Fine Lines

SAN FRANCISCO — Twenty-three Southern California building projects ranging from a pedestrian-friendly Newport Beach community to an aquarium-themed Long Beach parking garage were honored at the 36th annual Gold Nugget awards ceremony, held Friday at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference here.

An eight-member panel of judges considered more than 600 entries for awards in 46 categories that honor achievement in architectural design and land use planning for residential, commercial and industrial projects.

The Newport Beach community Balboa at One Ford Road won the honor for residential detached-home project of the year. Judges called the development of 103 homes “a neighborhood where we would all like to live.”

The houses, built by Pacific Bay Homes, range in size from 1,960 to 2,900 square feet and are priced from $668,000 to $985,000.

Judges wrote that the homes--with hidden, alley-access garages and large front porches facing the street--”exude a community spirit and pedestrian scale that is unique.”

The neighborhood was designed to evoke the feeling of Pasadena and San Marino, architects McLarand, Vasquez & Partners Inc. wrote in submitting the entry.

Winning in the best affordable detached-home project category was a collection of 25 Craftsman-style homes in Rancho Cucamonga intended to revitalize an aging, neglected neighborhood.

A local nonprofit group, Northtown Housing Development Corp., built three house plans ranging from 1,269 to 1,688 square feet. The homes, designed by architect Peter J. Pitassi, reflect the look of local historical structures and sell for from $135,000 to $145,000. These homes also feature garages at the rear of the lot and porches in front.

Award-winner Glenneyre at Lanes End in Irvine also features garages in back and entrances that face garden courtyards. Plan 3 of the 101-unit community of cottage-style homes was judged best detached home under 1,500 square feet on a compact lot.

Brookfield Homes of Costa Mesa developed the project, which was designed by San Jose-based architects the Steinberg Group.

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Judges said Glenneyre’s architecture “creates a very warm and enticing neighborhood at a higher density.” The 1,325-square-foot Plan 3 was priced at $267,540.

A 2,841-square-foot floor plan at Regatta in Long Beach won for best detached home between 2,501 and 3,000 square feet. Designed by Robert Hidey Architects Inc. of Newport Beach and built by the Catellus Residential Group, the 47 waterfront homes sold for from $560,000 to $875,000.

Judges said the winning model “is reminiscent of many of the older canal homes built in Long Beach . . . in the early ‘20s and ‘30s.”

The best affordable attached project of one to three stories was Parc Ridge in Northridge, by developer JCB Properties of Los Angeles. The 158-unit complex rises from the site of the former Northridge Meadows apartments, which collapsed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, killing 16 residents.

Because of the site’s notoriety, one of the architects’ goals was “designing a building that would visually appear ‘structurally overdesigned’ to the layperson,” wrote REA Architects of Santa Monica in its entry application.

Judges noted that the apartments convey a “sense of solidity.” Rents range from $530 to $1,250 per month.

Perazul, a luxury home community in Newport Coast, won the award for best home over 4,000 square feet.

The 61 Tuscan-style houses were built by Taylor Woodrow Homes and designed by Robert Hidey Architects. Priced at about $1.3 million, they feature ocean or courtyard views from every room, a library and bonus room, and a downstairs master bedroom.

Judges remarked that the “intimate view to the luxurious central courtyard and its fireplace are among the comprehensive attractions” of the design.

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Lakeside, a 70-acre Buena Park community of 346 homes, won the award for best community site plan of 26 to 200 acres. Homes range in price from the high $100,000s to mid-$500,000s.

The former industrial site presented challenges, builder Catellus Residential Group wrote in its application, because it was “bordered by an active rail line, municipal airport, open concrete channel, and an industrial park [and] also located in a flood plain.”

But the creation of an 8-acre lake was the perfect way to turn the community’s focus inward, judges commented. Amenities include swimming pools, a marina, clubhouse and biking and walking trails.

Winning for “best cluster homes”--or community of 10 or more detached homes per acre--was Cape Ann in Huntington Beach. The 146 homes are built on 10.4 acres, resulting in a density of 14 units per acre.

