Research & Visioning for Design & Entitlements as well as strategic design & consulting are a specialty of DIAP. We have created many exploratory designs that bring to life bold visions of individuals, families and cities. We also offer bespoke advisory, short-term consulting, and expert witness services.
Explore some of our bold vision projects here
Vision Projects
1. Three “vision” designs for the future of DIAP’s principal architect – Dan’s – own community in San Mateo: North Block (Hillsdale Mall), San Mateo International Center (101 at 92), and San Mateo Greenway Crossings (El Camino at 42nd Avenue)
The challenge...
Dan, DIAP’s principal architect, can really see all three designs from his house in the hills and it gives him great satisfaction to see his vision turn to reality despite many challenges.
There were building height restrictions, obsolete local regulations, no town planning design for over 80 years, and no vision. All this despite the community being a part of an internationally renowned address! A strategy that opened the townsfolk’ eyes and minds was sorely needed.
The solution...
Design what you think is right for the future. After over 40 years of living and working in this community, doing what you think is right for your own children and the future of this wonderful community is unsurprisingly the right solution.
DIAP created a program that makes professional sense for the 21st century. It included mixed use, limited number of high rise buildings (meaning not blocking the Bay views), 25% raw land for Central Plazas (plants and animals have rights too…), 100% pedestrian environment, enhanced San Francisco Bay view from the surrounding area hills, and created more opportunities for local businesses.
Why the project was approved...
After some 12 years, local community members and others have started to call Dan to get involved and we’re hopeful to see these three “vision” designs come to life.
2. Cow Palace planning – major “housing and mixed use” opportunity in the San Francisco Peninsula
The challenge...
Imagine about 45 acres of parking lots and a beautiful hillside with Bay views, lands grossly underutilized and neglected – all this with a backdrop of major housing shortage.
The solution...
A mixed-use master plan was created for the city's Eastside —an exciting new neighborhood spread over 45 acres. Plan included an amphitheater of elegant, stair-stepped residences overlooking a public park and the Bay.
Mid-rise residential buildings flanked the other side of the park, leading into a bustling area of mixed-use retail, entertainment, and upscale housing, along with office spaces and a hotel with 300 to 500 rooms. This vibrant community includes a 5-acre park, around 1,500 residences, over 250,000 square feet of retail space, and more than 1,000,000 square feet of office space. All complemented by ample structured parking.
Why the project was approved...
This project was a “vision” project commissioned by the City but was never submitted for any entitlements. Designed in 2008, it should become a reality today with housing shortage even more acute.
3. Donnelly Plaza Mixed-Use (1.0 & 2.0) - Burlingame, California
The challenge...
Transforming public parking lots in Downtown Burlingame into a mixed-use hub. It’s a charming place to stroll, shop, and dine, but let’s face it—finding parking can be a nightmare. We're about 250 spaces short!
Plus, the area could really use more housing, not to mention a chic small hotel, and some extra retail, entertainment, and office spaces. Projects like this on public land are perfect for sparking public-private partnerships.
The solution...
We had a strategic and somewhat outside-the-box idea. With public parking lots available across Donnelly Street, we thought, why not build above the street to connect the beloved Public Library to Burlingame Avenue?
The proposed mixed-use master plan we envisioned would transform these 2 acres. Here's what we planned: an upscale hotel with about 120 rooms, at least 75 senior housing units, around 60 condo units, and approximately 100,000 square feet of retail and professional office space. We also included about 750 public and private parking spaces and 2 acres of usable public and private open spaces. DIAP presented the same mixed-use program in two design styles—contextual and modernist.
Why the project was approved...
This project is a “vision” designed and proposed by DIAP and it has never been formally submitted. However, when it was presented to a very active city and downtown community group, the support for this specific project was overwhelming.
Consulting & Advisory
Since 1982, when this professional firm was founded, during “slower times”, DIAP has engaged in and financed a multitude of research and visionary projects for a large variety of programs and problems. DIAP has its own philosophy toward design, architecture, town planning, urban design and the way we approach theoretical problems and solutions. It all starts with the “Metabolic Strategic Design Matrix.”