sharing the Vision

As the afternoon rolled in, so did some of our guests from the previous day. We spoke with representatives from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and San Diego Border Patrol for more than an hour. After presenting our design visions for the new park, our guests also weighed in, explaining the importance of the park and the different ways in which the park has served people on both sides of the border. As our dialogue concluded, CBP expressed a desire to work with us towards a mutually beneficial outcome. They said they were going to collect public input and deliberate towards a solution. Friends of Friendship Park started a letter-writing and signature-collecting campaign.

However, some weeks later they announced that they were indeed going to heighten the fence to 30’. Customs and Border Patrol’s previous enthusiasm for public input did not translate into any substantive change in their plans for the border fence. This was deeply disappointing news, and Friends of Friendship Park is taking the fight to higher levels within the Executive Branch. There is no certain indication of CBP yielding on this issue yet.

Fence height notwithstanding, CBP did confirm that they would eventually allow for Friendship Park to reopen. No timeline, no budget, just the intent to let it exist once again.

So here we are, at the beginning of a new life for International Friendship Park. The path forward is a bit foggy, but optimistic. We have an exciting design vision, we have involvement from some of the region’s top design talent, and Friends of Friendship Park has assembled an alliance of local, state, and federal elected officials that support the effort.

If you’d like to get involved, please start with this petition here, and then click here to stay up to date with the evolving effort. With your help, we will build that park.

Benjamin Arcia, ASLA, M.U.D.
Senior Associate

David McCullough Inducted into San Diego Chapter of Lambda Alpha International

David McCullough pictured with Jon Schmid, President of the San Diego Chapter of LAI at the induction ceremony.

LAI to Leverage McCullough’s Land Use Expertise

David McCullough, ASLA, PLA, has been selected to join the San Diego Chapter of Lambda Alpha International (LAI). Each year, a hand-picked group of professionals who have distinguished themselves in disciplines relating to the use and re-use of land is invited to become members of the land economics organization. A high honor, David McCullough’s invitation to LAI membership reflects his significant impact on San Diego’s built and natural environment.

Daniel Reeves, Past-President of the San Diego Chapter of LAI, states,

“We congratulate David—and all of our inductees in the LAI class of 2023. We’re excited to see how our group dynamic will be enhanced with the addition of these industry experts.”

LAI’s diverse membership provides talent, knowledge, and expertise to leverage for educational programs and discussions. The 2023 class of inductees includes 18 new members, the largest group in the history of LAI’s San Diego Chapter. David and Catherine attended the induction ceremony on Saturday, February 18th.

David McCullough states,

“Being a part of LAI will allow me to both contribute my knowledge and be enriched by the expertise of others. I’m honored to join this elite group of professionals.”

Congratulations to Adam Crowell on his Promotion!

Adam was recently promoted to Associate Landscape Designer and Project Manager. He began at McCullough in 2021 as a Junior Associate. Adam’s role as a landscape designer and project manager is to listen to our clients and translate their vision into public spaces that everyone can enjoy for years to come. He feels the need to help create spaces that leave an impact on people, and he feels fortunate to be part of a collaborative and curious team with such great talent. Taking on this bigger role in project management is something that Adam is excited about because it means he gets to work closer with clients and achieve greater results together. We are so proud of him!

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McCullough Designers Highlight “Best of 2022” Projects

January 19, 2023 / Catherine McCullough

Each year, McCullough landscape and urban designers reflect on the process behind previous year's projects, and dive deeper into what makes each project special. In 2022, our team collaborated on higher education, hospitality, master planning, mixed-use, multifamily projects, and more! We strengthened relationships while forming new connections, overcame challenges, grew our team, and positively impacted communities. Please enjoy hearing from each designer on what makes the past year’s projects the “Best of 2022.”

