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.
Lisser Hall Team
Project Lead & Title
Diana Hayton – ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Owner/Client & Title
Karen Fiene – Mills College
Architect
Diana Hayton – ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Historic Architect
Diana Hayton – ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Lead Engineer
Mehri Ansari – Ansari Structural Engineers, Inc.
Consulting MEP Engineer
Shawn MacLean – Interface Engineering
Electrical Engineer
Kristina Santi – Interface Engineering
Theater and AV
Ian Hunter – The Shalleck Collaborative
Contractor
Jay Magtibay – Oliver and Company, Inc.
Project Manager
Susan Vutz – ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Design Team Member
Lauren Wynveen – ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Acoustic Engineer
Jason Duty – Salter
Construction Manager
Leyla Hilmi – Leyla Hilmi Design
Photography
Lawrence Anderson – Lawrence Anderson
Mills College Lisser Hall
Mills College Lisser Hall is a winner for the 2021 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. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.
About Mills College Lisser Hall
The Lisser Hall rehabilitation provided a state-of-the-art, performing arts center, reactivating the academic core of the campus and boosting the college’s fine arts programs. The building’s seismic strengthening approach located new shear walls and foundations concealed from view, preserving significant character-defining features within the interior and on the exterior. A new elevator, renovated restrooms, interior ramps, and new stage lift created a fully accessible facility for all students and visitors. The project restored the 1901 main auditorium’s wood and plaster ornamentation and flat-floor configuration. New retractable theater seating created a flexible venue with improved sight lines, accessible seating, and easy-to-use sound, video, and theatrical lighting systems appropriate for professional and student use. A new contemporary exterior wood terrace, added to the south side of the building, opens up from the lobby and overlooks beautiful Leona Creek, creating an activated outdoor space at the heart of the historic Mills College campus.
