About CPF and the Awards

The California Preservation Awards are a statewide hallmark, showcasing the best in historic preservation. The awards ceremony includes the presentation of the Preservation Design Awards and the President’s Awards, bringing together hundreds of people each year to share and celebrate excellence in preservation.

The California Preservation Foundation (CPF), a 501c3 nonprofit, was incorporated in 1978. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

South Pasadena Design Guidelines for ADU Team

Project Lead– Evanne St. Charles, Architectural Resources Group

Owner / Client – Matt Chang, City of South Pasadena

Report Authors – Evanne St. Charles, Grace Davis, Katie Horak, Architectural Resources Group 

South Pasadena Design Guidelines for ADUs on Historic Properties

The South Pasadena Design Guidelines ADUs on historic properties have won a 2022 Preservation Design Award for Cultural Resources Studies and Reports. 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 the South Pasadena ADU Project

The project entailed preparing design guidelines for the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on historic properties in the City of South Pasadena. The design guidelines are intended to help streamline the review process for ADU construction on historic properties.

The purpose of the South Pasadena Design Guidelines for ADU Development on Historic Properties is to preserve the historic and architectural character of the city by providing historic preservation guidance and resources for property owners and design professionals planning an ADU on a historic property or in a historic district.

The Design Guidelines are based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and are intended to complement the ADUs Design Standards for Historic Properties in the South Pasadena ADU Ordinance (South Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 36, Article 3, Section 36.350.200). The Design Guidelines serve as a planning tool for projects involving individual properties and districts listed in the City’s Inventory of Cultural Resources.

This project was made possible through State Certified Local Government (CLG) grant funding from the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) and National Parks Service (NPS).