Seaside Ridge | Del Mar, CA

David McCullough, PLA, ASLA
Principal Landscape Architect

The Seaside Ridge site is arguably the last piece of the developable coastal bluff in Southern California. The six-acre-plus property, due west of the Del Mar Fairgrounds, was originally the home of one lone Victorian residence and it is now in its second reiteration for development. In the last decade, the property owner, in conjunction with the property owners to the north and south, agreed to a collaborative effort to join the three properties and develop a grand resort hotel on the combined sites. This effort, led by a local developer Zephyr Properties took the resort hotel to a public vote in the City of Del Mar. This was deemed necessary due to the current zoning of the property not being compatible with hospitality use. This City of Del Mar measure did not receive the necessary votes and thus the effort for the resort hotel was abandoned. The property owner to the south has since decided to hold the property and an existing residence will, for a time, stay on site. The property owner to the north has since sold to a real estate investment trust that is studying opportunities for this currently vacant parcel. The Seaside Ridge property owner has decided to move forward with this development by right (per the municipal code zoning) with what is planned to be a residential, for rent, both affordable and market rate multi-family housing development.

McCullough has been involved with this property, and previously the properties to the north and south, since the inception of the idea to redevelop this bluff. All proposals to date, including the most recent, have similar goals. But the latest included is to develop the site to provide public access to these prestigious bluffs, stabilize them for resilience moving into a climate unstable era, and enhance their natural beauty. Additionally, McCullough is proud to be a part of this latest development due to the inclusionary aspect of this latest vision. The team, including the property owner, is dedicated to developing something new that everyone (all socio-economic groups) has complete access to and something that contributes to the true beauty of this special place.

The team is led by famed urban designer and frequent McCullough collaborator, Frank Wolden. The goals for development to build for the future are clear and strongly valued within the entire project team. Therefore, I have chosen these latest plans for Seaside Ridge in Del Mar as one of our best for 2022.

Read more about David →

Image Courtesy of Impact Housing

Impact Housing - Multifamily Development | San Diego, CA

Zeek Magallanes, MLA, ASLA
Studio Team Leader

2022 was a year of radical re-adjustment to office life and in-person meetings after an extended stay-at-home experience for so many of us. Work life balance was made easier, however, as employers became comfortable with partially remote schedules and virtual meetings; meetings that have evolved into both engaging and productive affairs among colleagues. For me, a small number of projects exemplify this new condition of productivity, however, one outshines the others for the exceptionally well organized and supportive team environment it has engendered.

McCullough Landscape Architecture has the pleasure of working with the talented team at Impact Housing, a full-service developer on a mission to deliver low and moderate-income housing. Impact Housing’s unique vertically orientated development model takes advantage of in-house expertise to collaboratively lead project consultants toward exceptional designs that reflect the affordability and simple refinement investors and clients have come to reliably expect.

Impact Housing’s new Multifamily Development in the Mission Valley area of San Diego seeks to provide attainable and attractive unsubsidized housing units for low and moderate-income renters. San Diego suffers from a deficit in moderate-income housing and this new project, among others by Impact Housing, intends to fill that void and provide opportunities for that surprisingly underserved community of San Diegans so they too can enjoy equitable housing alongside their low and high-income neighbors.

Led by the focused tenacity of Senior Director of Construction, Michael Douglas, the Impact Housing Team has exhibited a highly consistent, prepared, and informed culture of leadership. The creative, knowledgeable, and tactical management that Andrew Jackson, Manager of Project Design, brings to the project coordination encourages every consultant to bring their best to the table and investigate ways and means to achieve the highest expression of the simplest of concepts. For many designers, boundaries in budget and consistency in design expression are a difficult task. We often find our ideas taking us outside the bounds of the project scope, and by extension, beyond the original vision which tied us all together at the start of the project. Impact Housing’s ability to re-focus the conversation and re-state the original vision keeps the design team moving forward together as a creative and solution-focused unit.

It is a pleasure to work on the new Multifamily Development in Mission Valley with the other sub-consultants under the leadership of Michael, Andrew, and their team. As we move into the new year, we are excited to continue the design process and the realization of a project that does so much good for the San Diego community.

Read more about Zeek →

La Semilla CLimate Resiliency Pilot Project | San Ysidro, CA

Benjamin Arcia, M.U.D., ASLA
Senior Associate

A seed is small, but within it lies the potential to grow a mighty tree that can spread its own seeds far away on the wind.

