The AIA California Council announced 20 Architectural Design Award winners for 2004. The esteemed Design Awards jury included Hugh Hardy, FAIA; Sally Harrison, AIA; Mark Horton, AIA; Robert Hull, FAIA; and Eric Naslund, FAIA. The jury selected the winners from nearly 350 entrants and awarded 19 Merit Awards and one Honor Award for outstanding design.

2004 Honor Award

The Finn Center, Mountain View, Calif., by Mark Cavagnero Associates
The Finn Center, a community school of music and arts, is a state-of-the-art facility offering music and arts education. It houses classrooms, private music studios, visual arts studios, administration space, recital hall, and outdoor performance space. The two-story structure allows for tall classrooms that are well-lighted spaces with abundant glass and views focused toward the sky. The architect carefully wove shapes and materials with acoustic and visual concerns designed to allow no “dead space.” The exterior expresses the structure’s complexity, using wood siding as a visual and tactile relief to the concrete. Unanimously selected, this project rose to the top from the beginning, the jury reports. “The school is an example of the elegant handling of materials: the richness is beautiful,” they say. “Its plan is very controlled and made to look simple, which it is not. The interior of the auditorium is magnificent.”

2004 AIACC Merit Awards

Electrical Training Trust, Commerce, Calif., by Osborn Architects
This 141,000-square-foot facility provides training for apprentice, journeymen, and contract electricians. The new facility centralizes the organization and generates a singular architectural identity for the trade union. The architects say this project is all about dealing with spatial situations that were produced for one set of functions, but now are being used for other purposes. “This building is a good use of materials in conjunction with the landscape,” the jury comments. “Its use of structural glass is nicely done and adds character to the project.”

Ross-Snyder Recreation Center, Los Angeles, by Stephen H. Kanner, FAIA, Kanner Architects
“The texture of this project is very interesting and provides an extremely functional building while serving the needs of the community,” according to the jury. Located in a community park in South Central Los Angeles, this 12,000-square-foot recreation center houses a gymnasium, office, kitchen, and restrooms. Concrete-block walls insulate the building, and its composition of interlocking geometric forms and the variety of color abstractly represent the diverse community it serves, the architect says. It has become a major communal focal point for the neighborhood.

Northside Community Center and Mabuhay Court, San Jose, Calif., by David Baker Partners
An innovative mixed use of a public and private partnership combines two separate functions and creates 96 low-income-senior housing units with a 16,000-square-foot community center. The project replaces a municipal maintenance yard and an outdated community building. Working in concert with a senior community organization, the architect designed the project with a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom units, all adaptable for persons with disabilities. “The spaces are very nice and serve a dual purpose: Providing affordable housing that is beautifully, architecturally designed as well as a building that serves the entire community,” the jury says. “This is a nice job.”

Clark County Detention Center, Las Vegas, by Cannon Design
As one of several additions to a growing downtown Las Vegas, the newly completed Clark County Detention Center occupies a dignified place within the city’s revitalized civic center. Its 320,000 square feet of space add 1,368 beds to the current county jail. The architects designed the base of the complex to have a pedestrian-friendly view at the sidewalk level. The city’s desert terrain inspires the building materials, and creative, V-shaped outside window screens allow light to penetrate the interior space. “If you are looking at how to design a secure urban detention facility that holds its own amid a growing vibrant city civic core, this facility is it,” the jury says. “There are few obvious indicators of its function from the outside. It has an unusual window screening approach, making it very interesting to study.”

745 Navy Street, Santa Monica, Calif., by Joel Blank and Susie Tashiro Architects
This design-build project constitutes renovation of a 1926 bungalow located on a narrow street in a neighborhood that has maintained a modest and unassuming character during its transition and revitalization. Although challenged by this home’s physical boundaries, the architects maintain there is no compromise in its design. The jury agrees. “This redesigned space, though small, brings a sense of calm with its visual extensions through large glass surfaces,” they say. “It is very well done.”

Horace Mann Elementary School, San Jose, Calif., by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners with executive architect BFGC Architect Planners Inc.
The architects designed this 71,000-square-foot, three-story educational facility in tandem with major redevelopment in the downtown core of a growing city. This school’s multipurpose hall and other facilities serving the public make it an all-around community center. With 31 classrooms, a library, cafeteria, and multipurpose building, this school serves 750 students in addition to an onsite childcare center. Colored concrete-block exterior walls, sloped roof, and metal upper-wall panels create a real mix of energy and interest. “This design is very straightforward and controlled, providing practical use in conjunction with a beautifully created building,” says the jury.

