Introducing the 2019 Preservation Design Award Winners

Each year the California Preservation Foundation pulls together a jury of leading architects, designers, journalists, builders, academics, and more to select the best preservation projects from across the state. This year the jury selected 21 winners, from the meticulous restoration of a single home, to reports that will guide the infill and development of entire neighborhoods. The winners will be formally recognized at the California Preservation Awards on Friday, October 18, 2019 at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. This year’s winners provide innovative and exemplary responses to many of the problems facing not only preservation, but the world at large, while adhering to the highest professional standards.

Two projects show areas that are ripe for continued work between preservationists and housing advocates to solve our state’s housing crisis. The A.V. Walberg Residence & Adjoining Properties provides a model for increasing density within a historic site, while respecting the existing structures. A study of Eichler neighborhoods in Palo Alto and Orange provides a blueprint for updating and enhancing entire communities while preserving the communal feel that makes them special.

Many of our state’s former industrial and manufacturing sites are in serious disrepair, and three projects show how they can be reimagined as the workplaces and living spaces of the future. Both Google and the San Francisco Art Institute turned disused shed structures into cutting edge spaces for innovation and creation. A comprehensive study and plan for Pier 70 in San Francisco offers a roadmap to guide responsible infill at a site that was once a major hub of industry and craftsmanship.

At a time when questions about who belongs are increasingly common, two projects make the case for diverse representation in the past – and the future. The City of Riverside Latino Historic Context Statement offers a comprehensive look at one of the oldest and most cohesive Latino communities in California, identifying dozens of potential historic resources and bringing together an entire community. The Chinese Workers and the Railroad Travelling Exhibit highlights the essential contributions of Chinese workers to the development of California, and its innovative design will allow people across the state to learn about this important history.

Each project, from meticulous craftsmanship in the Neptune Pool at Heart Castle and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, to lovingly restored homes from Napa to Los Banos, is an exemplar of preservation excellence. They join more than 500 projects that have been recognized with a Preservation Design Award since 1983, and the California Preservation Foundation is proud to highlight their achievements.

A.V. Walberg Residence & Adjoining Properties
Los Angeles | Contextual Infill Category
Two homes were rehabilitated with four new dwellings sensitively added to a three parcel lot in Northeast L.A. The project tailors new housing density to fit seamlessly within the context of an existing Historic Preservation Zone demonstrating how much-needed housing can be added to historic districts while preserving historic fabric.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Los Angeles | Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology Category
A novel stabilization, repair and restoration was undertaken of the 1939 stone cladding, gold-glass mosaic and steel box framed windows of the Streamline Moderne Saban Building facades (formerly May Co., department store) at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles.

Neptune Pool Repair
San Simeon | Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology Category
At Hearst’s Neptune Pool, cracking of the concrete substrate and the mortar resulted in leaking water. New marble tile and specialty marble pieces from the original quarries, installed over a membrane, duplicate the beauty of the original iconic pool.

Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room Conservation
Santa Barbara | Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology Category
After more than 80-years of age and no significant effort to conserve the murals, a complete conservation project was undertaken by the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, resulting in the renewal of the entire Mural Room; including murals, furniture, woodwork and textiles.

City of Riverside Latino Historic Context Statement
Riverside | Cultural Resource Studies Category
The Riverside Latino Historic Context Statement provides a panoramic look at over a century of history of Riverside’s Latino community. This groundbreaking study will allow the City to identify the people, places, and resources significant to the Latino community.

Eames House Conservation Management Plan
Pacific Palisades | Cultural Resource Studies Category
The Eames House Conservation Management Plan is a management tool to direct the care of this iconic work of modern architecture. It is a model for the conservation of other buildings and is available at no charge on the Web.

Pier 70
San Francisco | Cultural Resource Studies Category
The 35-acre Pier 70 mixed-use redevelopment is located within the 66-acre Union Iron Works Historic District in San Francisco. The Design for Development documents a vision that protects the integrity of the historic district and ensures a compatible new legacy.

Preserving Eichler Neighborhoods
Palo Alto & Orange | Cultural Resource Studies Category
With extensive community input, design guidelines were developed for Eichler homes in two cities: Palo Alto and Orange. The two documents were tailored to the different needs of each city and illustrate the range of approaches for preserving these iconic Mid-Century Modern neighborhoods.

