SIO Upper Mesa Neighborhood Planning Study

Executive Summary

The objective of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) Upper Mesa Neighborhood Planning Study is to guide future development by establishing a pattern of links to adjacent areas of the campus and defining guidelines for building sites and massing. The document includes the following:

• A development program consistent with the Long Range Development Plan for the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) including SIO,
• a neighborhood plan and planning principles that organize the program and planning requirements and establish the overall development and landscape pattern in relation to the surrounding context;
• and design guidelines that support the plan and suggest the character of the buildings and landscape.

The Upper Mesa Neighborhood site is located at the northeast corner of the SIO campus bounded by Expedition Way, North Torrey Pines Road,Torrey Pines Road, the City of San Diego's Allen Field and the Skeleton Canyon Ecological Reserve of the UCSD Park. The neighborhood has prominent frontage to the public roadways and commands views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and Mount Soledad to the south. The topography and vegetation of Skeleton Canyon extend into the site on the western edge, but most of the rest of the site has been graded to a gentle, even slope. Two faults have been mapped on the site and will require further investigation prior to development. Utility service for new development will require a phased approach, taking advantage of nearby connections for the short term and linking to the campuswide systems as they are extended through the site.

Development patterns on the site will recognize it as a "hinge" between the main campus and the SIO campus, both in terms of circulation and in terms of the landscape. View corridors and vehicular and pedestrian access are the starting point for planning development.

The development program for the neighborhood consists of academic and research uses with associated parking. Because of the position of the site as a link between the main campus and SIO campus, joint use facilities and programs that draw on the resources of both campuses are prime candidates for locating in the neighborhood. A facility for the US Geological Survey has been discussed as a possible building in the neighborhood. Following on the recommendations of the UCSD Master Plan, the development program calls for 126,000 gross square feet of building area supported by 170 parking spaces.

The planning principles are designed to capitalize on the natural amenities and characteristics of the site, while extending the spirit of the SIO Master Plan. The plan extends the SIO campus idea by adding a fourth iconographic element to the circulation path connecting the ocean and the main campus: The series of spaces that begins with the Scripps Pier and continue via Scripps Crossing, a pedestrian bridge, and up the Scripps Ladder will culminate in a Beivedere terrace in the Upper Mesa Neighborhood. The Belvedere forms a common link between the development parcels of the site, creating a focal point for social exchange while enhancing the connection to the foreground landscape of Skeleton Canyon and the distant view of the Pacific Ocean.

Six key design principles underlie the provisions of the neighborhood plan. The principles reinforce the values of the SIO community and stress the creation of linkages that tie this pivotal site into SIO and the campus as a whole. Supporting guidelines and recommendations for implementation focus on elements of the neighborhood that provide continuity across the boundaries of individual projects or parcels.

• The Belvedere is the connective element for the parcels within the neighborhood. A trellised walkway forms a common element that unifies the buildings providing both visual and functional coherence.
• The concept of landscape continuity creates connections to SIO by extending the coastal sage scrub of the Ecological Reserve into the site along its western boundary. The eucalyptus grove of the main campus is extended across North Torrey Pines Road to create a landscape connection on the north side of the site, while the Torrey pines alongtorrey Pines Road are enhanced through additional planting. The campuswide principals of the "discrete landscape" sheltered or enclosed by buildings is explored on the Beivedere itself as buildings open to defined, landscaped courtyards.
• View corridors and outlook are important determinants of form on this site. The plan identifies a view corridor from the theater district, through the site to the Pacific. The Belvedere serves to frame the views for the buildings of the neighborhood, identifying the ocean vista as an important common amenity. The view corridor plays an important role in the landscape concept, as it separates the Torrey pine landscape from the main campus eucalyptus grove.
• Recognition of the edge conditions provides useful clues for effective use of the site. The streets on the north and east of the site are urban: busy and noisy, but provide the site with a high degree of visibility. Buildings are set back from the street edges with a buffer of parking and landscaping. Entries to the buildings from the street side are accentuated to create a visual focus.The western exposure to the Reserve and the view is quieter and more rustic. The buildings are more open on this side, and form courtyards that connect to the common open space of the Beivedere.
• Building form and character respond to the edge conditions and microclimate in ways that enhance the usefulness and amenity of the work spaces. The mass of the buildings steps from three story height toward the streets to one story height facing the Reserve. Buildings are arranged to form courtyards that can be used as gathering spaces, while roofs of lower parts of the buildings can become terraces.
• Circulation patterns enhance the connection of the site to its surroundings. Vehicular circulation and parking are used to create a buffer to the busy surrounding streets. Taking advantage of the existing grades, the parking is slightly depressed, so that the view of the neighborhood from outside is of buildings rather than cars. The primary pedestrian connection is from the intersection of Expidition Way and North Torrey Pines Road, connecting to Revelle College, which shares some programmatic affinity with the planned uses in the neighborhood. The pedestrian path up Expidition Way from SIO connects directly to the Belvedere, continuing the spirit of the lower SIO campus.