San Francisco Ferry Building, San Francisco, by architect of record SMWM, Cathy Simon, with retail architect Baldauf Catton Von Eckartsberg, AIA, and preservation architect John Gordon Turnbull with Page and Turnbull
Built in 1898, the Beaux Arts San Francisco Ferry Building served as a transportation hub and gateway to the city for millions of passengers. Its distinctive Colusa sandstone façade and 240–foot-tall clock tower made it a beacon and public rallying point. Survivor of the 1906 earthquake, it served as the iconic San Francisco building for more than 50 years. The preservation design centered on the building’s great hall, the 660-foot-long “Grand Nave,” where passengers once waited to board ferries. Restoration involved renovating the entire third floor to expose the original steel trusses and terra-cotta arches in the support walls. This new public space is now a high-quality market hall lined on each side with small shops. “The renovation maintains the history of the building without compromising excellent design,” the jury says.

Lick-Wilmerding High School Technology and Design Center, San Francisco, by Peter Pfau, AIA, PFAU Architecture Ltd.
The architects said their goal for this high school was to create a technology and design center that represents dedication and appreciation for arts education and create an environment that would encourage collaboration and inspire a sense of community for its users. The configuration of the shops allows them to be oriented toward each other, defining a shaped work area that encourages interdisciplinary work and collaboration. “This unique design extends the lower level of the campus, placing the heart of the campus under the existing field,” the jury explains. “In addition, the roofs of the shops were transformed into a series of terraced landscapes, a favorite gathering place for students. This is a very nice project, and putting some of the elements underground to utilize the land was great planning.”

The Titan, San Diego, by Jonathan Segal, FAIA
Adjacent to the San Diego Freeway, this urban housing project boasts 22 lofts with two-story living spaces and a courtyard that provides a safe environment and encourages neighbor interaction. This dense building plan is a new prototype of a four-story rental-housing unit. The architect eliminated the elevator and interior corridor, giving each apartment soaring ceilings and a great relationship to the exterior urban environment. “This building is an excellent design and a very nice addition to the neighborhood,” according to the jury. “The use of natural lighting is refreshing and provides inside living with outside beauty.”

Hilltop Studio, Pasadena, Calif., by Marmol Radziner and Associates
“This is a beautifully well-executed renovation,” the jury enthuses. “It was a 1950s clunker that the architect made much better. It is very nicely done.”
In its heyday, the residence was among the most talked-about homes in Southern California, the architects said. It originally included a 6,700-square-foot main house and a 1,300-square-foot studio down the hill. Perched on five acres, the studio design was conceived as a “simple rectangle.” Originally, the house’s roof terrace employed sliding canvas screens as visual partitions separating it from the living space. The restoration included enclosing the terrace with sliding glass panels. The renovated studio integrates Asian influence with contemporary, modern construct. The interest in Japanese design influenced the choice of materials that include warm woods such as cedar, and maple for the floors and ceilings.

Kendall Square Biotech Laboratory, Cambridge, Mass., by architect of record/associate architect Symmes Maini and McKee Associates, with executive/design architect Stephen Ehrlich Architects
Located in the heart of the burgeoning biomedical research community in Cambridge, this building houses medical research labs, office spaces, and ground-level retail. The 300,000-square-foot project was initiated as an international design competition. The architects developed their design paradigm to reflect the new technologies of the biotech world while relating to the existing architectural fabric of Cambridge. A 30-foot canopy, held in place by two asymmetrical masts and constructed by Boston ship builders, dominates the north elevation. The jury comments on how the six-story, 100-foot-high atrium brings light into the core of the building. “Open walkways and strategically placed stairways feed into the enjoyment of this building,” they say further. “It’s understated, yet exudes a magnitude of design effort. All of its pieces fit together well.”

Los Angeles Design Center and Cisco Brothers Showroom, Los Angeles, by John Friedman, Alice Kimm Architects Inc.
“This building is a great example of the use of fabrication and woven design,” the jury says of this project. “It matches the purpose of the building perfectly and is very pleasing to the eye.” It signals the completion of phase one of a master plan aimed at revitalizing an area of the city’s furniture manufacturers. On the ground floor, the main entrance is identified by a door of stainless steel plates woven together to resemble a piece of fabric. Textured concrete welcomes visitors into the atrium space. The careful attention to design addresses the building’s role as a furniture design center providing a strong identity, yet fitting in well to the surrounding environment.

