Completion Date:     1/1/2019

Square Footage:      444896

Building Use:           Mix-Use/ Hospitality

Location:                 San Diego, CA

Project Description:

The ownership of the Former Sempra Energy Corporate Headquarters Building
located at 101 Ash St., San Diego, California, is undertaking a re-positioning and redesign of their Building. In response to this, the design team has taken on the challenge to revitalize this existing mid-century building.

"Who do we design for? 101 Ash Street caters to a prospective new shift in the heart of San Diego, a burgeoning scene of young entrepreneurs, fresh ideas, new perspectives, and a new vitality that brings a renewed energy to downtown San Diego. Sitting at the axiom of dynamic urban communities and located near many of the amenities San Diego has to offer its residents and visitors alike, 101 Ash is ripe in offering San Diego a new experience not yet realized in a high-rise environment.

Younger generations have expressed desires to see something new, and housing and retail trends have reflected this across the country in many urban environments. The live/work phenomena has taken off immensely, and the concept of shared work space is catching on more than ever. Technology is advancing at a deafening pace and continues to modify how we connect and interact with one another. What our research has provided us, is that the new generation of young professional is not only looking for a living and working environment that is flexible, technology laden and forward thinking, but one that also capitalizes on the community and diversity that urban environments can offer.

To capitalize on these trends, we realized that we had to offer something more, something new, and something that gave an honest and dedicated attempt to speak to the needs of this new clientele. It was not enough to solely offer a flashy exterior, but we had to engage this new, young professional in ways that were not yet explored before. What we have created in our concept, is nothing new, but taps into existing conditions throughout the city that best cater to this individual, and repackages it in a vertical format. We are taking what is currently understood, the contextual urban fabric that offers a physical community, many people of this new generation are so keen to utilize, and bring a new shift in perspective to what can be done within a high-rise. Vertically integrating the spatial language of the city is where ground is broken in offering a new setting for young entrepreneurs to flourish.

101 Ash Street then, attempts to bring the vitality of the city, internally, to form a spatial language that expresses the "interconnectedness", and open communication that we seek to capitalize on. Further, merging technology that tailors a user's experience to their personal needs for the building through a specialized app on their portable devices allows a holistic user interface and navigation tool for this new live/work concept we are introducing, and allows our project to fully adapt to the needs of the individual, and ultimately, to the needs of market demands and fluctuations.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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