Rob Wellington Quigley

Rob Wellington Quigley
Rob Wellington Quigley in 2019
Born(1945-02-01)1 February 1945
Los Angeles, California, United States
Alma materUniversity of Utah (BArch)
OccupationArchitect
SpouseKathleen Hallahan
PracticeRob Wellington Quigley Architects 1978–Present
BuildingsSan Diego Central Library
The New Children's Museum
Solana Beach Transit Center
Ocean Discovery Institute

Rob Wellington Quigley (born 1945) is an American architect with offices in San Diego and Palo Alto, California. He is known for focusing on sustainable design, community activism, grassroots planning, and affordable housing.

Education and early influences

Quigley, the son of a civil and structural engineer, grew up in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. He received a degree in architecture from the University of Utah in 1969. Upon graduation, Quigley served in the United States Peace Corps as an architect in Chile for 2 years, from 1969 to 1971. Stationed in the remote village of Coquimbo on the edge of the Atacama desert, he worked with locals to help create affordable housing in the Chilean government's self-help housing program.[1]

Career

Academics

Quigley has lectured and taught at universities and cities in Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and throughout the U.S. He was active with Chancellor Bill McGill, Jonas Salk, and others in founding the School of Architecture for the University of California at San Diego and was appointed as adjunct professor.  After unexpected budget cuts eliminated the department, Quigley continued to serve the university for several decades as a founding member of their Design Review Board. He emphasized the importance of the forgotten "spaces between buildings", advocated for the hiring of young local talent, and helped instigate Campus-wide lighting and building color standards.[2]

Sustainability

Quigley is known for his commitment to developing sustainable architecture. Some examples of his work include The San Diego Children's Museum[3] which does not include air conditioning or heating systems in the main galleries;  Torr Kaelan, the firm's mixed-used building;[4] and the Ocean Discovery Institute[5] are net zero energy structures. The West Valley Library was Quigley's first LEED-certified library[6] while the Living Lab received LEED Platinum certification.

Affordable housing

The Baltic Inn was the first of three single room occupancy (SRO) hotels designed by Quigley and developed in San Diego. It received Time Magazine's Design of the Year award and a Special Commendation from President Reagan.[7]  As other developers built SROs, the City Council, fearing a downtown of nothing but affordable housing, banned the building type. The headline in The New York Times was "San Diego Sees Too Much Success in Building Hotels to House the Poor".[8]

Selected projects

  • San Diego Central Library[9]
  • Ocean Discovery Institute Living Lab
  • The New Children's Museum
  • Torr Kaelan[10]
  • Branch Libraries (Linda Vista, West Valley, Bascom and Seven Trees)
  • Fire Stations (Bayside and Fire Station 5, San Diego; Santa Monica Fire Station No. 1)
  • Leslie Shao-Ming Sun Field Station, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University
  • Transit (Escondido Transit Center, Solana Beach Transit Center)
  • Affordable Housing (Baltic Inn, La Pensione, 801 Alma, Casa Feliz, Opportunity Center of Mid-Peninsula, Second Street Studio)
  • Private Residences (Cohen, Squire, Bass, Sayer, Vivrette)

Awards and honors

AIA National

  • 2005 – Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Buildings, Leslie Shao-ming Sun Field Station, Stanford University
  • 1993 – National Honor Award, 202 Island Inn

AIA California Council

  • 2015 – Honor Award, Torr Kaelan Mixed Use Building
  • 2008 – Honor Award, Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Award, The New Children's Museum
  • 2005 – Maybeck Award
  • Bayside fire station 2, San Diego
    Bayside fire station 2, San Diego
  • San Diego Central Library
    San Diego Central Library
  • The New Children's Museum, San Diego
    The New Children's Museum, San Diego
  • Solana Beach Transit Center
    Solana Beach Transit Center

References

  1. ^ "The Life and Times of San Diego's Most Notable Architect Rob Quigley". It's Your Money and Your Life Radio Show. 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  2. ^ Rob Wellington Quigley: Buildings + Projects. Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. 1996. pp. 216–217. ISBN 0-8478-1945-0.
  3. ^ "The New Children's Museum: Where Play, Art and Science Meet". Voice of San Diego. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Torr Kaelan". ArchPaper. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  5. ^ "New Lab Unlocks Opportunities for Future Scientists". NOAA Fisheries. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  6. ^ "San José West Valley Branch Library Green Building Fact Sheet". San José West Valley Branch Library. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. ^ Gould, Kira (2008). "The Social Art of Architecture: Good Design for All". In Solomon, Nancy (ed.). Architecture INTL: Celebrating the Past, Designing the Future. Visual Reference Publications. p. 203. ISBN 9781584711629.
  8. ^ Deparle, Jason (1993-07-13). "San Diego Sees Too Much of Success In Building Hotels to House the Poor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  9. ^ Showley, Roger (2013-09-21). "Tour new library with its architect - Rob Quigley". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  10. ^ "Torr Kaelan". The Architect’s Newspaper. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2022-08-22.

Further reading