Development is a family affair for Kevin de Freitas, 35, principal of De Freitas Design. Downtown’s Row Homes on F was a project he designed and co-developed with his father-in-law, David Sebastian, with his own father acting as an unofficial supervisor. “The nice thing about it is there’s always the foundation that no one is out to take advantage of anyone else,” de Freitas says. “There’s a lot of security in that. It eliminates the threat of failure because everyone is working together for success. Because we’re not only business partners, but also related.”

He has designed and developed three Downtown residential projects, but Rowhomes on F is de Freitas’ greatest accomplishment. At a time when people are talking about a city of villages, de Freitas says his project meets the needs of future densification.

“Our community needs to learn how to absorb density and develop in a way that makes sense and preserves the quality of life,” he says.

His developments have earned him numerous awards. San Diego Home and Garden recognized him with Home of the Year 2000 and Kitchen of the Year 2000. San Diego Gas & Electric gave him the Energy Efficiency Award 2001, and he is an Energy Star Certified Developer. An Alonzo Award and Eva Award round out his trophy case.

De Freitas grew up in Escondido and obtained a degree in architecture from the University of Arizona. His interest in architecture began while working construction on a Rob Quigley project. “It was an amazing house and really inspired me,” de Freitas says. “I started thinking you don’t see a lot of old contractors, so I thought maybe that’s not the way to do it. Architecture seemed pretty low impact.”

Serving his third year on Downtown’s community planning group, de Freitas also is chair of the East Village Association and on the steering committee for the Downtown Community Plan update. To balance his civic duty, he manages Point Loma Little League.

He lives in Point Loma with his wife, Kara, and their three children.

— Maria L. Kirkpatrick