La Semilla (‘The Seed’) is a Climate Resiliency Park in San Ysidro, California, adjacent to the US/Mexico border.

This project is the brainchild of Casa Familiar, a community-based organization that has fundamentally shaped San Ysidro by serving many needs of the neighborhood’s residents since 1973. The group provides a wide variety of programs, ranging from housing and social services, to arts and culture patronage.

Due to the thousands of vehicles that idle at the international border, San Ysidro suffers from some of the worst air quality in the State of California. This air pollution causes high rates of asthma and other negative health outcomes for residents of the neighborhood.

To begin to address this threat, Casa Familiar’s President Lisa Cuestas engaged Workshop B and McCullough to team up and envision a Climate Resiliency Park, a launch site for a neighborhood-scale environmental justice and climate advocacy movement.

In response to this challenge, we identified five attainable goals to pursue:

Set an ambitious example of how San Ysidro could evolve. Demonstrate what affordable, truly sustainable infill development can look like. Create a local culture of high expectations
Encourage electrification of personal vehicles. Provide electric vehicle charging stations that are powered by on-site photovoltaic panels
Take advantage of an adjacent light-rail station to encourage active transportation (walking, bikes, scooters) as part of a multi-modal and international transportation network
Provide a civic place that will be relevant to the daily rhythms, practical needs, and year-round celebrations of the neighborhood
Bring vibrancy and activity to an adjacent alley, slated to become San Ysidro’s Cultural Corridor

Doubling as a demonstration area for the neighborhood, and as a community connector, the 7,000 SF lot will accommodate two buildings: an event pavilion/program center and small tower to house on-site staff. A high-density permaculture food forest is planned to grow between the two structures.

At the east end of the lot, a grove of trees doubles as an event patio or a car-charging corral.

At the west end, the site steps back to create a small plaza on the alley, anchored by one big tree. This will be a space for small gatherings and create a node of activity on the future Cultural Corridor.

At the base of the small tower, a garage door opens to the alley. This could house a scooter fleet, a bike repair shop, or another use that furthers La Semilla’s mission.

La Semilla is currently in schematic design. This project is my favorite of 2022, as it is complex, ambitious, and resonates with me emotionally.

Read more about Benjamin →

yuba city apartments | yuba city, CA

Maha Balachandran, Int’l ASLA
Senior Associate

“Design always a has a story.” This is the principle that brought the team – Texas Valley Holdings, DBRDS and McCullough together to design the apartments in Yuba City.

Yuba City is layered with mining, agricultural history, and natural beauty. This distinctive geographical setting where the site resides cannot go unnoticed.

The modern barndominum-style architecture posed a challenge, “Can we create a soft transition of the urban/rural edge by appropriate landscape?”

Contextual storytelling

From the initial discussion, the design intent was to establish the inherent connection that celebrates the ethos of the existing site while transforming into the future. In response to this, the site is designed as a combination of modern aesthetic with undertones of the rural landscape.

McCullough’s design is influenced by the context of the site and depicted through the aesthetics of the materiality and plant selection. To highlight the entry of the site, landscape design proposed to capitalize existing industrial equipment, thereby creating an iconic arrival. The vision of site amenities and furnishings is proposed to be designed with restored natural materials.

This approach positively renews the decaying elements rather than being a blight.

The landscape mimics farmed wetlands through walkways and outdoor gathering spaces while landscape clearly buffers the edges for outdoor activities. The parking areas are softened by rows of trees along the buildings. Multiple pockets of social spaces between the buildings dramatically contrast with the orthogonal nature of the main programmed amenity space/pool area near the leasing office. This increases the opportunities for residents to interact.

Aligned with the city’s mandate for a 20% Conservation Goal, the plant material is selected from these three distinctive categories:

California Natives - plants that thrive in the climate and soil conditions
Wildlife Attracting - water-wise plants that support native birds and insects
Low-Maintenance Gardens - hardy and reliable plants that require minimal maintenance

Yuba City Apartments is currently in entitlement phase. Moving into 2023, we are thrilled to continue to further this design and see this story transform into reality. This was an excellent example of a 2022 project that resonated with me because it allowed me to redefine the boundaries of design.

