The 44th annual Orchids & Onions Awards Gala was held online on October 1, 2020 in partnership with Every.org. Orchids & Onions is an educational and fundraising program of the San Diego Architectural Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and the promotion of outstanding architecture, planning and urban design throughout the San Diego region. Congratulations to Schmidt Design Group and Spurlock Landscape Architecture for being recognized as Orchid winners.
What Makes a Project an Orchid or an Onion?
ORCHID
-Exemplifies good place making, i.e. it is a functional and memorable place or space to be
-Contributes to its surrounding context and adds to community character
-Skillfully and thoughtfully detailed and crafted – showing respect for materials and the community
-Expresses something relevant to our time and place – San Diego, 2019 as well as its function
-Provides social and economic benefit to San Diegans
-Encourages social interaction or a quiet moment
-Elicits a sense of civic pride
-Is technologically or environmentally innovative
-Supports community building
ONION
-The opposite of an Orchid
-A missed opportunity
-A blight or eyesore that shows a lack of commitment to quality design and our community
A total of 15 projects were nominated for Orchid Awards in the landscape architecture category. Schmidt Design Group (SDG) won for Civita Park Phase 2 in Mission Valley. The project was recognized by the jury for its “…thoughtful integration of history, natural elements in the playground and educational signs. There’s a place for everyone at this park.”
Spurlock won two Orchid Awards, the first for UCSD Tata Hall for the Sciences. The jury commended it for being a “very sophisticated project.” Spurlock’s second award was for the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center. “The interface of mind, body, and medicine are involved with this serene landscape surrounding the hospital.”
Thirteen additional projects received Orchid Awards in the categories of architecture, historic preservation, interior design and urban planning. Six projects were deemed Onions, none in landscape architecture. In addition to unveiling the winners (and losers), funds were raised in partnership with SD-NOMA to create a scholarship for a local architecture student of color.
Learn more about Orchids & Onions, and the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
