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.

Miles C. Bates House Project Team

Architect
Christian Stayner – Stayner Architects

Contractor
Kevin O’Donnell – O’Donnell Brothers Construction

Landscape Architect
  – The Cactus Store

The Miles C. Bates House

The The Miles C. Bates House 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

The Miles C. Bates “Wave”House was designed in 1954, completed in 1955, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. After its completion, a series of additions overtook the legibility of the Bates House’s dramatic wave-like roofline, and a number of years during which the house was unoccupied threatened its structural and material integrity. Stayner Architects purchased the house from the city of Palm Desert in order to save the unique mid century structure from destruction and to repurpose it to a new event and hospitality business. Through a meticulous, two year-long effort, the firm restored the innovative, patented roof system and emblematic mid-century structure and reactivated the property as a publicly-accessible amenity.

A modern house with angled roof and large glass walls is lit warmly at night. Text reads: The Miles C. Bates House. Winner of a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. California Preservation Foundation logo is in the corner.
A modern room with glass walls showing a bathroom with a freestanding tub, toilet, and indoor plant on the left, and a cozy bedroom with wooden furniture and warm lighting on the right.
Three side-by-side photos of the same kitchen space from 1955, 2018, and 2020, showing changes in decor, colors, and furniture over time. The room features a table, chairs, and a partition wall.
Three side-by-side photos of the same modern house taken in 1955, 2018, and 2020, showing its blue curved roof and exterior changes over time, with mountains and palm trees in the background.
Modern house with large glass walls warmly lit from the inside at night. The angular roof and indoor plants are visible, along with contemporary furniture and artwork, contrasting with the dark blue sky outside.
A modern bedroom with a wooden accent wall, a bed with white linens, wall-mounted lights, a zigzag patterned rug, and open doors revealing a dining area and a bathroom with blue tiles.
Mid-century modern living room with a green sofa, two gray armchairs, a round wooden coffee table, and a minimalist white lamp. Large sliding glass doors reveal a patio and lawn outside.