Torrey Heights by Breakthrough earned a Vitruvian honorable mention for Outstanding New Façade (mid-rise). The Vitruvian Honors & Awards program, presented by the Façade Techtonics Institute, seeks to recognize outstanding innovation and achievements in the field of façade design and delivery.
Flad designed the award-winning San Diego life science research campus. Comprised of three thoughtfully designed scientific workplaces and an amenity building totaling 520,000 square feet, it offers top-tier leasable space for biotechnology firms.
Seeking to create flexible, daylight-infused interior floor plates that maximize energy efficiency, digital tools were employed to assist in massing, placement, and façade development, helping to create a one-of-a-kind facility that attracts high-end tenants.
The façade is composed of highly articulated, unitized Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) panels, emphasizing depth and texture. Appearing to be assembled from custom designed panels, the exterior represents the careful application and assembly of only four standardized designs to create its signature look.
The neutral-colored GFRC panels serve as a backdrop to the environment, enabling the façade to change color and texture with the sunlight at different times of the day, presenting unmatched applications on all four facades throughout the day and year.
Breakthrough Properties 
Torrey Heights Development
October 15, 2025