California Preservation Awards Sponsorship

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The 2026 Design Awards Event

A view from above of a circular, multi-level courtyard with ornate railings, white columns, red tile floors, and a central fountain surrounded by greenery. Spiral staircases connect the different levels.We're celebrating 24 award winning projects, as well as the Trustee's Awards for Excellence and four President's Awards at the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside. This special celebration is followed by a ticketed reception with food and drinks. Purchase your tickets before they sell out!

The Laurel

Project Lead:  John Arnold, AIA, Partner, KFA Architecture,
Client:  Niana Moore, EAH Housing, Tarzana
Lead Architect, Engineer, or Designer:  John Arnold, AIA, KFA Architecture, Culver City

Project Affiliates:

  • Owner / Client Niana Moore, EAH Housing, Tarzana
  • Architect John Arnold, AIA, Partner, KFA Architecture, Culver City
  • Landscape Architect: Mark Beall, ASLA, Mark Beall + Associates, Los Angeles
  • Structural Engineer: Ming Yang Yeh, SE, Ming Yang Yeh & Associates, Pasadena
  • MEP Engineer: Mark Shamim, Shamim Engineering, Tarzana
  • Civil Engineer: Ronald Peralbo, Breen Engineering, Inc., Torrance
  • Contractor: Mark Russell, Westport Construction, Inc, Monrovia
  • Historic Preservation Consultant: , Chattel, Inc, Sherman Oaks
  • Restoration Contractor: Spectra Company

The Laurel

The Laurel is a winner for the 2025 Preservation Design Award for Reconstruction or Contextual Infill. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/programs/awards/.

About The Laurel

The Laurel Apartments combines historic preservation with complementary new infill construction to create 57 units of supportive housing in Santa Monica. At the heart of the project is the restored Nikkei Hall, a mid-century modern landmark built in 1957 by Japanese American community leaders. Once a vital gathering place for Japanese Americans, the Hall has been restored and repurposed as a community room for residents. The new four-story building wraps around a landscaped central courtyard and features sustainable, all-electric  apartments designed to provide stability and support for individuals overcoming homelessness. Residents, many of whom are seniors or individuals with disabilities, also benefit from on-site services. By thoughtfully integrating preservation with modern design, The Laurel Apartments honors the legacy of Nikkei Hall while addressing Santa Monica’s critical need for permanent supportive housing.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards
Aerial view of a modern urban building with a rooftop garden, surrounded by trees and city streets, with more buildings and greenery visible in the background.
A modern apartment building with cream and white exterior, featuring an outdoor staircase and a smaller white building in front with a green roof covered in grass and plants. Landscaping with shrubs and trees surrounds the property.
Aerial view of a modern, white apartment building with solar panels on the roof, located at a street corner with bike lanes, crosswalks, and nearby green spaces and roads.
A modern, well-lit common room with orange and gray chairs, small tables with plants, and a dining area. Large windows let in natural light, and a kitchen is visible in the background.
A modern, multi-story building with light tan and white exterior panels on a city corner. A person walks on the sidewalk near a street sign for 14th St. Large windows are on the ground floor, and trees line the street.
A row of parked white cars lines a street shaded by large trees, with modern apartment buildings and a yellow structure in the background on a sunny day. Several people walk along the sidewalk.
A woman walks a dog on a sidewalk in front of a modern apartment building, while a man sits on a yellow bench nearby. There are plants and trees in the landscaped area and a clear blue sky above.
A modern, four-story apartment building with white and tan exterior panels, large windows, and a corner entrance. A person walks on the sidewalk near a traffic light and small landscaped area under a clear sky.
Two people walk on a sidewalk beside a modern white apartment building with landscaped plants and large trees, under a clear blue sky.
Aerial view of a cityscape with a main road, adjacent highway, apartment buildings, green trees, and distant skyscrapers under a hazy sky. Crosswalks and parked cars are visible in the foreground.

Community Importance

The Laurel Apartments illustrate how affordable housing development and historic preservation can work hand-in-hand to serve the needs of the community. From the outset, affordable housing was a core part of the vision for this site, addressing the critical need for supportive housing in Santa Monica. The preservation and integration of Nikkei Hall into the project’s design were driven by its cultural and historic significance as a Locally Designated Landmark. By repurposing a long-neglected site near downtown Santa Monica, this project demonstrates the feasibility and value of preserving historic structures while incorporating modern functionality. The project advanced historic preservation by integrating existing site features and materials into its new design, aligning with Santa Monica’s architectural heritage and the broader goals of preservation in Los Angeles County. Retaining key elements, such as facade treatments and original materials, allowed The Laurel to maintain a tangible connection to the past while contributing to the vitality of its urban surroundings. The public benefit is multifaceted: The Laurel provides affordable housing in a high-demand area, supporting economic diversity and addressing housing shortages. The project promotes sustainability by reducing the environmental impact of new construction, offering a model of resource conservation. The Laurel Apartments fosters stability within the community by providing housing opportunities to low- and moderate-income residents near public transportation, schools, and essential services. It serves as a model for similar developments, showcasing how preservation and adaptive reuse can respond to community needs without compromising historical integrity.

About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.