
I met Graham professionally, when I interviewed him
for an article on the completion of his hotel project, Tower 23 in Pacific
Beach. Later, I interviewed him for
another feature on his new Bankers Hill home that he and his then life partner, restaurateur
Tracy Borkum [Cucina Urbana], were in the process of remodeling. Back then my task was to write a feature on
the homes of prominent restaurateurs for the annual restaurant issue of San
Diego Magazine. I planned writing about
the home restaurant owner Tracy Borkum and her architect significant other Graham Downes
a full year earlier. When it came time
to write the article (reprinted below) about the Borkum/Downes home, the
historic residence was far from being completed. Thanks to an understanding editor, Tom Blair,
he accepted and published the only article I ever wrote on a remodel in
progress.
“A WORK IN PROGRESSIVE,” San Diego Magazine, August 2005
By Thomas Shess
“My architectural style
evolves so quickly,” said architect Graham Downes, one of San Diego’s top
architects and hospitality designers. “I
didn’t want our home to be one particular style. Then in ten years I’d have to move because I
was no longer happy living with that mood.”
So what did San Diego’s
leading 21st-century minimalist architect do to remodel one of San
Diego’s first great homes of the 20th century?
First, he didn’t do
anything alone. The revamping of their
newly purchased 1910 Jackson/Klauber home is a “we” effort of Downes and Tracy
Borkum.
This couple’s respective
careers couldn’t be more prime time.
Tower 23, a spectacular seaside boutique hotel in Pacific Beach designed
by Downes, held its grand opening last month [July, 2005, San Diego Magazine]. Restaurateur Borkum is on a hot streak, too. Recently, she added Laurel (now renamed
Cucina Urbana) to her roster of popular eateries that include Kensington Grill
and Chive in the Gaslamp Quarter.
Downes' reputation in local
hospitality design is legend. In
addition to Tower 23, his firm Graham Downes Architecure (GDA), has created the
design for Chive, Thin, Gran Havana Café, Jimmy Love’s Shaker Room, Martini
Ranch, Seau’s, Nine-Ten, Brasserie Excelsior, Pasquale and a recent remodel of
The Marine Room.
Early on, Borkum liked the
idea of living upstairs in her new 1910 digs while occasionally having the
downstairs and the grounds available as a site for catering private
parties. The home has a history of being
an entertainment and wedding venue. Its
Bankers Hill location is central to Borkum’s operations and GDA’s new
headquarters in a Barrio Logan retro brick warehouse. The home catering idea didn’t catch on.
Downes immediately liked
the horizontal lines of the house. “It really fit in with our remodeling design
ideas,” he says. “The modernizing
challenge was made easier because the home was already considered modern when
it was built,” Downes said.
Ninety-five years later [in
2005], the clean stucco lines designed by Los Angeles architects Train &
Williams remain contemporary, as do many of the homes built by Train &
Williams contemporaries: Irving Gill, Frank Lloyd Wright and Pasadena’s Greene
brothers. Downes and Borkum did little to alter the exterior, and passersby
will be hard pressed to see any modernization of its wisteria-covered pergolas
and Craftsman-style perimeter fencing.
A design necklace outside
is the surrounding frieze molding under the eaves, shaped as a Greek key. That pattern is repeated throughout the house
and its grounds.
“Overall, we improved the
interior functionality of the home by asking the termites to leave an by wiring
and lighting the home with the latest high-tech wizardly,” Downes said. “As for
the interior woodwork, we caught a break.
The red mahogany in the paneling, wainscoting, moldings, frames, doors
and windows remained fairly pristine. In
fact, if there was damage to the woodwork, we probably did it—and had to
quickly repair it.
“Of the 118 windows and
doors (facing the exterior), we redid them all.
We replaced what was broken and refurbished what we could to the
period,” he said.
![]() |
The 1910 Jackson residence after the Downes/Borkum remodeling, 2006. It was a remarkable job of period restoration of a Prairie style home. |
The home’s décor is still
evolving. Downes didn’t want to furnish
the 6.000-square-foot home in Victoriana or Craftsman style. Since he was keeping all the historic
woodwork intact, he couldn’t see the need to decorate with the oak furnishings
popular in Craftsman-era homes.