The homes range from 1,302 to 1,831 square feet and are priced from $249,990 to $293,990.

Like several other winning designs, homes at Cape Ann have garages accessed through alleyways, and entries from a shared walk-street or sidewalk connected to a community driveway.

Cape Ann was built by John Laing Homes and designed by architects Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh.

Four of five Building Industry Community Spirit Awards went to Southern California projects. The award recognizes projects that meet the needs of a community’s less fortunate residents.

Local winners were Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos, built by Warmington Homes; Mary’s Shelter in Tustin, by California Pacific Homes; LeRoy Haynes Center for Abused and Abandoned Children in La Verne, by Lewis Operating Corp.; and Euclid Villa in Pasadena by New Urban West/Pardee Homes.

Judged “best specialty project” in the commercial/industrial segment was the Queensbay parking garage in Long Beach. The 1,470-space structure, which serves the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific, has a facade resembling ocean waves and bubbles, and a coral-style staircase.

Other commercial awardees were the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, the Pelican Hill Golf Course in Newport Coast and the Glendale Marketplace, a retail and entertainment center.

The Gold Nuggets recognize top projects from 14 Western states and all countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. The judges included architects, land planners, builders, developers and a representative from Builder magazine, a publication of the National Assn. of Home Builders.

1999 Gold Nugget Grand Award Winners

Home of the Year

Kensington Road in Rolling Hills Ranch--

Residence Three, Chula Vista

Builder-developer: Pacific Bay Homes

Architect: David T. Lorimer

Residential Project of the Year--Attached

Victoria Townhomes, Seattle

Builder: W.G. Clark Construction Co.

Developer: Lorig Associates

Architect: Mithun Partners

Residential Project of the Year--Detached

Balboa at One Ford Road, Newport Beach

Builder-developer: Pacific Bay Homes

Architect/land planner: McLarand, Vasquez & Partners

Judges’ Awards of Excellence

San Francisco City Hall Improvements

Builder: Huber Hunt & Nichols

Developer: City and county of San Francisco

Architects: Heller Manus Architects, Komorous-Towney Architects and Finger & Moy Architects

Orange Coast College, Harry & Grace Steele Children’s Center, Costa Mesa

Builder: Leon Garr Construction

Developer: Coast Community College District

Architect/land planner: Taylor & Associates

Building Industry Community Spirit Award

This award acknowledges builders and developers who join architects, nonprofit agencies and community volunteers to improve the conditions for living, working and learning for the less fortunate.

Precious Life Shelter, Los Alamitos

Developer: HomeAid Orange County

Builder: Warmington Homes

Architect: JBZ Architecture & Planning

Mary’s Shelter, Tustin

Developer: HomeAid Orange County

Builder: California Pacific Homes

Architect: RNM Architects & Planners

LeRoy Haynes Center for Abused and Abandoned Children, La Verne

Developer: HomeAid San Bernardino County

Builder: Lewis Homes

Architect: Wheeler & Wheeler

River Oaks Diagnostic/Crisis Unit, Sacramento

Developer: HomeAid Sacramento

Builder: U.S. Home Corp., Sacramento Division

Architect: Nacht & Lewis and Bassenian/Lagoni

Euclid Villa, Pasadena

Developer: HomeAid Greater Los Angeles and Ventura counties

Builder: New Urban West/Pardee Homes

Architect: Los Angeles Community Design Center

Best Summer Performance Home

Sponsored by the California Institute for Energy Efficiency. This award honors homes that feature notable and marketable ways to provide warm weather comfort while using resources efficiently.

Private residence, Malibu

Architect and land planner: Landry Design Group Inc.

COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL

Best Public/Private Special-Use Facility

Japanese American National Museum,

Los Angeles

Builder: Ray Wilson Co.

Architect: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum

Best Public/Private Recreational Facility

Pelican Hill Golf Club, Newport Coast

Builder: Snyder Langston

Developer: Irvine Business Properties

Design architect/interior design: Altevers Associates

Architect of record: Carlile/Coatsworth/Shankweiler

Best Office/Professional Building Under 25,000 Square Feet

Discover House, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Builder: Linthicum Constructors Inc.

