House of Hospitality
Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

The House of Hospitality in Balboa Park is a contributing historic structure in the Balboa Park National Historic Landmark District. The building was originally constructed in 1915 as the Liberal Arts Building for the Panama-California Exposition. The design was completed under the supervision of Exposition Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, FAIA.

More than seven years of research was conducted by the architectural team to locate historic photographs, documents, drawings, and missing features. Over fourteen design and engineering firms were coordinated as a team to tackle a wide variety of technical issues, including how to fit in new HVAC and fire sprinkler systems in a highly decorated historic shell without altering its original appearance. The challenges of incorporating seismic design and accessibility for persons with disabilities were also significant challenges requiring creative problem-solving.

The 15 million dollar project involved Historic American Building Survey (HABS) documentation and the removal, restoration, and reinstallation of over 6,000 features of the building such as doors, windows, light fixtures, railings, fountains, beams, and hardware.