Hollyhock House, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, drought designs win in L.A. Architectural Awards

As per usual, the Los Angeles Architectural Awards, bestowed annually by the LA Business Council, reeled in a new set of high-caliber projects for 2015, with several of this year's winning projects addressing California's severe drought. Over three dozen teams were recognized for their projects that exhibit excellence in design, sustainability, and community impact in various award categories.

Frank Lloyd Wright's restored Hollyhock House in East Hollywood took home the Grand Prize this year. Other notable awardees include Renzo Piano's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the United States Courthouse in Downtown L.A., and the 8600 Wilshire luxury apartments in Beverly Hills, among many more.

For the fourth year in a row, the Architectural Awards included a student design competition for the top six architecture schools in Los Angeles County. Participating students took part in an intensive two-week competition to develop a vision and design for the South LA Wetland Park Facility. This year's winning prize went to the California Polytechnic University - Pomona team.

2014 Pritzker Prize winner, Shigeru Ban, delivered the keynote address at the festive award ceremony hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council at the Beverly Hilton.

Scroll down to see this year's winners.

Grand Prize

Hollyhock House, East Hollywood: The restored Hollyhock House and the Hollyhock Garage, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1919, provide a safer environment for public viewing and furthers the City's goal of restoring an irreplaceable historic architectural icon for Los Angeles and the world.

Community Impact Awards

Ocean Avenue South, Santa Monica: Ocean Avenue South is a mixed-use community with market rate and affordable housing. A series of public and private gardens and a "living street" welcome residents, civic center employees, tourists and community members to enjoy an improved quality of life in a previously underused corner of Santa Monica.

Also awarded in this category:

• Brooks Watershed and Green Residence, Venice
• Campus Refresh Panorama City
• Campus Refresh Woodland Hills
• City View Terrace Condo Community, Lincoln Heights
• Long Beach Airport Modernization
• Loyola Marymount University North Housing Landscaping, Westchester
• Pacific Corporate Towers, El Segundo
• The Ranch, Van Nuys

Design Concept

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, the Academy Museum will restore the historic Wilshire May Company building and feature six stories of exhibition spaces, theaters, education studios, special event spaces and conservation areas, as well as a café and store. Connected to the May Company building will be a soaring spherical addition, comprised of a state-of-the-art 1,000-seat premiere theater and a rooftop terrace.

8600 Wilshire, Beverly Hills: This mixed-use building evokes the feeling of a “mountain village” hovering above street level. A distinctive green wall covers the façade above the ground level retail. Condos, townhomes, and villas make up the 18 residential units that are arranged around a shared central courtyard.

Doheny Residences, West Hollywood: This 50-unit residential project provides a model of high-density housing solutions at the top of the market by preserving elements of individuality and privacy—assets commonly lost in multifamily housing—while embracing public-private partnerships in low income housing to encourage a sense of community.

Also awarded in this category: Taylor Yard Crossing, Elysian Valley

Under Construction

• Metropolis, Downtown
• New United States Courthouse – Los Angeles, Downtown

Beyond LA

Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edwards Harris Pavilion: To restore the 1960 Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan Bank building by E. Stewart Williams, the firm consulted original drawings and photos from the Julius Shulman photography archive. Terrazzo floors were repaired, period lighting was enhanced, and the bank vault was transformed into a shop.

Also awarded in this category:

• UC Riverside Student Recreation Center
• Beijing Conrad Hotel

Civic Award

• Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park Interpretive Center, Agua Dulce
• Pico Branch Library, Santa Monica

Commercial Office Building & Headquarters Award: The Gores Group Headquarters, Beverly Hills

Education

• Bonita Center for the Arts, San Dimas
• Harbor College Science Complex, South Bay
• Harbor College Library & Learning Resource, South Bay

Healthcare: Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center, South Los Angeles

Housing:

• Flip Flop House, Venice
• Ocean Avenue South, Santa Monica
• 8th and Hope Residential Tower, Downtown
• UCLA Hitch Suites, Westwood

Interiors

Smashbox Studios, Culver City: These studios are a hub for world-class photographers and directors to shoot content for major magazines, ad campaigns, and music and entertainment projects. The team worked to create a space that provides the ultimate in amenities and technology to support next-level studio capabilities.

Also awarded in this category: Legendary Entertainment, Burbank

Landscape Architecture

Burbank Water and Power EcoCampus: A juxtaposition of industry and nature, the EcoCampus demonstrates the power of landscape transformation, converting an aging industrial complex into a modern, regenerative green campus. The open space for employees and general public incorporates a variety of stormwater treatment technologies.

Also awarded in this category: Downtown Harbor, San Pedro

Los Angeles and Mexico City Sustainable Real Estate Award: Garlerías Serdán, El Puerto de Liverpool, Mexico

Mixed Use: The Vermont, Koreatown

Preservation

Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Koreatown: The fully restored and upgraded iconic 1929 temple required the removal, repair and reinstallation of a 100-ton, 25-foot diameter rose window. All interior finishes were restored, and the HVAC was replaced and acoustically silenced. The designers hid four 110-foot high shear walls within the temple’s historic mural walls and waterproofed the exterior of the dome.

Renovated Buildings

Los Angeles Trade Technical College Mariposa Hall, Downtown: This new focal point of the Trade Tech campus transforms an outdated library into a contemporary learning resource center that houses a variety of functions into a mixed-use, 100,000 sq. foot building. Optimized daylighting, a high performance skin and solar panels are part of the LEED Gold certification.

Also awarded in this category: Utah Campus, El Segundo

Retail/Restaurants

The Row, Hollywood: Understanding The Row’s simplistic style, the project team worked to maintain the integrity and charm of the space that is communal within this unique residential neighborhood. The luxury store adheres to its residential and tranquil surroundings effortlessly.

Also awarded in this category: Terroni Restaurant, Downtown

Sustainability Award: Mahdesian Learning Center & Client Innovation Hub, Culver City

LABC Chairman’s Award: Restore Neighborhoods Los Angeles Affordable Housing Prototypes

Green Building

Star Apartments, Downtown: The project adds 102 apartments and supportive services for formerly homeless individuals. The building is a new model for increased density and integrates three zones: a ground level with a health clinic and offices; a second level for community programs; and prefabricated residential units above.

Also awarded in this category: Los Angeles County Hall of Justice, Downtown