RaDD: Research & Development District

The individuals interacting within RaDD embrace the idea that community is an ecosystem of ideas, and work hard to define the path to evolution in a place where change and adaptations are inherent in the system.

As we nurtured the RaDD community aspirations, we came to realize they are grounded in innovative ideas and rigorous methodologies. RaDD looks to define the future and remain a frontier for revolutionary partnerships. When the collective minds at RaDD combine forces, an inspiring blend of innovation and enterprise serves the highest of humanity’s shared goals. 

RaDD is a place defined by radical equilibrium: a holistic paradox that serves mind, body, soul, and heart. 

As we defined the RaDD brand and worked to capture the energy that fuels discovery, wellness, and joy inherent in the community here, we continued to ground our process in this idea of radical equilibrium.

When a space is transformed into a place, the community begins to feel an attachment to it, and to this feeling of repeated spatial discovery. RaDD needed to be a connected and fully-integrated experience within a diverse San Diego collective to forge this attachment with the community at-large.

We helped bring the RaDD brand to life in this environment through colors, patterns, materials, art, and experience to create an immersive, sensory story. As we defined this narrative, we worked within distinct motifs that would subtly resonate with both San Diego and Life Sciences personas.

From the local flora and fauna, to ecosystems of scale and atomic geometries, to the waterfront, kelp beds, tidal charts, and physics of surf, to the wellness community, outdoor adventurers, and urban explorers, our efforts were grounded in the rich and vibrant world that surrounds RaDD.

As we approach any new project, we pay close attention to three distinct pillars we believe are essential to any successful environment: certainty, variety, delight.

This approach was especially true of the RaDD project.

Certainty: Certainty is achieved by creating a porous edge, defining clear and efficient identities, and curating a memorable arrival regardless of whether you arrive in the morning, afternoon, or evening, from the waterfront, interior city blocks, on foot or within a vehicle.

Variety: Variety is achieved by providing inviting pedestrian paths that seamlessly connect one edge to the other and one street to the next. As we guide the community through this network, they weave through the highs and lows of the buildings, the varied local landscape, and the curated, mixed-use workspaces and retail experiences.

Delight: Delight is integrated throughout RaDD with art as landmarks and wayfinding, paving graphics that deliver on form and function, and the dynamic color palette with additional surprises rooted in the mural program.

Grounded in Principle-Centered Design, we built an environment we believe delivers an exceptional, indelible experience grounded in our desire to connect people to place.

We are constantly measuring our ideas against principle-centered design. Once we’ve defined all the brand elements and established the opportunities to deploy these elements, we return to our process and ensure we have connected this particular community to this particular place.

We put specific emphasis and focus on the in-between spaces to charge the transition. We layer tactile brand touchpoints throughout the site to enhance the sensory appeal of each potential interaction. We activate each moment in the public realm to enhance meaning and impact through integrated signage.

The result is a place made immersive, memorable, desirable, and engaging.

When we begin to explore core audiences and local culture and how the space will be used, we help our clients uncover the way people currently connect to their local places, instead of attempting to dictate how we want them to connect and where we want them to be.

RaDD was inspired by the free radicals of San Diego because they are firmly rooted in this environment and will continue to define the evolution of this place.

The greens and blues of the bay, the sage and chaparral and Torrey Pines, the coastal plains and rolling hills, the murals and art, the restaurants and retail, the buildings and skyline: all of these elements are intricately woven into this space. 

Warm and highly variable neutrals grounded in San Diego sandstone and the coastline palette give RaDD a sense of elevated comfort and timeless sophistication, paired with the laid back lifestyle of San Diego. 

And yet, the most important element remains the community of San Diego. The people here light this place up. They are the free radicals that catalyze progress and transformation in San Diego.

With RaDD, we worked hard with our partners to understand the diverse communities within the city of San Diego, then layer a diverse set of sensations into an immersive physical environment to help connect the community to the richness and vibrancy of this space. We believe this connection then establishes indelible memories and generates a desire to make routine the surprise and delight of walking into a new place. 

As we begin to transform any space, we help our clients navigate this juxtaposition of consistency and delight that creates challenges, but ultimately allows us to create immersive environmental experiences unlike any other placemaker.