Read more about Maha →

Park & Broadway Mixed-Use Residential | San Diego, CA

Johanna Mall, ASLA
Associate

The year 2022 brought good opportunities to focus on how design can impact communities.

After being on hold during the pandemic, Park & Broadway is back in full swing and moving forward with permitting and documentation as an innovative new lush and luxurious high rise in downtown San Diego.

Picking up steam in early 2022, Park & Broadway is a collaboration between the client, Liberty National, RDC as architect, McCullough Landscape Architecture, and a variety of other disciplines. Located in East Village at the intersection of Park Boulevard and Broadway, this proposed mixed residential building is located across from the City College MTS station and in walking proximity to the Gaslamp District and Balboa Park.

Design-Centric Approach

Park & Broadway is the first phase of a master plan for the project’s site block. The high rise is designed as a series of connected residential levels and amenity spaces where vertical movement is celebrated architecturally through the incorporation of exterior stairwells and walking paths.

From a landscape perspective, this project is unique because the client and architect leaned heavily on McCullough from the beginning of the design process to integrate nature into the architecture and experience of the building. RDC and Liberty National have been very open to exploring alternative approaches to amenity spaces and luxury downtown.

Spear headed by David McCullough and Andrew Schlesinger, Park and Broadway stands out as an incredible example with outcomes of collaborative design-centric thinking.

Emotional resonance of a value proposition

The client realizes that true luxury or rich experiences come from the integration of healthy living and strong connections to nature and community. This emerging style of lush luxury is enigmatic in the San Diego lifestyle in 2023. As a team, we have identified our driving design concepts early and stayed committed to integrating these principles throughout the ebbs and flows of the project’s various phases.

Instead of pool decks clad in palm trees and sleek furniture, this project challenged our team to dig deeper, creating a plant palette and material selections connecting the building’s pool experience and amenity moments to the more extraordinary native landscape of San Diego County. Riffing off the vertical connections of the building as defined by the architecture team, the project’s planting design creates distinct palettes related to the vertical elevation of high and low ecotones in San Diego. Lower plants at ground level relate to San Diego’s canyons, while the amenity deck’s planting evokes higher altitude plants of the Cuyamaca Mountains east of the city.

McCullough is thrilled to continue our efforts on Park & Broadway and other similar Liberty National projects in downtown San Diego. We are invested in the success of these designs as vanguards for a new style of luxury living for San Diegans, a style that celebrates wellness and connection - to people, plants, and climate - which make our city special.

Read more about Johanna →

Gravity Heights Brewery and Restaurant - Mission Valley | San Diego, CA

Andrew Schlesinger, ASLA
Associate

Building on the successes of McCullough’s previous project, Gravity Heights Sorrento Valley, the latest project to emerge from Whisknladle Hospitality is a new location of the popular restaurant in Mission Valley. This hospitality group has the simple mission of celebrating good food, good beer, and great people.

Expanding on the bohemian Tulum-inspired vibes of Gravity Heights Sorrento Valley, this project looks to dial in the often-generalized aesthetic of beer gardens to reflect the modern styles of Southern California. Gravity Heights Mission Valley makes the most of San Diego’s climate with a strong indoor-outdoor experience. The outdoor space provides a variety of flexible seating opportunities arranged around a main lawn. The landscape is plant-centric and eclectic, ditching the all native theme for climate-tolerant plants from Mexico, the Mediterranean, and elsewhere. This collective palette of motley plants makes for a looser and more inclusive look and feel, reflective of the many cultural influences shaping design and style in Southern California today.

When Gravity Heights Mission Valley opens later in 2023, guests will be able to choose to sit around fire pits, in cozy Acapulco chairs, or around the table as they sip the brewery’s crisp + bright, hoppy + dank, or dark + roasty brews while chowing down on munchies, pizzas, burgers and sandwiches and other fare. The backdrop of dining will be the lush patio landscape chock full of coast live oaks, fence post cactus, and smooth aloes. Tailoring the palette to fit with Gravity Height’s branding, an additional layer of orange flowering native shrubs and perennials is also incorporated into the landscape including California poppy, orange agastache, and monkey flower.

