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.

Project Team

Project Lead
Peter Birkholz – Page & Turnbull, Inc

Owner/Client
Rosy Ehlert – City of Livermore

Architect/Landscape
Peter Birkholz – Page & Turnbull, Inc

Civil Engineer
Susan Ulvenes – SANDIS

Landscape Architect
David Meyer – Meyer & Silberberg Land Architects

Structural Engineer
Jack Laws – DCI&SDE Engineers

MEP Engineer
Ron Blue – List Engineering

Geotechnical Engineer
Jeffrey Fippin – Engeo

Cost Estimator
Cynthia Madrid – Mack5

Livermore Railroad Depot Rehabilitation and Relocation

The Livermore Railroad Depot Rehabilitation and Relocation is the winner of a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. 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. The Award will be presented on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at an online awards ceremony. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About this project

At the onset of the project, the Depot was separated from the railroad tracks that it formerly served, it sat alone in a lot that was designated to be redeveloped.  The project relocated the building adjacent to the railroad tracks that serve the regional light rail system. The rehabilitation included selective demolition of non-historic additions, restoration and replacement of missing redwood siding and trim, wood windows and doors and rehabilitation of existing historic finishes at the interior of the building. An interior stair was reconstructed in the original configuration to link to the first and second floors. Building systems were replaced with new energy efficient systems, the foundation was replaced, and the structural system was improved to provide a code compliant seismic system, the path of travel at the site and within the interior provides an accessible path of travel throughout.

The Depot has been returned to its original use as a ticketing office and waiting area for the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority for use by rail and bus patrons.

A historic yellow and brown two-story railroad depot with LIVERMORE sign is shown on a sunny day. Text overlay mentions it won a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. California Preservation Foundation logo is visible.
A historic yellow and brown train station building with a sign reading Livermore, featuring large windows and a peaked roof, set against a partly cloudy sky at sunset.
A group of people gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the historic Livermore train station as an audience watches and takes photos. The station building is yellow with brown trim.
A black-and-white photo of a steam locomotive numbered 231 at a small train station, with several railcars attached. Tracks and utility poles are visible, along with a station building and vintage car on the right.
A bright vintage hallway with large windows, a wooden bench, hanging light fixtures, and a glass display cabinet. Signs marked 46 hang near the ceiling. Trees and sky are visible through the windows.
A historic yellow and brown train station at sunset with a sign reading Livermore. Two people stand near the entrance, and a bus is parked nearby on the right. The sky is clear and softly lit.
Construction workers in safety vests work on paving in front of a two-story yellow and brown building with a sloped roof under a clear blue sky. Construction materials and equipment are visible around the site.