The previous building on this site was constructed in 1959 in a minimalist modern design,a proposed remodel provided the opportunity to change the architectural style to one more evocative of Santa Barbara’s Hispanic heritage.

The proposed design suggested in its organic composition a building that had been built over a period of time, further expressed in an historical mix of Spanish Romanesque, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque elements.  The design is more evocative of an urban than rustic aesthetic.