Gravity Heights Mission Valley has been a blast to work on this past year. This is my favorite project because the client and team are really open to developing a truly unique brewery for the community. From the client who wanted to craft a personal landscape style as the foundation and backdrop for their expanding business, to the architectural team at PGAL who embraced our ideas for an indoor-outdoor dining experience, we love how this project has come together. McCullough is proud to help make Whisknladle Hospitality’s design visions come to life. We have no doubt that the communities of Mission Valley and Greater San Diego will love this new brewery and will make the outdoor space their own – as an iconic community hangout for years to come.

Keep an eye out for Gravity Heights Mission Valley when it opens along Camino De La Reina near Metro Mission Valley Apartment Complex and the 163 highway underpass. Cheers to enjoying the design as much as we do!

Read more about Andrew →

La Mesa Village Mixed-Use Residential | La Mesa, CA

Adam Crowell, ASLA
Associate

One project that has my heart is La Mesa Village, a five-story mixed-use construction that will sit on the corner of Allison and Palm. Being so close to the downtown area of La Mesa, this project offers so much for the community and will be a precedent for future development of the area. La Mesa Village is currently in the Design Development phase and all hands are on deck with such an amazing collaborative design effort between McCullough and Stephen Dalton Architects.

La Mesa Village will have 64 units with about 13% being dedicated to low-income housing. There will be 2,377 square feet of commercial space at the street level with an activated plaza on the corner of Allison and Palm. One initial challenge in the early concept phase was to figure out how we wanted to approach the existing storm water management swale that is currently present at that corner. We have since integrated it into the design with seating that flanks both edges and a wooden pedestrian bridge that brings you over so people can access the proposed plaza. The building will also have two very nice amenity spaces incorporated into the design. There will be a second-floor courtyard, as well as a top-level amenity deck. The courtyard will feel like a secluded space that takes residents away from the town and offers both socialization and relaxation. Some of the design elements that people can enjoy here are the open grass space, plenty of seating, and BBQ grills for entertainment. The top-level will continue that theme of socializing and relaxing with a place to lounge by a fire, or more spots to engage in conversation. The views from this amenity deck will be unmatched as La Mesa Village will be one of the first structures of this size for the area, giving users of the space incredible sights to look out at.

We are excited to see this project move forward, as it truly does offer a lot for the community. Not only will the addition of more commercial space and the plaza help activate the community, but it will also connect more people with the downtown area of La Mesa. Hopefully, more developments that are local to the City of La Mesa will follow in La Mesa Village’s footsteps and provide similar opportunities for the residents of La Mesa.

Read more about Adam →

Epoca Experience Center | San Diego, CA

Sophia Rumpf, ASLA
Junior Associate

It was exciting to take part in The Epoca Experience Center. Unlike most projects where they are assumed to last forever, ColRich came to us with the desire to create a park designed with the intention of existing for only a temporary period: 10 years to be exact. During this time frame, surrounding development is planned to expand and eventually envelop the park’s footprint. The defining challenge for our team was then to create a unique space that could host a variety of experiences for current tenants while that development was in process. The defining factors in our decision making included minimizing the use of built forms, paved surfaces, or other expensive, long-standing, and therefore wasteful features. We were enthusiastic about the concept of this temporary park from the beginning because at McCullough we believe in the importance of functional and enjoyable outdoor space in proximity to home, whether that space holds permanence or not.

In generating our concept for Epoca, we capitalized on the opportunity to play upon the interpretive and discoverable nature of an “unfinished” aesthetic. For example, we had the clever idea of proposing all trees remain “planted” in their boxes above ground to serve as a design feature while leaving the the possibility open for potential repurposing. We also selected furniture and sculptural elements with dual functionality in mind – hoping to influence safe and interpretive play in a nature inspired environment. Solar powered lighting became both a sustainable and useful solution to our electrical challenge as the site was not yet wired with electric circuiting. With its rather enclosed design, it became possible to have a safe and comfortable evening use of the park’s sports fields and meandering walkways.

