About This Project

Located in downtown San Diego’s East Village is a 21-story mixed-use residential tower named “Shift.” The development features 368 units consisting of an eclectic mix of finishes and materials on the building and the landscape elements. The overall landscape design was influenced by the architecture and includes the perimeter streetscape, second-floor courtyard, sixth-floor dog park, seventh-floor terrace and 21st floor pool deck.

It was critical that the landscape felt like an extension if the architecture. The forms used in the landscape concept were influenced by the tower’s irregular building shell design. The semi-public plaza strives to help create a sense of place by providing the community a space to gather and grow to help integrate Shift into the local community. The second-floor courtyard, narrow and long, features several amenity areas.  The landscape uses various industrial finishes found throughout the East Village. The 21st floor pool deck has a backyard ambiance, with two large artificial turf areas, a torqued steel shade structure over a large cooking area, polished concrete fireplace, custom cantilever wood and corten benches. The pool deck was designed to encourage social interaction with a raised fishbowl spa which brings the users eye level with people standing on the pool deck.