Congratulations to HBG San Diego Principal and Group Leader, Joe Baruffaldi, AIA, who was recently honored as a 2023 Influencer of Architecture and Design by the San Diego Business Journal!
Joe Baruffaldi, Jr, AIA, Principal / Group Leader at HBG Design, the #2 hospitality and entertainment design firm in the U.S. With over 30 years of experience in collaborative architecture and interior design, Joe is responsible for the ground-up inception of HBG Design’s San Diego office, actively recruiting, cultivating, and leading a dynamic design team. He serves on the Downtown San Diego Partnership and is Board Chairman for the Design Institute of San Diego.
Let’s Shine a Brighter Spotlight on Joe!
Joe Baruffaldi, Jr, AIA, Principal / Group Leader at HBG Design directs the firm’s San Diego office by prioritizing client relationships and team engagement. HBG Design is an active member of the Downtown San Diego Partnership; is the 34th largest architecture and design firm in San Diego; and is the #2 hospitality and entertainment design firm in the U.S. (by Hotel Business).
Responsible for the Ground Up Inception & Growth of HBG San Diego
Joe is responsible for the ground-up inception of HBG Design’s San Diego office. Since 2016, he has been actively recruiting, cultivating, and leading a dynamic team of architects and interior designers who are enthusiastic members of the San Diego design community. Joe effectively and enthusiastically translates HBG’s national culture of collaboration and innovation into his vibrant West Coast office. In 2022 and 2023, Joe achieved a 50% staff growth rate and promoted several San Diego staff members to Associate and Senior Associate positions.
Instilling HBG Design Culture in San Diego
As part of the firm’s ‘Kirk Bobo Creating Impact Outreach Initiative’, Joe has been instrumental in launching HBG San Diego’s partnership with the Fred Finch Youth Center to create and implement a master beautification plan for their Lemon Grove, CA, residential treatment campus. Hands-on design, planting, and landscaping helped revitalize the Fred Finch grounds as a communal gathering space. HBG’s Creating Impact program is an immersive design and learning experience developed to enhance employee relationships and service to the San Diego community.
Design Industry Involvement & Contributions
Joe serves on the Downtown San Diego Partnership’s Planning and Public Policy Committee, where he contributes his extensive industry knowledge to help spur and evolve downtown planning initiatives. He formerly served on the Urban Design Sub-Committee.
Additionally, Joe has established partnerships with the Design Institute of San Diego, the NewSchool of Architecture & Design, and other local colleges, helping inspire career pathways for students from these prestigious institutions. He has also spearheaded the development of internship programs that create work experiences at HBG for students pursuing their architecture and interior design degrees.
He is Chairman of the Board of the Directors for the Design Institute of San Diego, a small, private college that has been devoted to preparing students for rewarding, innovative and socially responsible careers in interior design for more than 40 years. His previous affiliations include the Center City Advisory Committee, CCDC, San Diego, CA, and Design-Build Institute of America.
Design Leadership in Indian Gaming
Joe manages large-scale hospitality, entertainment and mixed-use design projects for HBG, including the acclaimed Desert Diamond West Valley Resort in Glendale, Arizona, and the newly opened Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, CA. He is a proud contributor to the dialogue on industry trends as a speaker for the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) and the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) conferences.