“The interior is light and
bright,” he said. “You’ll see plenty of
white in wall paint and lighter, brighter colors in the furnishings to offset
the darkness of the wood.”
Downes and Borkum reflect a
more European attitude, where the ancient exteriors are preserved while the
interior reflects a more exciting, modern flair. The furnishings will mirror the taste of a
minimalist architect, especially the kitchen and personal spaces: bedrooms,
seven baths, his/her studios and twin upstairs solariums surrounded by tall
casement windows.
“It was the most modern
home in San Diego when built,” said Downes, “and once we’re finished, it will
be the most modern home in San Diego—only this time as a remodel.”
Images from Graham Downes company website.
Local News updates:
Monday, April 22:
http://www.10news.com/news/san-diego-architect-dies-after-alleged-attack-by-employee-graham-downes-died-from-fight-injuries-042213
Personal Note:
Local News updates:
Monday, April 22:
http://www.10news.com/news/san-diego-architect-dies-after-alleged-attack-by-employee-graham-downes-died-from-fight-injuries-042213
Tuesday, April 23:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Graham-Downes-San-Diego-Bankers-Hill-Architect-Juniper-Street-204084821.html
Wednesday, April 24:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/apr/24/tp-man-pleads-not-guilty-in-death-of-architect/
Tuesday, April 30:
Because I don't subscribe to the local daily newspaper I am no judge of how the coverage has been on Graham Downes death. One local blogger, however, has taken the media to task in probing deeper into the architect's death. The blogger raises questions that should be answered.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/ive-got-issues/2013/apr/23/graham-downes-sudden-death-raises-questions-the-ut/
May 28, 2013:
Downes firm to close.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Graham-Downes-Prominent-Local-Architect-Close-San-Diego--209164481.html
Tuesday, April 30:
Because I don't subscribe to the local daily newspaper I am no judge of how the coverage has been on Graham Downes death. One local blogger, however, has taken the media to task in probing deeper into the architect's death. The blogger raises questions that should be answered.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/ive-got-issues/2013/apr/23/graham-downes-sudden-death-raises-questions-the-ut/
May 28, 2013:
Downes firm to close.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Graham-Downes-Prominent-Local-Architect-Close-San-Diego--209164481.html
April 14-15, 2014:
TRIAL UPDATE: DAY ONE-4-14-14
Higinio
Salgado appeared in San Diego Superior Court April 14, 2014, the first day of
testimony in the trial, which Salgado is accused of beating to death architect
Graham Downes. Deputy District Attorney
Amy Maund told the jury that one motive for the homicide was that Salgado
“...was angry at the victim because he felt a sense of betrayal by the victim.”
Salgado,
an employee of Downes’ prominent architectural firm, feared he was going to be
replaced.
The
night of a happy hour outing by Downes and his employees ended up at Downes
home, where the deadly confrontation between Downes and Sagado occurred.
DDA
Maund said Downes was struck 17-21 times with blunt force to his head. He died days after the beating.
Defense
is saying while it was unfortunate that Downes died it was not a murder.
Here
is early coverage of the trial:
Video:
http://web.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/14/da-betrayal-murder-architect-trial/
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Architects-Employees-Testify-at-Co-workers-Murder-Trial/255256941
April 25, 2014:
FINAL VERDICT: A Superior Court jury convicted Higinio Salgado of second degree murder.
Media speculation is Salgado will receive 15 years in prison.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/apr/24/man-convicted-second-degree-murder-killing-san-die/
July 8, 2014:
SENTENCING: Convicted murderer Higinio Soriano Salgado was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Joan Weber to 15 years to life in state prison for the slaying of Graham Downes.
FINAL VERDICT: A Superior Court jury convicted Higinio Salgado of second degree murder.
Media speculation is Salgado will receive 15 years in prison.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/apr/24/man-convicted-second-degree-murder-killing-san-die/
July 8, 2014:
SENTENCING: Convicted murderer Higinio Soriano Salgado was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Joan Weber to 15 years to life in state prison for the slaying of Graham Downes.
Personal Note:
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