As part of AIA San Diego's year-long celebration of Design Excellence in San Diego, join us for a project tour with AIA San Diego’s member firm Carrier Johnson + Culture. We will explore their latest affordable housing project for Affirmed Housing, THE HELM, located in Downtown San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood.
Project Description: Having worked with Affirmed Housing multiple times before, Carrier Johnson + Culture teamed with them once again to bring this highly anticipated housing project to San Diego. The Helm houses 77 studio units with abundant amenities: a multi-purpose room, bike storage, a community room, resident lounge, outdoor rooftop terrace, and common-area laundry. Units are designated for a variety of income levels to serve people with incomes ranging from 30% to 80% Area Median Income. Interior spaces are enlivened with vibrant wall graphics and environmental branding, eclectic lighting and finishes, and furnishing one might expect from a high-end residence, redefining the expectations of affordable housing. Residents also have access to complementary, on-site services including computer training and resume building programs and programs promoting health and wellness.
The design team played with massing options composed of a primary off-white volume and secondary darker-colored volumes wedged within and around it. Exterior architectural language responds to the prominent intersection of Front and Beech Streets. This busy corner is celebrated with a long dark frame that juts away from the primary building mass and denotes interior amenity spaces. A large carved-out void on the building’s west face allows residents to enjoy views toward Little Italy from their units and creates space for a rooftop patio that sits within the void. Each façade is unique and responds to its own view corridor and streetscape. The Helm meets the ground on a solid, dark blue mass, elevating it above the business of Front Street. Playful textures for doors, gates, and signage as well as new planters and trees soften the street plinth and add to a vibrant pedestrian experience. Warm tones of faux wood complement the dark blue base and dark steel balconies above.
The tour will be led by Alex Gutierrez, Associate Principal - Director of Design. Alex is a designer with more than 15 years of architecture experience, Alex has led a variety of award-winning projects in both types and scale. He has developed particular expertise in the design and execution of mixed-use developments, residential, office, institutional buildings, and commercial projects across the west coast of the United States. Alex holds an undergraduate degree from the Instituto Tecnológio y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey School of Architecture; and studied his master’s at NewSchool of Architecture and Design. He is a registered Architect in Mexico.
As Director of Design, Alex is involved in all the firm’s projects to ensure that our teams achieve design excellence in all the phases of work. Alex has a passion for design and conceptual thinking. Through the iterative design process, he believes that every building has a story inspired by thoughtful research, grounded in site, and driven by program and function. Alex seeks to mentor and inspire innovative and thought-provoking work within our offices. Clients enjoy working with Alex because of his creative design approach and hands-on emphasis on collaboration.
