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When a building is designed by a legend, but the public-facing interiors have become a hindrance to attracting and retaining high-quality commercial tenants, changes may need to be made. And when that building is less than 30 years old, those alterations may even seem radical. That was the case with Aventine, a San Diego office building designed by Michael Graves, which the Rockpoint Group purchased in 2015 and subsequently spent $6.6 million to reposition its public spaces. Gensler oversaw the transformation.
Completed in 1989, the 11-story structure has solid postmodern bones, but the interior common areas became dated and less functional over time. Aventine is part of a mixed-use complex designed by Graves that includes the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine as well as stores and restaurants. The office tower had elements that aged quicker than others, and that was a problem in this University Town Centre real estate submarket, which currently enjoys the highest office rent growth rate in San Diego County-a 16 percent annual increase.
"The prior lobby was disjointed and dark, and it lacked seating areas...