We are excited to see the Epoca Temporary Amenity Park come to fruition and hope that it inspires surrounding developers to follow suit in prioritizing the basic need for access to enjoyable outdoor space in the current day, even if they serve a temporary purpose in the greater master plan.

Read more about Sophia→

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Happy Holidays!

December 19, 2022 / Catherine McCullough

As the year comes to a close, we want to thank our clients, teams, and friends for their support throughout this past year. We had one of the best years yet, and can't wait to see how our teams and projects evolve in 2023. We wish you a safe holiday and hope your season is filled with joy!

*Please note, our offices we will be closed from December 23rd through January 2nd for the Holidays.

Pinnacle at Millenia & Poway Commons

Vibrant Communities + Lasting Relationships

The McCullough office began working with the Corky McMillin Company in the early 2000’s on endeavors they had going on around San Diego County. These endeavors included various developments in the community of Otay Mesa in Chula Vista, to most recent elements at Liberty Station in the Point Loma community of San Diego. Since, The Corky McMillin Company has splintered off with several company executives creating a new entity called Meridian Development. Over the years, McCullough has developed a vibrant working relationship with founders Guy Asaro, Todd Galarneau, Rey Ross, and Sean Cogswell. This relationship has led to McCullough’s involvement starting in 2013 at this team’s first focus in Chula Vista, Millenia. Introduced to San Diego in various contexts: “San Diego’s next iconic urban village”…”The new center of South County”… “a unique mixed-use hub that embodies the new shift towards lifestyle-centric living”... “a blend of activities, ages, and all the perks of a thriving community, intelligently designed into 80 walkable city blocks — all about the size of downtown San Diego.”

What’s next for Millenia?

The community is now reaching build out and McCullough is honored to have been an instrumental part of helping shape the community. Starting with mixed market, for-sale townhome developments called Evo, Metro, and Trio. This led to a working relationship with the affordable housing developer, Chelsea Investment Group, on the first affordable housing components in the community, Volta & Duetta (family and senior housing respectively). With McCullough’s assistance, Meridian developed their next mid-market component called Pinnacle at Millenia. Today, that relationship has expanded to Meridian’s final sub-division for the neighborhood called “North Lot 16”. Presently, EVO, Metro, and Trio are sold out and Pinnacle has recently entered the market.

Pinnacle at Millenia pictured below:

Poway Commons

A winning bid to a request for proposal for the City of Poway allows McCullough to strengthen this relationship with Meridian with a multiple block component in their urban core. Now called “Poway Commons” this neighborhood includes market rate and affordable (senior) housing, retail, and a community corner/gateway park. The Poway Commons is an important infill community in what was once a struggling portion of the downtown Poway core. The properties are near the Poway City Hall, directly adjacent to Rattle Snake Creek and a large central park, and across the street from the Poway Branch Library. As with Millennia, McCullough is honored to have been an important part of this community and the economic advancement of downtown Poway.

Appreciation for Client Relationships

McCullough believes in building lasting relationships with the people we work with. Over the years, the McCullough office has grown to appreciate and respect the Meridian Development team. We appreciate the opportunity to grow with them, to understand their needs and the forces that shape their communities. We believe that building these long-term relationships is the best way to achieve success for everyone in the important mixed communities. Our clients, our internal team, and the communities we work in ultimately benefit from this approach. As the Meridian properties quickly sell out, this leads to vibrant communities early on. Reflecting on this, the passionate and dedicated ideation over the years, and sometimes difficult and complex work it all has started making sense, it brings our team gratitude for having the opportunity, and we are looking forward to what opportunities may come as a result.

David McCullough, ASLA, PLA
Principal Landscape Architect

Welcome to the Team, Jiayao Tang!

