San Diego State University Centennial Mall
San Diego Calif.
Since 2015, campus planners have made a concerted effort to improve the overall campus landscape and site experience. The decision was originally spurred by a desire to add a tree canopy, reduce unusable turf grass areas and create a uniquely Southern California landscape experience that students have come to expect at a San Diego university campus. The result has been hundreds of new trees added, thousands of square feet of unused turf transformed into usable social gathering spaces and the start of a cohesive landscape experience for the campus that is unique to SDSU. The first project undertaken was Centennial Mall. Through 2019, completed projects include the Alumni Center, the Love Library, Aztec Walk East, Montezuma Road, and East Campus Drive. The outcome is and will continue to transform the campus experience as a whole.

San Diego State University Centennial Mall
San Diego Calif.
Since 2015, campus planners have made a concerted effort to improve the overall campus landscape and site experience. The decision was originally spurred by a desire to add a tree canopy, reduce unusable turf grass areas and create a uniquely Southern California landscape experience that students have come to expect at a San Diego university campus. The result has been hundreds of new trees added, thousands of square feet of unused turf transformed into usable social gathering spaces and the start of a cohesive landscape experience for the campus that is unique to SDSU. The first project undertaken was Centennial Mall. Through 2019, completed projects include the Alumni Center, the Love Library, Aztec Walk East, Montezuma Road, and East Campus Drive. The outcome is and will continue to transform the campus experience as a whole.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals
San Diego, Calif.
Working closely with the client, Alexandria Real Estate Equities and architecture firm LPA, McCullough developed a native-plant palette that will grow into a lush and vibrant landscape. We created many pockets that serve as gathering spaces or "outdoor conference rooms." Positioned along a trail that winds around a lush planted basin, they offer incredible views of the area. A large field is situated along the main entry walkway for employees to play sports, exercise or hold outdoor events. This reflects the company's value of providing facilities for employees' physical health and well-being. Our environmental planning focused on the intelligent management of stormwater to increase sustainability throughout the property. An explosion of chaos and color draws people through the landscape, inviting them to linger and coalesce with nature. The experience creates a sense of harmonious balance-a true example of grit, soul and style.

Mesa College Center for Business Technology
San Diego, Calif.
The center, fondly known as "CBT" called for us to design for three areas: the Exercise Science building, the Bookstore / Culinary Arts / Campus Commons areas, and finally the Center for Business and Technology. The three create the gateway to the center of the campus. Designed by renowned international architecture firm Gensler, it was meant to intimately connect the learning environment to the exterior spaces. This gave the team a unique opportunity to choose complementary materials that could be used in the interior and exterior spaces. We worked closely with the design/build team at Gensler and the general contractor early in the process to select those materials. For an exterior courtyard as an open-air classroom and gathering space, large flat slabs of stone were arranged to be used for group seating. Electrical outlets and Wi-Fi were installed to provide people the ability to utilize the space in creative ways. Along the front of the building are large transparent windows where often, the Fashion Department puts their work on display. We included in our design a walkway that connects the garden spaces and acts as a catwalk for student fashion shows. This was a lengthy project and we worked with three different architecture firms: gkkworks [now Cannon Design], Miller Hull with SGPA and Gensler. The original master plan was designed by local architecture firm Delawie. For challenges, the varying styles of architecture demand different styles of landscape design to create that unique user experience. We applied complementary furnishings and used unique plant material with varying colors and textures. This gives subliminal cues that you are entering a different space for a different purpose. The three facilities now function together as a more complete campus-like experience.