UC San Diego Campus-Wide Historic Context Statement and Historic Resource Survey
La Jolla | Cultural Resource Studies Category
Between 2015 and 2018, the project team led a pioneering, multi-year endeavor to comprehensively identify, evaluate, and document all eligible historic and cultural resources on the campus of the University of California, San Diego.

Chinese Workers and the Railroad Travelling Exhibit
Palo Alto | Interpretive Exhibits Category
Travelling exhibit describing the role of Chinese workers in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad and photographic comparisons of landscapes in the 1860s and as they appear today with a major focus on California history and sites.

St. John’s Lutheran Church Roof Restoration Project
Sacramento | Reconstruction Category
The project, consistent with the July 2018 City of Sacramento Record of Decision (for preservation site plan and design review) included the removal of the roof substrate and of all existing asbestos shingle roof cladding and replacement of the cladding with a diamond-patterned copper roof tile system that reinstate’s the church’s original circa 1912 roof cladding material and design.

Beverly Gardens Park Rehabilitation
Beverly Hills | Rehabilitation Category
Beverly Gardens Park, a 113-year-old designated historic landmark, is a 1.9-mile long linear park providing 23 blocks of open space. The multi-million dollar, multi-year partnership accomplished comprehensive restoration and rehabilitation of the park while retaining the landmark’s original vision and character-defining features.

Cooper Molera Adobe
Monterey | Rehabilitation Category
The Cooper-Molera Adobe project renews a 2.4-acre historic site with a collection of buildings from c.1827 – 1902. Through rehabilitation, adaptive reuse and sensitive infill construction, the project balances compelling historic interpretation and educational programs with appropriate and complementary commercial uses.

Google, Spruce Goose
Los Angeles | Rehabilitation Category
The adaptive reuse of the historic Spruce Goose hangar into an exceptional new workplace encompassed extensive rehabilitation and preservation of original elements. Four levels of new architecture and custom art installations acknowledging the building’s rich history completed the transformation.

Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park Stable Rehabilitation Project
Carlsbad | Rehabilitation Category
The project successfully adapted the utilitarian stable to a more code-restrictive public occupancy. Structural, life safety, accessibility, and systems upgrades were seamlessly integrated with the existing structure. A new restroom building and the reestablishment of site features complements the project.

San Francisco Art Institute at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture
San Francisco | Rehabilitation Category
Located on San Francisco Bay, the historic Fort Mason Pier 2 warehouse has been transformed into a new campus for San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). This adaptive reuse preserves the industrial integrity of the landmark and supports the school’s mission.

Ackerman Heritage House
Napa | Restoration Category
An 1889 Queen Anne house designed by the county’s preeminent architect, but which had been inadequately maintained for decades, was given a five-year total restoration that upgraded the house structurally and functionally while maintaining its Victorian appearance inside and out.

Fawcett House
Los Banos | Restoration Category
Original plans, photographs, and numerous consultants were employed to ensure accuracy in the restoration of a 1955 Frank Lloyd Wright home. Preserving much of the original structure, structural stabilization, demolition of alterations, and new systems were incorporated, returning this home to its original grandeur.

Judge Johnson and Sarah Horrell House and the Hayman Cottage
Napa | Restoration Category
The Judge Johnson and Sarah Horrell House, circa 1856, was damaged in the 2014 South Napa Earthquake as well as neglected for decades. This project was a mission to restore the dignity to this Gothic Revival home and the 1907 Hayman cottage located in the rear of the property.

Kaptur Plaza
Palm Springs | Restoration Category
The original buildings, purchased by a developer, were slated for demolition. The preservation community rallied to save them due to their unique design and pedigree. After approximately one year of public hearings, the developer agreed to rehabilitate the buildings and site.

Napa County Courthouse
Napa | Restoration Category
The 1878 Napa County Courthouse, designed by Samuel and Joseph Newsom, was severely damaged in the 2014 South Napa Earthquake. Reopened in January 2019, after almost five years, the courthouse is once again the center of Justice in Napa County.

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