McCullough is excited to announce that Jiayao Tang, ASLA is our newest Junior Associate. Growing up in China, Jiayao’s landscape design journey began when she decided to study abroad in the United States when she was 17. Jiayao started her Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture at West Virginia University in 2013. After, she continued her education and began graduate studies at Pennsylvania State University in 2017 where she earned her master’s degree in landscape architecture. With interest in ecology and urban systems, her graduate school studies were more focused on interaction between people and ecosystems, such as how stormwater could educate different people to understand the water systems in nature.

Since receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degree in landscape architecture, Jiayao has been working on landscape projects in the San Francisco Bay Area and Shanghai of varying types and scales, including municipal gardens, residential, commercial, and public parks.

She joined McCullough’s talented team in November 2022 as a Junior Associate. Jiayao is excited because “McCullough is a place where she can explore and learn a lot from everyone and their unique skills.”

Jiayao is excellent at hand drawings and sketches, and she believes in the importance of beautiful and understandable drawings to quickly communicate design and ideas. When out of the office, Jiayao likes to go hiking, paint, and scuba dive.

We couldn’t be happier to have Jiayao on board. In the past month she has been at McCullough, she has already brought fresh ideas, and outstanding work.

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Client of the Month: The Michaels Organization

November 22, 2022 / Catherine McCullough

McCullough is excited to feature The Michaels Organization as our November Client of the Month. Since 1973, The Michaels Organization has been creating a legacy that can be summed up in one powerful phrase, “The world is a better place to live where we build and manage it.” Based in Camden NJ, and now in 37 states across the US, Michaels houses over 175,000 residences across the U.S. They own and manage 440 affordable living communities and have about $2 billion worth of projects in the pipeline. Most of their portfolio is affordable housing as well as student, military, and market rate. With 2,300 employees now, the organization continues to grow.

We sat down with Abbie Hawkins, Director of Development, to learn about her role, the impact The Michaels Organization is having on the community, and the projects and programs she is most looking forward to being involved in.

Abbie joined Michaels in July of 2022. Their commitment to provide housing in San Diego caught her attention immediately. She had been seeing them pop up all over the place in the San Diego area and fell in love with their company values and culture. For Michaels, it’s all about what they do and the people they do it for.

“My passion is providing housing and the impact it has to lift lives,” which is the company motto. “It’s about more than just providing essential housing, it’s about how that housing allows people onto the next phase of their life, and creates a stronger community, which is really cool for me.”

— Abbie Hawkins, Director of Development

Photo Courtesy of the Michaels Organization

Creating Thriving Communities for Everyone

What sets Michaels apart has to do with looking at the larger picture. This is about embracing and leveraging their individual differences to the benefit of their teammates, business, and the communities they serve. One of the major pillars of the organization is creating a platform to help people move on to the next stage of their life - one aspect of that is giving scholarships to employees - to date they have given out over $11 million in scholarships. Not only does the organization encourage employees to pursue continuing education and learning opportunities to grow, but they have support over the residents of their properties as well. Michaels was the first affordable housing company in the industry to offer impact-driven programming to foster resident empowerment.

Today, they are partnered with Better Tomorrows, a nonprofit organization within the affordable housing developments that Michaels serves, and provides impactful community programming to low-income adults, seniors, children, and youth. Michaels has also partnered with Mastery High School of Camden, New Jersey and they welcome students for a 18-week internship program.

“This company is so unique and different from the typical development firm, every week there is a new way headquarters is getting people involved,” says Abbie.

Looking Ahead

Abbie’s focus has been on workforce housing and student housing. But it doesn't stop there, the Company recently combined all development departments into one collaborative group, where they are focused on P3 ventures, partnering with schools, both non-profit and for-profit, and government entities. Now that its all under one roof, they are looking at everything from affordable to military to market rate housing.

One exciting upcoming project will be in the middle of downtown San Diego. This project will deliver over 1,000 units in two 40 story towers - one not really being done around town. This project was won in an RFP process through the State of California’s Department of General Services in an Executive Order to create housing. It is exactly what the community needs, producing middle income housing, that has been left out of the market and will target workforce households, earning between 79% to 120% AMI in one tower and 20% affordable units with market rate units in the second tower.

