Atypical
All the Way...
Lets see...I met Jonathan just under two years ago.
He called me and I went to work for him. Just like that. I thought it
was strange that I wouldn’t be interviewed, we had never met,
but my friend David from Boomerang had recommended me and I soon found
out that’s all it takes. Jonathan is very trusting. In fact, I
later found out that most of the people who have worked for Jonathan
arrived via alternate routes other than the usual set-up-an-interview
type situation. They just sort of found his door and knocked. Fortunately
for them, Jonathan is the kind of guy who opens the door and, if you
look interesting, and if you look smart, and if you’re nice, he
lets you in.
Anyway, what was I hired for? I don’t
remember. I think maybe I was supposed to help out with some portfolios
of different projects he had done. Yes, that’s right. I was going
to be responsible for preparing books of various buildings which would
consist mainly of photos, along with a brief bit of text. The books
would help organize his work and serve as a visual reference for potential
publication and so forth. I would be working part-time, as a consultant.
Part-time. Hmmm.
I think it was about a month into working for Jonathan that I realized
there was no such word in his dictionary as “part-time.”
Not that I’m complaining, I mean, how many bosses ask if you want
a glass of wine while you’re working? It was part-time, just part-time
at all hours. But it was fun. And working for Jonathan means you become
part of his family. Actually, I didn't just work for Jonathan, because
his business includes his wife and kids, and you all sort of work together.
Matthew, his son, was definitely the computer technician. Whenever anything
didn’t work, print, or open, Matthew was on hand to make it work,
print, or open.
Jonathan’s business is different
from most architectural firms. The majority of projects in the Segal
office are his own, meaning he's his own client, he designs and builds
his work, and conducts the whole show. It's been this way since he went
off on his own more than a few years ago and it suits Jonathan’s
personality to have things remain the same.
There are exceptions, he has done homes for a people along the way,
but the bulk of his business comes from multi-housing loft projects
in downtown San Diego.
Once I began working with Jonathan, all
sorts of new work began to turn up. The great thing was, that it was
all a little bit different, and it was pretty challenging. For example,
in early spring of 2001, Jonathan received word that he had been nominated
to be a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects.
Only a handful of people are chosen each year, from each state, and
the process is quite lengthy. Basically, you have to submit letters
of recommendation from, if I remember right, seven architects, and you
have to put together a book of sorts, about you and your projects, certain
subjects being required. Our book was twenty-two pages, with a resume,
publications list, awards list, and layouts of all the key projects.
Now, you’d think that wouldn’t be that hard. Well,
let me tell you what it’s like typing up a list of publications
that Jonathan has appeared in...exhausting. From the New York Times,
to the L.A. Times, Architectural Record, San Francisco Examiner....
and on, it was long, single spaced, and had to be cut short
- we only had so many pages we could include in the book. The following
fall, Jonathan got word that he was accepted as a Fellow, and
one of the youngest in California to ever receive the honor (with the
Fellowship, you have three “tries” to get in, most people
don’t make it on the first.)
I guess I should talk
about the buildings a little bit. The commercial projects are all very
urban. Jonathan’s specialty is converting the old, and mixing
with the new. For example, some of his buildings have incubated from
old warehouses, or, another example, would be the Waterfront in
San Diego. The oldest bar in the city, Jonathan wanted to preserve it,
while still utilizing the surrounding land. So he did, he built around
the historic Waterfront bar, left it unchanged, and it is still thriving
in its original location.
photographs: (L) Steve Simpson
(R) Benjamin Segal
Recently, three projects have been very
important in Jonathan’s career. His last house, The State,
situated on State Street, The Titan, an urban multi-housing
loft building, and The Prospect, his current home
on Prospect street.
The State won numerous awards, and recently appeared in a number of
architectural publications, the most prominent being Architectural
Record (for those of you who aren’t familiar with this magazine,
think of it as the Vogue of its category.) Situated in San
Diego’s Little Italy, it is completely closed off to the street.
But walk up the stairs, through the exterior courtyard door, and you
enter a whole new world. Two sets of HUGE sliding glass walls, make
this a great indoor/outdoor home. Jonathan, and his wife Wendy design
much of the furniture they use in their own homes, and the contemporary
style suited the environment perfectly. The lower floor, with a separate
entrance, housed Jonathan’s office, and the scene usually looked
something like this; Wendy and bookkeeper Debra, taking care of the
business end of things, Matthew and Brittany working on their computers
(Jonathan and Wendy had set up work stations their kids could use for
homework), Guillermo working on Auto-Cad, Melissa checking up on all
the details Jonathan didn’t have time to, me cutting, pasting,
printing, and discussing (arguing) with Jonathan about white vs. black
backgrounds, Sharky, their late Rottweiler, relaxing in various places
around the office, the only requirement being that it was in the middle
of the walkway, and all the while various consultants, fellow architects,
and friends buzzing in and out. Oh, and Jonathan himself, directing
the whole scene.
photographs: Jonathan Segal
That was last year; this year finds Jonathan
in his new house, and new office. Still finishing off some of the last
details, this house takes off where The State ended. The same,
but better. Imagine James Bond played by Roger Moore, and then picture
the same character played by Sean Connery. The Prospect would
be Sean Connery.
Glass, exotic wood, lap pool, sliding glass walls (making another appearance),
and a patio made of thick glass that looks down onto the lower floor.
On the front end of the house, Jonathan commissioned artist Malcom Leland
to design a metal sculpture that would hang at the uppermost exterior
portion of the four level home. Very contemporary, very un-La Jolla,
and very enjoyable, as all of us who are lucky enough to be invited
over can attest to.
What’s next for
Jonathan? Currently he is designing two private residences, and has
another loft building in the works. In between his architectural design
duties, he is lecturing at various universities, taking up golf, and
smoking the occasional cigar.
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photograph by Steve Simpson
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