The Headquarters: preserving and beautifying

Delle Willett | Art on the land

 Editor’s Note: This new monthly column will explore the various ways local landscape architects have contributed to the Downtown region’s eco- and art-scape, by profiling specific installations.

Wimmer Yamada and Caughey (WYAC) landscape architects provided the landscape and site design for the new development called “The Headquarters” on San Diego’s bayfront, based on the original master-plan design developed by Owen Lang and Sasaki Design.

The historic character of the original San Diego Police Headquarters, built in 1939, is a paramount focus of the landscape and hardscape design throughout the project. The overall landscape theme is derived from California landscapes of the 1930s.

Throughout the process they worked with nationally-renown Feng Shui Master Katherine Anne Lewis, founder and principal of Harmony and Balance –  harmonyandbalance.com.

A key to feng shui is saving a piece of history, and the key to feng shuiing the entire headquarters property was the landscaping, which includes colors, shapes, textures, light, water, and rocks, all while working around the rules and regulations of a historic site.

The new site design integrates historic features, mature landscape and contemporary amenities. Specific preserved elements include:

• 80 percent of the original trees and palms, including “Dragon Trees” that have been there for the past 80 years;
• two historic water fountains retrofitted for new use;
• seating areas, including historic bench details from the original plans; and
•  original pattern concrete pavers within the central courtyard.

Accent colors and reflective minerals in the enhanced concrete paving are also reminiscent of similar paving patterns used in San Diego neighborhoods in the 1930s.

Each new restaurant and retail venue features a unique theme and décor to tie in with the surrounding landscape and hardscape design, preserving the historic character of the building’s original architectural style.

Additional amenities include outdoor living rooms with casual seating and a collection of contemporary container planters filled with rich succulents, grass and sedum species.

A new public outdoor space along the northern boundary called the “Urban Park” replaces the original parking lot along Harbor Drive. The park features “outdoor rooms” landscaped with seating and night lighting and a 14-foot-wide enhanced concrete promenade connects the Convention Center and hotels to the east with Ruocco Park and the bayfront to the west.

The planting design of the Urban Park and other landscape areas uses a selection of early-California native and indigenous plants typically found in early 20th century gardens.

Outdoor rooms along the walkway are surrounded by small groves of olive and Crape Myrtle trees for flowering color and gray-green foliage accenting the rich terracotta building colors.

While preserving the historic nature of The Headquarters, WYAC also exercised their stewardship of the environment. By incorporating large specimen “hero” trees including Arbutus, Mediterranean Palms and California Oak trees set in raised planters within the courtyards, they provided substantial shade and outdoor seating.

In addition to the preserved historic paving in the central courtyard, other areas feature new porous concrete pavers for collection and purification of water run-off, important because of potential runoff to the bay. Rain is also collected in barrels to use for irrigation.

WYAC’s plant palette is high in Xeriphytic principles: Low-water-use plants such as agaves, aloes and sedum groundcovers are mixed in with native grasses and flowering accents.

All new trees and shrubs came from local San Diego nurseries, except the Arbutus in the central courtyard; by buying local, WYAC avoided burning fossil fuels to transport trees from outside the area.

WYAC believes that landscape architects are stewards of the environment with responsibility to protect, enhance and celebrate our natural environment; and in providing ethical and creative designs that are sustainable and timeless, taking seriously the responsibility of being stewards of the land.

WYAC, a landscape architect firm, was founded in San Diego 59 years ago by Harriett Wimmer, who later teamed with Joe Yamada in 1960. Patrick Caughey joined the firm in 1984. The firm’s creativity is on prominent display at various San Diego venues, ranging from the original botanical gardens at SeaWorld to terraced lawns at UC San Diego to topiary animals at Westfield Horton Plaza shopping center.

Delle Willett cut her teeth traveling as the daughter of a career Navy man. A graduate of USD with a BFA in hand, her career in marketing and public relations has flourished for over 30 years. Today she is an active volunteer for various local organizations, she currently works as a freelance publicist and writer when she’s not traveling the world with her husband, a retired airline pilot. Delle can be reached at [email protected].