Lagoon Center Comment

The Friends of the San Dieguito River Valley applaud the open design process for the proposed Nature Center but is concerned about the size and bulk of the building, particularly after viewing the 3D simulations on the website. The large interior spaces for a variety of specific functions and the amount of hardscape in the “interior courtyard” in the floor plans seem to contradict one of the design concepts goal: “to minimize indoor program and maximize outdoor programs.

Unfortunately the building design presents no unifying theme that would suggest its purpose as a nature center. It is uninviting in its presentation to the public and separates itself from the lagoon environment with bulk and hardscape. Coming in on the upper trail the public is confronted by a vast hard deck, stonewalls and harsh angles.

The size and specific limited uses of the interior spaces seem excessive:

1. Reduce the size of the Meeting Room with current seating for 100 people, and the AV Room. As proposed, if both these rooms were being utilized at capacity at one time there would simply not be enough parking spaces for persons coming in to view exhibits, go on the trails or provide “docenting” services. The traffic at the Via de la Valle/El Camino Real intersection, already congested, would also negatively impacted. More likely the rooms would be underutilized creating unnecessary interior space and exterior bulk to the buildings.

2. Incorporate into other spaces the Archive and Special Exhibit spaces. Given the size of the main exhibit room and the display seating area in the courtyard, there would seem to still be plenty of space for indoor exhibits. We recall that the conceptual plans also call for outdoor exhibits away from the main building. The current plan emphasizes indoor exhibits and meetings over outdoor programs and experience.

Space for the archives could easily be built along the northern wall of the Open Office. This would provide both security and staff support for this information, as well as a very valuable nearby conference room where documents could be spread out, reviewed and discussed with nearby staff, including the ranger!

The large Courtyard hardscape is out of scale with the overall project and its goals, and the large outdoor meeting space (Amphitheatre) is so wedged in between two buildings and away from a lagoon/valley view shed that it becomes more of an indoor rather than an outdoor experience. In the simulations, the amphitheatre hardscape dominates views from the lower trail presenting a harsh image against the proposed landscapes of chaparral, meadowland and coastal scrub. How about moving the Amphitheatre south toward the lagoon, reducing the width of the Courtyard and incorporating more “softscape” into the area: perhaps plantings that bring the adjacent landscaping into the building site itself or appropriate ground cover that invites visitors to sit and enjoy the lagoon view.

The Board was unanimous in its concern that the large meeting room might be used for private social functions such as weddings. We see this use as the antithesis to the experience of the lagoon and its habitat as well as limiting public access. Several Board members wanted the eastern wing removed entirely. Others suggested that the meeting room be placed on the ground level, again relating more specifically to the lagoon environment and reducing the visual impact of the building on the landscape. The minority thought a community room used for River Valley related purposes was appropriate but agreed that the size could be reduced.

The Board of the Friends is unanimous in its praise of the site plan and exterior landscape. We mention specifically the berm to separate the Center from the view and noise of Via de la Valle, vehicle parking in the northwest corner, equestrian staging to the east and the landscaping of the berms to duplicate and suggest a continuation over the Via de la Valle “cut” as well as the emphasis on coastal scrub, meadow and upland chaparral areas. We applaud the elongation of the lagoon experience from the water treatment platform to the west, across the whole site with special viewpoints all the way to interpretive places with small outdoor seating areas and special features, to Horse Park.
However as proposed in the floor plans and exterior design, we feel the main Center complex is uninviting, does not blend in with the “softer” lagoon environment or meet concept goals.