Civita Park Honored with “Orchid” By the San Diego Architectural Foundation

The San Diego Architectural Foundation honored Civita Park, the crown jewel of Civita, with an “Orchid” award for design excellence during the annual Orchids & Onions ceremony at the U.S. Grant Hotel in Downtown San Diego, Oct. 26.

The 14.3-acre City of San Diego neighborhood park, which is the unifying principle and social/recreational heart of Civita, was designed by Schmidt Design Group, built by Hazard Construction Company, and developed by Sudberry Properties, master developer of Civita. The design was inspired by the topography, history and culture of Mission Valley.

Civita Park features a grade change of more than 165 feet and creates a strong greenbelt spine connecting Serra Mesa to the San Diego River valley. The topography affords the park stunning views and the ability to separate uses within one facility, offering a variety of individual and group activity areas and quiet places for reflection and relaxation.

Highlights of the park include an outdoor amphitheater, community garden, open fields, half-court basketball courts, interactive water feature, gardens, game area, and Military Tribute surrounding a 100-foot-tall flagpole and American Flag. The final phases of the park include playgrounds, picnic areas, and additional gardens. “The Orchids & Onions winners are selected by a panel of top design professional with input from the entire community,” said Marco Sessa, senior vice president of Sudberry Properties, which is developing the 230-acre urban village of Civita. “We couldn’t be more honored,” he said.

“I would particularly like to share these accolades with Glen Schmidt and Nate Magnusson of Schmidt Design Group, the firm that designed the park, and Sudberry Properties’ Mark Radelow,” said Sessa. “Their devotion to the design and creation of Civita Park has made it a very special place for the entire Mission Valley community.”

Orchids & Onions is the only interactive, community-based program geared towards raising awareness and encouraging practical discourse in response to San Diego’s built environment, according to the foundation’s website.