Heleo Architecture + Design

Heleo Architecture + Design Architecture and Design Studio
Based in San Diego, CA

Heleo is hiring…
02/18/2026

Heleo is hiring…

Bonita Hybrid Modular Residence | WIPHybrid structure = modular + stick framing.Private spaces use factory-built modules...
01/21/2026

Bonita Hybrid Modular Residence | WIP
Hybrid structure = modular + stick framing.
Private spaces use factory-built modules, while open living areas are framed on site for flexible spans and seamless indoor–outdoor living.

Grateful and honored to share that the Exchange Pavilion has received a Citation Design Award from the AIA Los Angeles C...
12/17/2025

Grateful and honored to share that the Exchange Pavilion has received a Citation Design Award from the AIA Los Angeles Chapter in the Cityscapes / Installations category.
We are especially proud of the Exchange Pavilion’s continued life as a public gathering space and its role in fostering dialogue in its new home in Tijuana’s Parque Esperanto.
This work would not have been possible without an extraordinary group of collaborators and partners, including , who joined forces with Heleo as part of the selected binational team and for their trust.
Special thanks to:
and
steel





audiovisual


Photo by .patzke

We’re honored to share that the Exchange Pavilion has received an Orchid Award for Public Art from the , designed in col...
10/09/2025

We’re honored to share that the Exchange Pavilion has received an Orchid Award for Public Art from the , designed in collaboration with . Endless thanks to everyone who made this project possible.


Steel Fabrication & Installation: .steel
Structural Engineering:
Lighting Design:
Fixture & Lighting Controls Rep:
Ticker Tape audiovisual design: .audiovisual

Sessions by the Bay | National City CA. The new perforated natural wood facade draws inspiration from the curves of th...
08/15/2025

Sessions by the Bay | National City CA.
The new perforated natural wood facade draws inspiration from the curves of the adjacent estuary, reinterpreting the natural landscape into a moire patterned skin. Using generative design tools and custom Dynamo scripts, the pattern iterates in scale and gradation, producing a dynamic play of light and shadow across the building surface.

Photography: .patzke
Facade:
GC:

Sessions by the Bay | National City CA. The design began with a simple yet powerful idea: to create a veil that would ...
08/01/2025

Sessions by the Bay | National City CA.
The design began with a simple yet powerful idea: to create a veil that would both conceal and reveal, giving the once abandoned structure a striking new identity while signaling a new role as a place of gathering, connection, and wellness.
Photography: .patzke
Facade:
Contractor:

A space to slow time, an architecture of in-betweens: light and shadow, pause and perception. | Sessions by the Bay | ...
07/25/2025

A space to slow time, an architecture of in-betweens: light and shadow, pause and perception. | Sessions by the Bay | National City, CA

Photography: .patzke
Facade:

We’re excited to share that construction is officially underway for TJ Tacos’ Oceanside location! This project involves ...
02/03/2025

We’re excited to share that construction is officially underway for TJ Tacos’ Oceanside location! This project involves a complete gut remodel of an existing commercial building, revitalizing and activating the corner of Mission Avenue and San Diego Street with a new corrugated metal siding and composite wood slat walls. The project will bring a fresh, modern space for TJ Tacos to bring their authentic TJ flavors to Oceanside, with indoor and outdoor dining terraces and a commissary kitchen for future TJ Tacos locations. We can’t wait to see this community favorite take shape and look forward to its grand opening.

Structural engineer:
Food Service Design:

EXCHANGE PAVILION | PABELLÓN INTERCAMBIOPlaza de Panama Balboa Park, San Diego CA for As golden hour gives way to the n...
09/04/2024

EXCHANGE PAVILION | PABELLÓN INTERCAMBIO

Plaza de Panama Balboa Park, San Diego CA for

As golden hour gives way to the night, the pavilion lights begin to stir. They gather strength dancing through playful patterns, inviting an impromptu dance or a quiet meditation. The streaming ticker tape messages become more prominent, forming a dynamic shape shifting space from afar.
Photos by .architecture

Lighting Design:
Electrical Engineering: ELEN consulting
Fixture & Lighting Controls Rep:
Ticker Tape audiovisual design: .audiovisual
Ticker Tape Displays:
Electrical Installation:

EXCHANGE PAVILION | PABELLÓN INTERCAMBIOPlaza de Panama Balboa Park, San Diego CA The Exchange Pavilion represents more ...
08/30/2024

EXCHANGE PAVILION | PABELLÓN INTERCAMBIO

Plaza de Panama Balboa Park, San Diego CA

The Exchange Pavilion represents more than just an architectural achievement. It’s a symbol of the deep connection and collaboration between San Diego and Tijuana, two cities that are inextricably linked. Working alongside we sought to create a space that captures the essence of our shared landscape and the dynamic exchange of cultures that happens here every day.

The design and fabrication of this pavilion were truly a cross-border effort, involving talented designers, engineers and fabricators from both sides of the border. It stands as a testament to what we can achieve when we come together, transcending the boundaries that often divide us.

Our hope is that the Exchange Pavilion will spark new conversations and inspire further collaboration between our two cities and beyond. We envision a future where the San Diego-Tijuana region is not just a place of passage, but a model of integration and creativity.


Photos by .architecture
Steel Fabrication & Installation: .steel
Structural Engineering:
Transportation & Logisitics
Lighting Design:
Electrical Engineering: ELEN Consulting
Fixture & Lighting Controls Rep:
Ticker Tape audiovisual design: .audiovisual
Ticker Tape Displays:
Electrical Installation:
Byblock Modular Furniture:
Turf: Finitegras.com
Funding and Support by:

Thanks to our additional sponsors:




ELEN Consulting steel

Special Thanks to City of San Diego, SD County Board Supervisor , the City of Tijuana, , , ,

08/19/2024

A swirl of color and cultural symbolism opens on Saturday at the Plaza de Panamá in Balboa Park in front of the San Diego Museum of Art with festivities from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The impressive sculptural Exchange Pavilion was designed by Heleo Architecture + Design and Daniel Ruanova Studio as part of the World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024.

Address

845 15th Street Suite 103
San Diego, CA
92101

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16193936635

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