Surrounding the conversation around Complete Communities, McCullough is looking forward to working with The Michaels Organization on an upcoming project located at 6010 El Cajon Blvd, which will be 236-unit project being processed under Complete Communities. This will be wonderful for that particular community and will provide necessary inclusionary housing for students and residents in the area. We are looking forward to sharing more as the project continues.

6010 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA

There is a lot to look forward to in the pipeline for The Michaels Organization and the opportunity to bring relief with essential housing for the City of San Diego and our community. The current housing crisis doesn’t show any sign of slowing and The Michaels Organization is working hard with local stakeholders to ease the housing needs. Although McCullough’s relationship is just beginning, we are looking forward to the many opportunities to work together to solve cities' housing needs, and deliver beautiful spaces where residents can thrive, grow, and live fully.

Melanie Loria
Marketing + Business Development Manager

Catherine McCullough Recognized as Finalist at Business Women of the Year Awards

The McCullough team is proud to announce that Catherine was nominated and among the finalists for the 2022 Business Women Of The Year Awards by the San Diego Business Journal (SDBJ). SDBJ recognizes dynamic women business leaders who have contributed significantly to San Diego’s workplaces and communities. David McCullough, PLA, ASLA and Catherine McCullough, FSMPS, CPSM attended the awards event on Tuesday, November 15. It was an inspiring afternoon of celebrating the accomplishments and impact so many women have made on businesses in San Diego.

Catherine and David at the Awards Ceremony, November 15,2022

Nominated by Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) San Diego, Catherine has been a prominent business leader in San Diego and beyond for several years. In 2001, she joined McCullough Landscape Architecture with partner, David McCullough, and became the Chief Executive Officer and President in 2002. The firm then became a woman-owned corporation and Small Business Enterprise (SBE). Catherine is a mentor and inspiration to several other women in the industry by being recognized as a Fellow of The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and serving as past president, as well as a national board member and regional conference leader. In addition to serving on the Marketing and Programs Committees for CREW and mentoring others within the organization, she is continuously sharing and contributing her in-depth knowledge and expertise with others in the Commercial Real Estate industry. Outside the office, she has spent many years volunteering at her children’s schools over the years and continues to volunteer in her North Park neighborhood by planning events and coordinating a historic streetlight district, all while running a successful landscape architecture business.

We want to also say congratulations to Mary Walshok for receiving this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and to all the other incredible women recognized in the following categories: Rising Star, Nonprofit, Small Company, Medium Company, and Large Company. According to Catherine, Mary’s key takeaways to everyone shared during her acceptance speech contained the “Seven Cs” – Complexity, Connectivity, Competency, Change, Chaos, Confidence, and Celebrations. All items women should embrace with grace and tenacity. Additionally, Mary provided a quote to remember,

“Girls compete with each other. Women empower each other.”

— Mary Walshok

Catherine and David McCullough with past president of CREW San Diego, Bree Wong, and Lucas Mallory, both of PCL Construction

Catherine with fellow CREW San Diego 2023 Board of Directors member and Business Women of the Year winner in the Large Company category, Alexis Volen of CIRE Equity - CONGRATULATIONS, ALEXIS!

We couldn’t be prouder of this honor for our leader to be among the many inspiring finalists from the San Diego Business Journal Business Women of the Year awards.

Melanie Loria
Marketing + Business Development Manager

Happy Thanksgiving!

We would like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. For McCullough, it is all about gratitude. We are thankful for the amazing community, clients and projects that have shaped our practice and our lives. The places we work in and design for, and the people we do it with. We are so thankful for the friendship and support of so many clients, family, and friends.

We have been humbled by the trust you have placed in our firm, and we are grateful to be able to celebrate with you this holiday season. In addition to all of you, we would also like to acknowledge our hardworking staff. We could not do what we do without them! As landscape designers, we get to create meaningful and thoughtful spaces that are both functional and great places to spend time with friends and family.

May the day find you and yours healthy, happy, and safe!

*Please note, our offices we will be closed November 24th and 25th.

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