May 1, 2024 - Development

7 San Diego projects by Woodbury architects

Andrew Keatts

InsideOUT in Hillcrest — Hillcrest's InsideOUT, developed by Foundation for Form and Mike Burnett. Photo: Andrew Keatts/Axios

The faculty and alumni of Barrio Logan's Woodbury School of Architecture have left their imprint on San Diego's urban neighborhoods.

Why it matters: When the school opened in 1998, corporate developers weren't spending much time building in the dense, walkable neighborhoods around Balboa Park, but Woodbury architects helped change that.

How it works: The school taught architects to develop their own projects — an unusual pairing that afforded them the flexibility to make projects work in hard-to-develop locations.

"We can catalyze a project that other people can't," said Tyler Hanson, who has designed and built projects in Golden Hill, North Park and Azalea Park. "We end up demonstrating that it's a possibility to build in areas that had been ignored."
Small lots in existing neighborhoods meant "mature developers were uninterested in participating in development because that smaller lot meant a smaller project," said Andrew Malick, a Woodbury graduate who now develops all over town.

Fun fact: Faculty member Ted Smith tested the limits of local zoning regulations in the 1980s with his Del Mar "GoHomes" — single-family houses built with shared living spaces to maximize affordability.

Zoom in: Woodbury architects no longer have North Park and surrounding areas to themselves, but here are seven projects that led the way for future development:

North Park Post Office

Built by Foundation for Form and Woodbury graduate Mike Burnett in 2014, this North Park project reused the neighborhood's closed post office and is now home to Tribute Pizza.

The Louie

Woodbury professor Lloyd Russell completed The Louie in Bankers Hill in 2016, two blocks from Balboa Park.

The Parkline

Andrew Malick, a Woodbury graduate, completed The Parkline along El Cajon Boulevard in 2023, wrapping the historic Chicken Pie Shop. It generated controversy for providing 28 parking spaces for 94 micro apartments.

Merrimac

Part of the LIND Block, which helped define Little Italy's revitalization, Russell's Merrimac was a part-time home to Woodbury's masters in real estate development program.

La Esquina

Hector Perez built La Esquina in Barrio Logan, a few blocks from Woodbury, at the onset of significant change on Logan Avenue.

The Continental

Jonathan Segal proposed the 42-unit Little Italy project with no parking at all, but ultimately provided eight underground spots after neighborhood pushback.