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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Design Across the Border

A Panel Discussion
with Moderator
Lawrence Herzog, PhD
Design Scholar-in-Residence, UCSD Design Lab

Saturday, February 21, 10:00 AM
San Diego History Center
Casa de Balboa
1649 El Prado
Balboa Park

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Historically, our present cross-border region was a single culture area. While political division has created separate “Californias” since the mid-19th Century, mutual influences continued to shape our built environment and artistic styles, even as each side evolved its own identity. Today, the cities on both sides of the border are urban societies in rapid transition, while the art and architecture of “Southern California” and “La Frontera del Norte” remain inextricably bound to each other.

This panel will offer insights into the practice of design and architecture along the Tijuana-San Diego border. The panelists, who are artists, architects, and housing designers, will address the challenges facing designers/architects with particular attention to the case of Tijuana.

Moderator:

Lawrence Herzog, PhD, is a writer, photographer and podcaster. He has taught city planning and urban design in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at UC San Diego, and in the Graduate City Planning program, School of Public Affairs, at SDSU. He has written or edited 12 books about cities, sustainable development and urban planning, with attention to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Tijuana-born Hugo Crosthwaite is an artist who works in a variety of media including large scale murals, urban signage and commercial facades. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego. His experiences growing up in the frenetic urban landscape of Tijuana is often reflected in his artwork

Adriana Cuellar is Assistant Professor and Director of the Architecture Program at the University of San Diego, and co-partner of CRO studio. Adriana received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master’s in Design Studies from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She is a recipient of the Rome Prize Fellowship in Design by the American Academy in Rome.CRO studio projects address the cultural, economic, and environmental challenges faced by those living in everyday border conditions.

Conceptual art for a CRO housing design

Marcel Sanchez Prieto is an Associate Professor in the Architecture program at the University of San Diego and co-founder of CRO Studio, a collaborative practice that originated in the border region of Tijuana-San Diego. Sanchez was born in Tijuana. He received the Rome Prize in Architecture from the American Academy in Rome in 2018-19. His work looks at architecture as a social catalyst to address societal challenges, particularly in the border region.

An Alfonso Medina housing project in Tijuana

Alfonso Medina, born in Longview, Texas, is an architect and developer. He has founded various development groups that design and build housing, including T-38 Studio (Mexico), Madelon Group (New York and Los Angeles) and Raph (Mexico City). He currently designs and builds housing in the Tijuana-San Diego region.

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.

FSDA News of Interest

Missed a lecture? Check out our videos: Since September 2017, FSDA has been videotaping our lectures. They have been a work in progress. If you missed one of our lectures, you now have a chance to view them here. Architect Manuel Oncina talks about Libraries: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow; Architect Hal Sadler and Modernist Keith York have a dialogue about Evolving Styles: From the Sixties; Architects Ken Baldwin and Andy Darragh discuss From Labs to Libraries; Landscape Architect Vicki Estrada revisits San Diego Design Decisions, and, Architects Kathleen McCormick and Ted Smith present An Alternative Practice. We have now added our September and October lecture videos. We would love to have your comments.

November 2019: Diane Kane – Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Irving Gill: Modern Architecture Emerges

February 2020: Glen Schmidt – Mission Valley: An Open Space Renaissance

January 2022: Panel of Speakers – San Diego-Tijuana: World Design Capital 2024

The latest video now available and one you won’t want to miss!

UC San Diego: Billions in Development

FSDA Image Library: Our image library continues to grow with new images added often, so you might want to bookmark this link. We started with the Ned Paynter Collection and have now added the Diane Kane Collection, Competitions, Exhibits, and FSDA Events. This image is from the Southern California Gallery in the Diane Kane Collection.