Architect/land planner: H & S International

Best Office/Professional Building 25,000 Square Feet and Over

(Two winners)

1050 Arastradero, Palo Alto

Builder: Devcon Construction

Developer: Keenan/Lovewell Ventures

Architect: Kenneth Rodrigues & Partners

Kierland Office Park, Phoenix

Builder: Wespac Construction

Developer: Hilltop-Scottsdale

Architect: DFD Architecture

Best Commercial Project--Retail

Glendale Marketplace, Glendale

Builder: Bayley Construction

Developer/land planner: Regent Properties

Architect: Feola, Carli & Archuleta

Best Specialty Project

Queensway Bay Parking Garage, Long Beach

Builder: Bomel Construction Co.

Developer: city of Long Beach

Design architect: Johnson Fain Partners

Project architect: International Parking Design

Best Rehabilitated Commercial or Industrial Project

(Two winners)

Tritch Building Renovation & Addition, Denver

Builder: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

Architect: Fentress Bradburn Architects

1000 Van Ness, San Francisco

Builder: DPR Construction

Developer: Burnham Pacific Properties

Architect: Field Paoli Architects

SPECIAL HOUSING

Best Custom Home Under 3,500 Square Feet

4407 Waterford Place, Austin, Texas

Builder: Lorette Custom Homes

Architect: Jeffrey Berkus Architects

Best Custom Home--3,500 to 6,000 Square Feet

Superstition Mountain, Apache Junction, Ariz.

Builder: Prestwick Development

Developer: Lyle Anderson Co.

Architect: OZ Architects

Best Custom Home Over 6,000 Square Feet

Budelier Residence, Scottsdale

Builder: Linthicum Constructors

Developer: Ron and Toni Budelier

Architect/land planner: H & S International

Best Renovated, Restored Single House or Project

Waterman Residence, Hillsborough, Calif.

Builder: Fulwiler James Construction

Architect: Sinclair Associates

Land planner: Callander Associates

Interior: Pricilla Sanchez Interiors

Best Affordable Project--Attached One to Three Stories

Parc Ridge, Northridge

Builder: Structure Development Group

Developer: JCB Properties

Architect: REA Architects

Best Affordable Project--Attached Four or More Stories

Las Bougainvilleas, Oakland

Builder: Roberts-Obayaski Corp.

Developer: Spanish Speaking Unity Council of Alameda County

Architect/land planner: McLarand, Vasquez & Partners

Best Affordable Project--Detached

Infill Single Family Homes, Rancho Cucamonga

Builder: C & G Construction

Developer: Northtown Housing Development Corp.

Architect/land planner: Peter J. Pitassi AIA

Best Multi-Family Project (for Rent) One to Three Stories

Oasis Denver West, Golden, Colo.

Builder-developer: Camden Development

Architect/land planner: McLarand, Vasquez & Partners

Best Multi-Family Project (for Rent) Four or More Stories

Tierra del Rey, Marina del Rey

Builder-developer: Legacy Partners

Architect/land planner: Kaufman Meeks & Partners

Best Mixed-Use Project

Palace Lofts, Denver

Builder: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

Developer: Palace Development Partners

Architect: RNL Design

Associate architect: Shears & Leese

Best Seniors Housing--Active Adult

(Two winners)

Mountain Meadows Retirement Community, Ashland, Ore.

Builder-developer: Mountain Meadows

Architect/land planner: Dieterich Mithun

Carlsbad by the Sea, Carlsbad

Builder: DPR

Developer: California Lutheran Homes

Architect: The Steinberg Group

Best Seniors Housing--Assisted Living

Crown Cove, Corona Del Mar

Builder: Camco Pacific Construction Co.

Developer: Birtcher Senior Properties

Architect/land planner: JBZ Architecture & Planning

SITE/LAND PLANNING

Best Residential Community Site Plan--Under 25 acres

Champs Elysees Terrace, Shenzhen, China

Builder: Construction Bureau of Civil Engineering

Developer: Shenzhen Mei Di Real Estate Development

Architect/land planner: RTKL International

Best Community Site Plan--26 to 100 Acres

Lakeside, Buena Park

Builder-developer: Catellus Residential Group

Land planner: McLarand, Vasquez & Partners

Landscape architect: Peridian International

Best Community/Town Plan Over 100 acres

River Valley Ranch, Carbondale, Colo.

