703 16th Street, Suite 100 San Diego, California 92101
P (619) 296-3150 F (619) 501-7725
We spent the day with Mahalakshmi Balachandran, our Senior Associate in our Northern California studio, for a behind-the-scenes look at life in our Oakland office, now open for two years! From what drew her to the space to what fuels her creativity, Maha shares what it's like working in the Bay Area. Check out the video for the walkthrough and Q&A!
Read more about Maha here.
David McCullough, McCullough Landscape Architecture; Mark Donahue, Lowney Architecture; Vincent Polhemus, Clark Pacific; Brian Pratt, University of California, Irvine (UCI); Kevin Conn, California State University, Northridge
David McCullough, ASLA, PLA
McCullough was proud to take part in Bisnow’s Student Housing & Higher Education Summit in Los Angeles, where AEC leaders, designers, and developers came together to explore the future of campus life. The event brought urgent conversations to the forefront, centered around affordability, wellness, innovation, and the design strategies that support today’s evolving student experience.
David McCullough, ASLA, PLA, served as the moderator during Focusing on the Student Experience & Reimagining Student Living Through Development & Design, which highlighted everything from modular construction and electrification to public space design, safety, and student mental health. Also in attendance were Catherine McCullough, FSMPS, CPSM, and Associate Tianchi Zhang, representing McCullough’s continued commitment to shaping higher education environments that are inclusive, engaging, and resilient.
In the lead-up to the event, Bisnow featured David in a Speaker Spotlight article written by John Krukowski, which dives deeper into the challenges and design trends impacting student housing today.
Topaz Mixed-Use Student Housing
David discusses the shift toward mixed-use, campus-as-community environments and how landscape architects are rethinking safety and comfort through CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles, microclimate strategies, and social space planning.
“What’s cool is they are turning their campuses into mini-downtowns,” David said in the article. “Everything is right there, so the students no longer need to leave campus to go grocery shopping, for example. There's a lot of social interaction because all the students are hanging out at these third places and getting to know each other.”
Read the full article here: Bisnow Speaker Spotlight: David McCullough
As student housing continues to evolve, we remain focused on designing landscapes that support learning, living, and well-being. Events like these are a reminder that thoughtful design can be a powerful tool in shaping a more connected and compassionate campus experience.
Zeek Magallanes, MLA, ASLA
Studio Team Leader, Project Manager
The 550 West C Street project was a three-phase exterior and interior renovation located in the heart of downtown San Diego. The project aimed to upgrade the interior amenity offerings for tenants, enhance the streetscape for pedestrian safety, as well as enhance the entry plaza to provide smart technology space for outdoor meetings and a small café to activate the location for tenants.
At the start of the project our client, Cushman & Wakefield, assessed its surrounding sidewalk condition and determined that the uplift had been caused by existing mature trees that had not been planted properly. The improper design had created a safety hazard to those passing by not paying attention—causing multiple trip incidents. These issues highlighted the importance of bringing new design thinking to the much-needed public right-of-way renovation. In addition to the right-of-way trip hazards, the large entry plaza at the front of the property aged considerably and had become a space that was rarely used by its tenants, not reflecting the original vision for the space.
Our creative endeavor in the project was in collaboration with Gensler, specifically under the direction of Chris Bord and Matthew Bourne. Under Gensler’s direction, our design team explored several design iterations, engaged the client on a regular basis, and found a solution that aligned with the client’s vision and budget. At McCullough, our mission is to infuse grit, soul, and style into every project, principles that guided the transformation of this plaza.
Through careful selection of materials, we sought to express the site’s “grit” by reflecting its downtown urban context through durability, simplicity, and longevity. The ‘soul’ of the project stemmed from the client’s desire to ensure the pedestrian zone around the building would be inviting and safe for everyone—those coming and going, as well as community members simply passing by. It also involved reactivating the empty plaza, which serves as the first impression for anyone entering the building. Finally, the ‘style’ of the project was essential to align with the client’s overall aesthetic: refined, classic, clean, and professional.
Early in the construction phase, representation of the property changed over to JLL, and was led by Aljon Medina, Project Manager, San Diego Market. JLL’s ability to acquire strategically placed and high value assets was on full display during the project build-out. Every phase of the implementation was curated and informed by their management team. This enthusiasm trickled down to the design team and reinvigorated our desire to create something truly special and valuable to the City of San Diego.
As the general contractor, BYCOR ensured effective communication was maintained among all stakeholders and relayed updates from JLL to the design team as needed. Their ongoing attention to detail and ability to address unforeseen on-site discoveries contributed to a smooth and efficient installation.
Today, visitors to the site experience a fully renovated streetscape featuring healthy, vibrant street trees supported by proper infrastructure installed at the time of planting. At the main entrance, a large plaza welcomes guests with various seating options and a visually appealing paving pattern that enhances the ground plane. Pavilions flank the main entrance on both the west and east sides. To the west, visitors will find a custom multimedia outdoor meeting space designed by the team at Gensler; while to the east, an outdoor café offers tenants warm drinks and healthy snacks. Surrounding both pavilions, McCullough’s thoughtful planting design is showcased in raised planters that cradle each structure. These planters feature a curated mix of shade-tolerant shrubs with seasonal interest, artfully arranged beneath the expansive canopy of mature trees. Fronting the planters are concrete benches topped with sustainable hardwood slats. To further enhance the experience, the entire plaza is buffered from the nearby trolley line by a row of densely planted, movable raised planters—bringing a strong sense of cohesiveness and unity to the site.
We’re proud to share that Topaz Mixed-Use Student Housing near San Diego State University (SDSU) has been recognized with a 2025 Golden Nugget Award of Merit in the category of Best Student or Faculty Housing Project.
This award honors the project team’s commitment to creating high-quality, forward-thinking spaces that support student life and learning. It’s a reflection of the thoughtful collaboration and design excellence that shaped every part of this mixed-use development.
Presented by CBIA and PCBC, the Gold Nugget Awards are the longest-running and most respected design awards in the country, celebrating exceptional concepts in architecture, planning, and development. The Award of Merit represents the top vote recipients in each category, all of which are finalists for the Grand Award.
Grand Award winners will be announced:
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Westin Anaheim Resort
Register Here
Thank you to our project partners for their dedication and shared vision:
Builder: Cannon Constructors
Developer: Pierce Education Properties
Architect of Record: KTGY
Design Architect: AVRP Studios
Landscape Design: McCullough
Civil Engineer: Fuscoe Engineering
Interior Design: ID Studios
Lighting: Noctiluca Lighting
Photography: David McCullough
We’re honored to be part of a team that brings lasting value to student communities through thoughtful, integrated design.
David McCullough was recently featured in ConnectCRE’s article, “Solidifying CRE Strategies Amid Ever-Changing Tariff Tactics,” where he discussed the ripple effects of shifting U.S. tariff policies on commercial real estate. Amid rising costs and market hesitation, David emphasized the importance of staying proactive—continuing with project paperwork, educating clients, and exploring alternative materials to maintain viability.
Alongside other CRE leaders, he highlighted strategies for resilience, including diversification, domestic sourcing, and long-term planning. David’s perspective reinforces that real estate is a long-term investment, capable of withstanding short-term volatility through thoughtful, strategic action.