Accessory Dwelling Unit Manual, Santa Cruz, Calif., by Bruce A. Race, FAIA, AICP, with RACESTUDIO
To create affordable housing while conserving the character of the neighborhood, RACESTUDIO took on the challenge that many communities are trying to solve with small solutions like the 500-square-foot prototype of this supporting development manual for Santa Cruz. The city has embraced and promoted Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on single-family lots as an opportunity to create badly need affordable housing. With more than 18,000 single-family lots in the city ADUs were key in rounding out a housing plan, according to the architects, seven of whom prepared ADU prototypes. The manual assists homeowners in understanding how to fit into traditional neighborhoods. “This building serves as an example of how ADUs aid in making it possible for the American consumer to become enlightened with smart, sustainable design. It is 500 square feet of consumer education in design capabilities,” comments the jury.

Co-op Editorial, Santa Monica, Calif., by Pugh + Scarpa
A remodel of a 1963 Frank Gehry design, this 4,700-square-foot tenant improvement creates a full-service television postproduction facility. The architects said that the building is an ongoing research into materials and led them to an innovative solution and stimulating new way of approaching interior architecture. The interior can be viewed as “a skin, or surface wrapper that moves in and out alternately concealing and revealing the building fabric.” The layering and sculpting of surfaces weave together the contrasting materials: Wood and plastic are transformed from benign surfaces into sculpted space. “The wood walls are very interesting and provide movement of the interior design,” the jury says. “This building is a true blend of architecture and technology.”

California College of the Arts Graduate Center, San Francisco, by Jensen and Macy Architects
The architect converted this formerly dilapidated, 10,000-square-foot warehouse into individual work studios for fine arts graduate students. To transform the dark building into a daylight-filled art studio economically, they employed a new skin of corrugated, twin-wall polycarbonate. Seemingly opaque during the day, it becomes a mirror at dusk and a glowing light box at night. Taking cues from the industrial neighborhood, all building materials are tough and utilitarian. “This is a very nice project and a great use of materials,” the jury remarks. “The interior is organized in a simple controlled manner. The design elements are very appealing.”

Jigsaw, Los Angeles, by Pugh + Scarpa
Confronted with the challenge of creating a building design for a film editing company, the architect transformed this rough 5,000-square-foot warehouse into a new and unexpected world. This building separates the outside from the interior space, reminiscent of urban structures. The interior was designed to suit the needs of film editors, allowing for both social interaction and seclusion. Light reflectors needed to be blocked out, so the design incorporated screens to filter the light from the outside, creating a fuzzy condition between darkness and light. The design creates a series of balanced tensions between isolation and interaction in a complex spatial experience. “This building is very moody and has a lot going on inside. The light filter features are very creative and have developed a very interesting and intriguing building,” the jury says.

Apple SoHo, New York City, by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Karl Backus, with associate architect: Ronnette Riley Architect, FAIA
“This building is truly wonderful and really dazzling—the clear glass construction creates an unobstructed view throughout the store,” the jury notes of this new retail store. Located in the heart of New York’s SoHo district, this store occupies a 1920s Neoclassical structure that formerly was a U.S. Post Office. This retail prototype incorporated two floors of retail space. New stone flooring, bead-blasted stainless steel panels, wood fixtures, and laminated glass elements adorn the 16,000-square-foot space, which is centered on a 15-foot–high, clear-glass staircase replete with a glass bridge and 70-foot-long skylight. The vista of the two-story interior space offers a compelling invitation to a passerby.

Private residence, Stinson Beach, Calif., by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop
Designing to replace a beloved William Wurster house that burned down, the architects aimed to recapture the spirit of the original home while meeting all current seismic codes and high-risk coastal-zone requirements. They configured the house to create a variety of wind-sheltered outdoor spaces that take full advantage of the views. The living room extends through the center of the house, bringing in light and views in both directions. Cedar siding and crisp white windows create a dramatic effect on the exterior, and a sand-colored concrete floor runs throughout the interior. “The rebuilding of this original house is reasonable and effective,” the jury comments. “The architect retained the look and feel of a coastal home while using the fantastic views as natural artwork.”

El Centro del Pueblo Philanthropic Youth Service Center Los Angeles, by Ena Dubnoff/ One Company
This project entailed adapting a rundown office building for use as a youth recreation center. Designed to provide a new 10,000-square-foot facility to serve at-risk and gang-related youth, the architect’s challenge was to transform a nondescript building with no sense of community into a place of safety for a wide range of users. The original building had no natural light in the interior space. The architect created an opening between the first and second stories to allow for a two-story entry space. Natural light also enters the upper floor through a series of solar tubes in the hallways and studios. Different colors applied on the upper level reflect the vibrancy of the Latino Community. “Visitors will really enjoy the bright corridors of this project and will have fun with the madness of it all,” said the jury. It’s unusual, enjoyable, and a great fit in the surrounding communities.”

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