Local Projects Win Design Awards

SAN FRANCISCO--An assisted-living community for seniors in Pacific Palisades and a collection of luxury estates in Arcadia were among the Southern California projects that took more than half of the prizes at the 39th annual Gold Nugget awards ceremony, held Thursday at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference here.

A nine-member panel of judges considered more than 600 entries for awards in 46 categories that honor achievement in architectural design and land-use planning for residential, commercial and industrial projects.

The design contest, the oldest and largest of its kind in the United States, was the highlight of the convention that brings together developers and related professionals from around the world.

Among the winning Southern California projects was Aldea in Irvine, which received the best residential site plan award. The development, designed by Robert Hidey Architects Inc. and built by California Pacific Homes, was dubbed a “breakaway trendsetter� by the judges. The project features 14 detached houses per acre in a re-creation of old Los Angeles courtyard homes.

The same building team accepted two additional awards for best single-family detached homes, also in Irvine. Aldea-Residence One, at about 1,030 square feet and designed for single parents and single professionals, features walk-in closets and courtyard patios in what judges described as a “Melrose Place� ambience. The other six-unit complex features walkways and small parks that “provide a sense of neighborhood identity and charm,� the judges said.

Two Anoakia Estates homes in Arcadia won in the best single-family detached homes categories. Part of an infill project, the homes were designed by Lim Chang Rohling & Associates and built by Hover Development Co., and feature simple, elegant floor plans, a downstairs bedroom suite for multigenerational living and recessed windows.

The project plan worked carefully around mature oak trees on a 19-acre historic estate property. The about 5,000-square-foot homes are priced from $1.6 million to $1.85 million.

The Villas at Shady Canyon in Irvine also won two grand awards for best single-family detached home. The Italian villa-inspired luxury home, designed by Robert Hidey Architects Inc. and built by Taylor Woodrow Homes, is organized around two courtyards that “bring daylight and cross-ventilation to all living spaces,� the judges said.

Sunrise Assisted Living in Pacific Palisades, designed by Hill Partnership Inc. and built by Suffolk Construction, was named the best seniors assisted-living community. The three-story, 40-unit building was designed as an urban infill project and feels like a luxury hotel, according to the judges. Units begin at $5,500 a month and run to $7,000 monthly.

Hermosa Village in Anaheim, designed by G.R. Collins & Associates and built by Portrait Homes Inc., picked up the award for best redevelopment, rehabilitation or infill site plan.

The complex, built in the 1950s as short-term housing for single workers building Disneyland, underwent a major overhaul, from the creation of courtyards and play spaces for children, to carports located in the back of the buildings. Rents begin at $569 a month for one-bedroom units to $1,201 for four-bedroom units.

“[The project] covered all aspects of the neighborhood concerns, from crime issues to the lack of parking spaces,� the judges wrote in their decision.

Two of the five Building Industry Community Spirit Awards went to Southern California projects. The award recognizes projects that meet the needs of a community’s less-fortunate residents.

Local winners were Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos, designed by JBZ Architecture + Planning and built by Centex Homes, South Coast Division, and Gamboa Family House in Val Verde, designed by Leslie Bailly Architect and built by Centex Homes.

For a complete list of Gold Nugget award winners, visit www.goldnuggetawards.com.