FSDA’s 2025-2026 Lecture Series

The Friends of San Diego Architecture presents inspiring lectures on architecture, design, and the built environment by speakers who stimulate thoughtful, community-centered discussions. After more than 40 years, the conversations continue.

Join Us in Celebrating FSDA’s 40th Anniversary and Our Region’s Legacy as a World Design Capital!
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Oceanside Restores Gill’s Americanization School

Another important historic structure is on the verge of returning to public use. Oceanside will soon reopen its Crown Heights Community Resource Center. An extensive rehabilitation that began in February 2025 to upgrade the building designed by noted architect Irving J. Gill.

The finishing touches are put on a lengthy renovation at Crown Heights Community Resource Center on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oceanside. (Detail: Brandon Pollard / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

It has been a long journey:
1931 Americanization School opened by the Oceanside School District, designed by Irving Gill
1943 Americanization School closed; school district uses for annex, then warehouse, then leaves unused
1990 City buys building from school district to save it from private purchase and demolition by 7-Eleven
1994 City and volunteers do restoration for $450,000
1994 Irving Gill’s Americanization School (1931) placed on the National Register of Historic Places
2001 City starts using the building as a community resource center
2025 Rehabilitation starts with $2.4 million initial estimate
2026 Rehabilitation completed with $5 million budget
According to the City of Oceanside, the renovated center at 1210 Division Street will officially reopen with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, August 15, at noon. The community is invited to attend and celebrate the building’s next hundred-plus years serving its Crown Heights neighbors. For more details, see the press release.

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PLEASE NOTE: Our regular FSDA programs will resume in September.

Friends of San Diego Architecture Image Library – Featured Gallery

Over two decades ago, the Friends of San Diego Architecture sponsored an early effort to help develop solutions for the state’s housing shortage. In 2004, FSDA held an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Competition for California architecture and design students and professional architects and designers. There were a total of 56 entries. One goal of the competition was to convince the public that “granny flats” could be built on the average San Diego lot of 5000 sq. ft. Another goal was to offer innovative and creative designs to complement main dwellings. This rotating gallery shows some of the most intriguing entries from that competition, our Inspiring ADU Designs


You are invited to visit the full gallery of the ADU Competition entries at ADU Designs.

Friends of San Diego Architecture Video Archive

Check out our videos:   If you missed one of our lectures, you now have a chance to review the complete list here.

The Latest video now available:

May 2026: Michele Hottel, Margit Whitlock, Kristi Byers, and Liz Carmichael: The Power of Women in Architecture

 

FSDA Lectures

Explore San Diego with us during our current lecture series.Read more…

FSDA Videos

Starting in 2017, FSDA has made video recordings of many of our lectures. If you missed a lecture, you can view it here.

FSDA Image Library

Our online library features more than 10,000 images from the Ned Paynter Collection and has added many other smaller collections. View them here.