The Del Mar Plaza project is one of the many architectural landmarks that have enhanced the growth of the country’s economy in more ways than one. The early 1970s marked the demand for more commercial building owing to the increasing population (Hiss & AARP Organization, 2012).  Along with this came an increased investment in housing structures to cater for the needs for local city dwellers and immigrants into the city and country as a whole.

The Del Mar Plaza was established when two architects decided to combine their skills and experience to merge their ideas into a creative, one of a kind landmark. The project was initiated in 1979 with the hope of tapping into the lifestyle of the people in the coastal region. Ideally, most of the buildings at the time were aimed at meeting modern architectural criteria such as environmentally friendly, safety and convenient. Hence, the both (Ivan Gayler and David Winkler saw the significance in creating a structure that could meet all the needs of the targeted demographic at the time (Gayler & Winkler, 1986).

Currently, architecture is one of the most lucrative industries owing to the increased demand of housing, commercial buildings, and improved infrastructure. Additionally, the growth and development of the country’s economy has seen the evolution of architecture as a whole. As such, a trip to the Del Mar Plaza was vital in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the way in which the industry functions (Gayler & Winkler, 1986).

The tour was highly educational in that revealed a number of factors which are essential in understanding the functionality of the building. Apart from that, I liked the way in which the tour provided information on some factors about the Plaza which could not be answered before such as feasibility, project design, architecture, politics, and economic feasibility (Hiss & AARP Organization, 2012). 

In terms of politics, According to Ivan Gayler and David Winkler, the project took about 5 years before its official launch to the public. Notably, before the opening of the Plaza, the team faced an immense amount of challenges owing to the resistance from some members of the community who had a negative attitude towards developers in the region. In terms of the project design, the plaza enlists top notch designs which are reflective of modern building and construction. The design showcases well furnished interiors, the actual building and the outside areas like the parking area, the bypasses, and the roads. The Plaza has restaurants which have interior and dining space. The plaza also caters for commercial clients in that it houses offices for banks, retail shops, and, clubs, consultations companies which meet the needs of the targeted market niche (Gayler & Winkler, 1986).

With respect to economic feasibility, the value of the real estate has tripled from the time of the construction despite challenges such as the 2008 recession. Currently, the plaza attracts thousands of prospective buyers and clientele who intend to lease out the spaces. One of the selling points of the building is the spec of luxury that it offered to its clientele. One of the aspects that I liked about the tour is that fact that the project has resulted in profits for the developers (Gayler & Winkler, 1986). This serves as inspiration for projects that I intends to participate in. As stated earlier, the buildings meet all requirements such as eco friendliness, spacious rooms, safety requirements, and top of the range designs in various rooms. As such, the part of the tour that I enjoyed the most included going around some of the rooms and getting tips from both developers of how to be successful in the business.