Retail + Series

Retail is always part of the bigger picture, an important catalyst that activates the experience of great places. In this?Retail + ?series, we identify several additional factors that contribute to?compelling retail design, and showcase how they manifest in our work:

Retail + Mixed-Use:?The strategic placement of retail within mixed-use spaces can enhance?accessibility to essential services and amenities, encourage?foot traffic and activate an overall site. This blend not only drives economic vitality but also contributes to a holistic urban experience, offering a diverse range of options that cater to the daily needs and lifestyles of residents, workers, and visitors. The thoughtful integration of retail in developments ensures that these areas are not just functional but also vibrant and engaging, enhancing the overall quality of life and creating sustainable urban environments.

One Paseo

One Paseo was imagined as a new walkable mixed-use neighborhood in San Diego's Carmel Valley. Tasked with developing the overall masterplan and designing the retail, our team aimed to achieve high levels of connectivity that extended to the office spaces designed by Gensler and the residential areas designed by TCA.?The concept centers around paseos, courtyards, and plazas, creating a network of pedestrian-friendly spaces throughout the site. A variety of building sizes combined with layered landscaping create unique outdoor rooms, each defined by its surroundings.

At the heart of the project is the civic plaza, a spacious informal area for seating, relaxation, and dining that is framed by?retail buildings clustered around courtyards and paseos.

The site's challenging topography, which drops 75 feet from north to south, was leveraged by positioning the two office buildings at the lowest point. This placement creates a subtle relationship between the offices, their parking, and the rest of the site. Angled to present a foreshortened view of the street and the rest of the development, the office buildings connect to the main civic plaza via a multi-purpose plaza with three pavilions.? Residential buildings are situated at the north end, adjacent to a steep landscaped berm that minimizes road noise, reduces apparent building height from the street, and opens views toward the civic plaza.

Community Workshops & Local Input

A series of community meetings and workshops, led by our design team and developer Kilroy Realty, aimed to engage local residents of Carmel Valley in critical stages of the design process. The goal was to gather significant input from community members before finalizing the project scheme and to maximize its utility for residents. Located in the northern part of San Diego County, the site was originally master planned in the 1970s and remained the largest vacant plot of land in Carmel Valley, presenting a pivotal opportunity for development.