California Preservation Awards Sponsorship

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The 2025 Design Awards Event

We're celebrating 22 award winning projects, as well as the Trustee's Awards for Excellence and the President's Awards at the California Museum in Sacramento, near the State Capitol. This special celebration is followed by a ticketed reception with food and drinks in the outdoor courtyard of the museum.

UC San Diego Humanities and Social Sciences Building Repair

Project Lead:  Neal Matsuno, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal-In-Charge, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners, Santa Monica
Client:  Brad Phipps, AIA, LEED AP, University of California San Diego, Capital Program Management, La Jolla
Lead Architect, Engineer, or Designer:  Neal Matsuno, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica

Project Affiliates:

  • Owner/Client & Title: Elisa Pitner, Former Program Manager, UC San Diego Capital Program Management, La Jolla
  • Owner/Client & Title: Elisa Pitner, Principal Project Manager, UCLA Capital Programs, Los Angeles
  • Owner/Client & Title: Brad Phipps, Project Manager, UC San Diego Capital Program Management, La Jolla
  • Architect: Neal Matsuno, Principal-In-Charge, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica
  • Architect: Jeanne Chen, Principal, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica
  • Architect: Adam Padua, Project Manager, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica
  • Architect: Laurie Groelher, Project Designer, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica
  • Architect: Nozomu Sugawara, Project Designer, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners, Santa Monica
  • Historic Architect: Katie Horak, Principal, Architectural Resources Group, Los Angeles
  • Historic Architect: Lindsey Miller, Project Manager, Architectural Resources Group, Los Angeles
  • Historic Architect Sarah Devan, AIA, AIC, Senior Associate and Architectural Conservator, Architectural Resources Group, Los Angeles
  • Structural Engineer Mike West, Project Manager, Coffman Engineers, Inc., San Diego
  • Mechanical Engineer Paul Stuart, Project Manager, Coffman Engineers, Inc., San Diego
  • Electical Engineer: Rae Ferriolo, Project Manager, Coffman Engineers, Inc., San Diego
  • Landscape Architect: Neil Hadley, Principal, landLab, Redondo Beach
  • Waterproofing/Exterior Envelope/FP/Code: Amy Hackney, Principal, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., Los Angeles
  • Waterproofing/Exterior Envelope/FP/Code: Michael Huhtala, Project Manager, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., Los Angeles
  • Waterproofing/Exterior Envelope/FP/Code: Matthew Sherman, Concrete Specialist, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., Los Angeles
  • Waterproofing/Exterior Envelope/FP/Code: Nathan Wittasek, FP/Code, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., Los Angeles
  • Contractor: Andy Rodgers, Project Executive, Rudolph and Sletten, Inc., San Diego
  • Contractor: Doug Ogie, Superintendent, Rudolph and Sletten, Inc., San Diego
  • Contractor: Syed Shah, Project Manager, Rudolph and Sletten, Inc., San Diego
  • Precast Fabricator: Larry Willis, CEO, Willis Construction Co. Inc., San Juan Bautista
  • Precast Fabricator: Sean Fitinghoff, Project Manager, Willis Construction Co. Inc., San Juan Bautista
  • Precast Fabricator: Mark Hildebrand, Chief Engineer, Willis Construction Co. Inc., San Juan Bautista

UC San Diego Humanities and Social Sciences Building Repair

UC San Diego Humanities and Social Sciences Building Repair is a winner for the 2025 Preservation Design Award for Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology. 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/.

About UC San Diego Humanities and Social Sciences Building Repair

The HSS Building’s 1970’s façade of precast concrete was deteriorated to the point of being hazardous. Previous repair projects attempted to address these deficiencies but there were larger issues at play related to the building’s original construction and deficiencies in the concrete mix. 

In 2020, the decision was made to replace the entire tower building façade with new curtain wall precast panels. Because it is a historic building, the newly designed pre-cast wall system had to match the original system in all visual qualities, meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and undergo environmental (CEQA), California Coastal Commission, and UC San Diego Design Review Board approvals. The University also wanted the new panels to meet or exceed strict performance criteria including improved thermal performance and weather resistance.

Completed in about 16 months, the new pre-cast concrete panel skin of the building is indistinguishable from the original system.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

Community Importance

Muir College remains notable for exhibiting an exceptional sense of aesthetic unity that ties the campus together and evokes an especially strong sense of place. The HSS building is a notable contributor to Muir College’s collection of distinctive Brutalist style buildings. Its architect, Richard George Wheeler, was a second-generation San Diego architect notable in the community for his modernist designs.

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.