NewSchool of Architecture & Design
1249 F Street, Downtown San Diego
May 19th, 2018 @ 9:30 AM
A thriving downtown does not happen overnight. The urban renewal of the Gaslamp Quarter and the creation of Horton Plaza, a colorful and exciting outdoor shopping mall designed by architect Jon Jerde were the catalysts for change. “Downtown” became a place to go.
During this same time, Gordon Carrier came to San Diego after working for nationally known architect Gunnar Birkerts. He joined Buss Silvers Hughes & Associates (BSHA), a company that Paul Buss helped start in 1977. By 1986 the economy forced the company to streamline its business, cut costs and employees, and focus on producing better architecture. Two of the young architects, Gordon Carrier and Michael Johnson took over the company, calling it Carrier Johnson. They focused on San Diego projects and took special interest in revitalizing the downtown area, designing housing for the people who would need or want to live in an urban environment.
Their first project was a high-rise residential condo complex, The Renaissance. Then they expanded their practice to buildings like the Hard Rock Hotel, to mixed use and retail projects, and to both affordable and luxury residential complexes. When Sempra decided to move its headquarters to East Village, Carrier Johnson was hired to design the building. When the Padres moved to downtown, the company designed Ballpark Village. Many other downtown projects have been designed by Carrier Johnson in collaboration with other companies.
In 2007 Carrier Johnson added “+ Culture” to its name. It was “looking for a way to integrate corporate culture branding and visual identity with interiors and architecture.” Carrier calls it “dimensional branding”.
The firm has two exciting projects in progress. Market Street will have a new look in the next few years. One development, at 7th & Market, will be the tallest building in San Diego and cover a whole block. Carrier Johnson + Culture has designed a “vertical city” for the site, with multiple elevations and terraced rooftops. It will be anchored by Whole Foods and contain a mixture of residential: market-rate apartments, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and 32 SROs, plus 6000 sq. ft. of public open space.
The second mixed-use development will be at Park & Market. It will be a satellite campus for UC San Diego that includes residential, office, and retail space. This location has the added benefit of access to a trolley line. The design team is working to preserve the historic Remmen Building on the site.
Carrier Johnson + Culture has received many awards for its designs, but it has also distinguished itself for its generosity in charitable giving and volunteerism. Over the course of the three decades since its birth, the firm has become a dependable cornerstone of San Diego’s architectural renaissance.
By Catherine Darragh
Image: Courtesy of Carrier Johnson + Culture