Developer: Hines Resorts

Land planner: Hart/Howerton

Best Infill or Redevelopment Site Plan

The Port, Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Builder-developer: Becton Corp.

Land planner: Guzzardo & Associates

Best On-the-Boards Site Plan

Vallejo Waterfront Plan, Vallejo

Developer: DeSilva Callahan

Land planner: The Planning Collaborative

PRODUCTION HOUSING

Single-Family Detached Homes

on Compact Lots (Under 4,500 Square Feet)

Best Home Under 1,500 Square Feet

Glenneyre at Lanes End--Plan 3, Irvine

Builder-developer: Brookfield Homes

Architect/land planner: The Steinberg Group

Best Home 1,500 to 1,900 Square Feet

Traditions--Residence Two, Novato, Calif.

Builder-developer: Taylor Woodrow Homes

Architect/land planner: William Hezmalhalch Architects

Best Home 1,901 to 2,500 Square Feet

Traditions--Residence Four, Novato

Builder-developer: Taylor Woodrow Homes

Architect/land panner: William Hezmalhalch Architects

Best Home 2,501 to 3,000 Square Feet

Regatta--the Santorini, Long Beach

Builder-developer: Catellus Residential Group

Architect: Robert Hidey Architects

Single-Family Detached Homes

on Conventional Lots

Best Home Under 2,000 Square Feet

Crest Bridge--the Rialto, San Ramon, Calif.

Builder-developer: Shapell Industries of Northern California

Architect: Robert Hidey Architects

Best Home 2,000 to 2,400 Square Feet

Kensington Road in Rolling Hills Ranch--Residence Three, Chula Vista, Calif.

Builder-developer: Pacific Bay Homes

Architect: David T. Lorimer Architect & Associates

Best Home 2,401 to 2,800 Square Feet

(Two winners)

Fairway Bridge--the Bixby Creek, San Ramon, Calif.

Builder-developer: Shapell Industries of Northern California

Architect: Robert Hidey Architects

Snoqualmie Ridge--the Meadowbrook, Snoqualmie, Wash.

Builder-developer: Conner Development

Architect: Bassenian/Lagoni Architects

Best Home 2,801 to 3,100 Square Feet

Desert Hills at Desert Mountain--the Sabino, Scottsdale

Builder-developer: Desert Mountain Properties

Architect/land planner: Downing, Thorpe & James

Best Home 3,101 to 3,500 Square Feet

Vineyards--the Cambria, Las Vegas

Builder-developer: Christopher Homes

Architect: Scheurer Architects

Best Home 3,500 to 4,000 Square Feet

Desert Hills at Desert Mountain--The Catalina, Scottsdale

Builder-developer: Desert Mountain Properties

Architect/land planner: Downing, Thorpe & James

Best Home Over 4,000 Square Feet

Perazul--Plan Two, Newport Coast

Builder: Taylor Woodrow Homes Inc.

Developer: The Irvine Co.

Architect: Robert Hidey Architects

MULTI-FAMILY HOMES (FOR SALE/RENT)

Best Multi-Family Home Under 1,200 Square Feet

No Award Given

Best Multi-Family Home 1,200 to 1,800 Square Feet

The Ridge at Taluswood--Plan A, Whistler, B.C.

Builder: Amako Construction

Developer: Intrawest Corp.

Architect: Raymond Letkeman

Best Multi-Family Home Over 1,800 Square Feet

Victoria Townhomes, Seattle

Builder: W.G. Clark Construction Co.

Developer: Lorig Associates

Architect: Mithun Partners

CLUSTER NEIGHBORHOODS

Best Residential Detached Project 10 Units Per Acre or More

Cape Ann, Huntington Beach

Builder-developer: John Laing Homes

Architect/land planner: Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh