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Designing Luxury Living in San Diego, California
Photo courtesy of Camden
Photo courtesy of Camden
Michelle Huskins
Monday, Aug. 23, 2021

KTGY and Andre Kikoski Architecture collaborate to design Camden Hillcrest Apartments

Camden Hillcrest apartments are perched on a magnificent piece of property surrounded by incredible views of both the canyon and the coast. With the laid-back vibe of Southern California so prominent in San Diego, Camden wanted to design a living experience as special as the location.

After coincidentally attending the same dinner during Modernism Week in Palm Springs, California, Camden’s Real Estate Investment team approached Andre Kikoski Architect to collaborate with architect KTGY on Camden Hillcrest apartments in San Diego’s iconic Hillcrest neighborhood. Andre Kikoski Architect is a globally recognized architecture and design firm with a long list of celebrated international projects that also have for decades worked on luxury hotels and private residences in San Diego’s most sought-after neighborhoods including Del Mar, Solano Beach, and Rancho Santa Fe. KTGY is a leading architecture, branding, interiors, and planning firm focused on residential, retail, and mixed-use development for more than thirty years.

An intimate sketch of a little bungalow on a cliff overlooking the ocean by famed Southern California architect Irving Gill sparked the inspiration for Kikoski, who proposed that the peninsula-shaped site at the highest elevation in Hillcrest should consist of three buildings organized around spectacular views of charming San Diego canyons, the Mission Valley city below, and the Pacific Ocean. And the actual results would have made Irving Gill proud!

Camden is an amazing organization and they have an incredible sense of detail and the arts. I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to interpret the context of San Diego not only in architecture but in the interior amenity spaces as well. The goal was to create a vibrant, eclectic take upon what we thought a casual, cool, refined yet luxurious lifestyle in Southern California would be. And we really appreciate that Camden gave us that opportunity.” – Andre Kikoski, AIA

Driving to Camden Hillcrest along Third Avenue - one of the coolest streets in Hillcrest – provides a spectacular vantage point. Arriving at the gates, you see the beautifully landscaped entrance to the familiar and inviting Mission-style buildings containing luxury one- and two-bedroom apartment homes. San Diego’s time-honored Mission-style architecture is seen through the high archways, wrought iron decorations, and flat-white stucco.

Camden Hillcrest empty construction site

As you progress through the site, the buildings become grandeur reaching a crescendo at the tip of the peninsula with the incredible suite of amenities surrounded by iconic views of San Diego. These resort-style amenities are located at the most valuable space on the site and are accessible for everyone in the community. At this edge of the property sits the stunning pool, pool deck, and infinity spa overlooking Mission Hills with a spectacular view of the ocean. A rooftop lounge, sunset terrace, and enclosed dog park are thoughtfully placed within the community as places to unwind and enjoy the space outside your apartment home. They were designed to provide the ultimate emotional luxury: a sense of overall well-being.

The amenity spaces at Camden Hillcrest evoke the privacy of Rancho Santa Fe, the eclectic authenticity of Hillcrest, and the casual refinement of La Jolla. The resident lounge with its cheerful, contemporary furniture surrounded by 17’ arched, Mission-style windows and exposed wood beams encourages people to interact, come together, and form a community.

camden-hillcrest-apartments-san-diego-california

In addition to the building’s exteriors and amenity spaces, residents feel a remarkable sense of living on the coast in a city as incredibly dynamic as San Diego. You can walk down the block and find yourself in the funky and creative Hillcrest neighborhood; step out a bit farther to places like La Jolla, North Park, Balboa Park, Little Italy, and Coronado Island.

Hillcrest City Sign

You are perfectly located minutes from this invigorating city while having the opportunity to retreat to your relaxing and secluded community. Andre brought his resort-style vision to Camden Hillcrest after recently designing luxurious hospitality projects like L’Auberge in San Diego and One Hudson Yards in New York City.

We needed to translate Camden Hillcrest into an environment that is luxurious yet really very simple. We wanted to design a casual approach to living in the most beautiful part of the country.” – Andre Kikoski, AIA

Camden, KTGY, and Andre Kikoski Architecture came together and created something wonderful at Camden Hillcrest – a stunning Mission-style apartment community perched at the top of San Diego’s unique and vibrant Hillcrest neighborhood. Coming soon on the blog is actual photography of the intricately designed amenity spaces with more detail on these spaces by Andre Kikoski himself. Until then, click here to have a look at our available apartments while they last!

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