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The 2023 Design Awards Event

Two people walk through a modern art gallery with high ceilings, exposed beams, a mezzanine level, and artwork displayed on white walls. Natural light streams in from large windows above a central staircase.

For 2023, we’re celebrating 16 award winning projects at the historic Fort Mason Center for the Arts & Culture in the Cowell Theatre, preceded by a special social event in the stunning Design Award-winning Pier 2 Atrium.

We’re celebrating four years of the Preservation Design Awards at this special opportunity for winning teams and conference-goers. Wines will be split into six groups, tied to winning projects from all four years. There will be some surprises, a silent auction, and food and drink served.

Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University

Project Lead or Principal First Name
Lorcan O’Herlihy – Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects

Project Lead
Maria Mohammed – Structural Focus

Owner/Client
Collette Creppell – Chapman University

Architect/Landscape
Lorcan O’Herlihy – Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects

Author
Maria Mohammed – Historic Resource Group

Historic Architect
Peyton Hall – Historic Resource Group

Structural Engineer
Maria Mohammed – Structural Focus

MEP Engineer
John Rozeluk – Buro Happold, MEP

Historic Preservation Consultant
Leah Rolf – Historic Resource Group

Contractor
RD Olson – R.D Olsen Construction

Specialty Sub-Contractor(s)
SMI Millwork – SMI Millwork

Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University

Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University is a winner for the 2023 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/programs/awards/.

Modern building with beige exterior and palm trees out front, labeled Sandi Simon Center for Dance. Text includes award nomination, location in Orange, CA, and mentions rehabilitation and reconstruction.

A split image shows a bright, spacious dance studio with a piano on the left, and a modern lounge area with round seating and a table on the right. Text below describes the Sandil Simon Center for Dance renovation.

A collage of three black-and-white photos showing the SOGA Packing House exterior, and workers processing oranges inside, with text highlighting its historic significance in Orange County’s citrus and Latino history.

Side-by-side comparison: Left image shows an empty warehouse with exposed beams; right image shows the same space renovated with wooden walls, a curved staircase, and modern finishes beneath a skylit ceiling.

Interior of a large, abandoned warehouse with exposed beams, high ceilings, and sunlight streaming through rows of tall windows near the roof. The space appears empty and industrial.

Collage of three images showing a modern, renovated interior with exposed beams, large windows, a curved staircase, open seating areas, and a spacious, flexible multi-purpose room with natural light.

Side-by-side comparison of a building before and after restoration. The left shows a faded exterior with construction workers; the right shows a clean facade, palm trees, cars, and a restored Sunkist sign.

Side-by-side images show a damaged, empty basement with exposed beams labeled Before, and a partially renovated, well-lit construction site labeled In Progress, with new flooring and a large opening in the floor.

Wide view of a modern, bright interior with lounge seating and white curtains, alongside a tall stairwell with exposed beams where a person walks up illuminated steps inside a renovated industrial building.

About Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University

The Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University was transformed from a 1920s industrial packing house – the largest and last operating in Southern California – into a modern dance studio. The project adhered closely to historic preservation standards by first researching the importance of the building and getting it on the National Register of Historic Places. Project teams simultaneously completed layers of technical reporting before launching the full building rehabilitation, which included standout sensitivity to the context in providing for new uses in space with special visual character.

Notably, important character-defining features were maintained throughout, such as the large open spaces, sawtooth clerestories, and exposed structural elements.

Among a number of regional adaptations of packing houses, this project is not only large but retains a very high level of integrity and even includes the connection to the citrus industry as the iconic “Sunkist” logo was returned to the roofline.

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.