By Doug Austin, FAIA, MAIBC, LEED AP
Last year was a great year for AVRP Studios! I am very proud of our team and the goals we helped our clients achieve, and I’m equally pleased with the design work our team currently is working on, including projects with Community HousingWorks, Chelsea, and Clark Construction.
Here is a brief recap of AVRP’s work in 2024 and a peek at what we’re designing this year. We thank all of you, and especially our clients, for making this past year truly exceptional.
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF THE WEDGE AND THE NEW CONRAD PREBYS FOUNDATION OFFICES
The Wedge: Located in downtown Victoria, British Columbia, this newly completed 17-story mixed-use high-rise was designed for Cox Development. It received its Certificate of Occupancy June 14. The project was recognized with a Gold Nugget Grand Award from PCBC for the best unbuilt multi-family project in the Pacific Rim in 2021. Judges praised its innovative design that saved a historic chapel while also embracing Green Design.
Conrad Prebys Foundation offices: The client asked AVRP to put wellness and comfort at the forefront of this design. Located on the top floor of the Kettner & Ash Building in downtown San Diego, these new offices are the first in the commercial space to include the Hummingbird air quality monitoring system, the only air purification system on the planet that kills COVID-19, its variants, and SARS.
“The Hummingbird system was a perfect fit because wellness was a top priority for the client,” said Chris Veum, President of AVRP Studios. “We also designed the space so everyone has access to natural light and a stunning view. There’s so much glass that you see the San Diego Bay from the innermost conference room.”
AVRP incorporated contiguous uninterrupted spaces in the design, Veum said, adding: “We call them ‘Alleys of Light’ and they crisscross the space north to south and east to west.
KETTNER CROSSING: 2ND YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION AND LOOKING FORWARD TO COMPLETION THIS YEAR
Ketner Crossing, located in San Diego’s vibrant Little Italy neighborhood, broke ground more than a year ago, with completion anticipated this year.
The new community will include 64 affordable apartments for seniors, with amenities that include an elevated outdoor deck, a library, BBQ area, and more. AVRP designed the community for BRIDGE Housing and the County of San Diego.
AVRP PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE DESIGN OF TWO LANDMARK BUILDINGS SHOWCASED IN A NEW BOOK CELEBRATING SAN DIEGO’S SACRED PLACES
AVRP was intimately involved in the design of two buildings, Congregation Beth Israel and Church of the Nativity, featured in a new book that highlights San Diego’s most sacred places.
AVRP led the award-winning design of Beth Israel, and the firm worked in close collaboration with Charles Moore, FAIA, on Church of the Nativity.
TRANSFORMING EDUCATIONAL SPACES
AVRP has extensive experience designing education facilities, and in 2024 the firm completed new design work for several schools.
Albert Einstein Academy Charter Elementary School
AVRP completed the majority of design work on the 200,000 square-foot campus that originally opened in 1908. Design work began in 2021 and is expected to be complete in 2027. Construction has been ongoing since August 2022. Progressing in phases, allowing the South Park school – serving TK through 5th grade – to remain operational throughout both the design and construction processes. Click here to learn more.
Alice Birney Elementary School – Whole Site Modernization
Alice Birney ES, home of the Birney Bees, was constructed in the 1950s with the addition of a library and two-story classroom building in 2002. It has a student population of just over 500. AVRP is designing a new administrative building with a new main entrance and additional drop-off and pick-up capacity. New Kindergarten classrooms are being proposed along with a new UTK classroom. All of these new buildings will borrow their design ques from the original 1950s Mid-Century Modern campus so that they blend in and become part of the original architectural style. New playground equipment will be installed and working with our landscape architect, Schmidt Design Group, a new multi-colored asphalt topping will give the playground enhanced playfulness.
Hoover High School – Site Modernization and Improvement
This project included the repair of all the existing elevated walkways, including stairs and ramp, along with drainage improvements to prevent lower-floor flooding, repair of existing exterior finishes, doors and windows. Updates to lighting, signage, and wayfinding to match new buildings in Phase 1 also were included, and the entire campus was updated to the current school district IT & ECS standards.
AVRP USES APPLE VISION PRO, AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, TO IMPROVE DESIGNS AND SAVE CLIENTS TIME AND MONEY
AVRP was an early adopter of VR and AR (Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality) and we have become one of the first design firms using Apple Vision Pro to improve our designs and save clients time and money.
AVRP in 2025
Looking ahead to next year, AVRP is focused on affordable and market-rate housing, educational facilities, and community design projects.
Our designers are hard at work on numerous projects, including:
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we’re creating homes, commercial buildings, schools, and other spaces that will strengthen San Diego for generations to come.
Here’s to even greater achievements in 2025!
Warm regards,
Doug
About AVRP Studios: Celebrating 45+ years of creativity and achievements, the firm and its principals have earned more than 150 design awards, including multiple Gold Nugget Grand Awards from PCBC, a list that includes Grand Awards in 2023 and 2022. AVRP originated in 1976, when Doug Austin began a small design firm out of his home. Today, the firm has designed numerous iconic projects both domestically and internationally. The firm’s project types include urban infill, mixed-use, housing, education, corporate office, multigenerational space, healthcare and more. The firm is led by three principals: Douglas H. Austin, FAIA, LEED AP, MAIBC; Christopher T. Veum, AAIA, IIDA; and Randy Robbins, AIA, LEED AP. Visit www.avrpstudios.com to learn more.