‘Big, Bold Moves’ Take Top Design Honors

Thirteen Southland buildings, including six dramatic homes, have been honored for outstanding architectural design by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The 1994 winners were selected from 111 entries submitted by architects in the 2,000-member chapter, said design awards chairman Michael Mann, AIA, of the architectural firm DMJM/Keating.

“The jury was looking for sincerity,” Mann said. “They were impressed by big, bold moves and seemed to have less appreciation for complicated, tricked-up designs.”

The competition’s three jurors were architects Zaha M. Hadid of Studio 9, London; Gary Lee of Gary Lee & Partners, Chicago, and Wes Jones of Jones Partners: Architecture, San Francisco.

At the awards ceremony, AIA/LA President Virginia Tanzmann, FAIA, honored nine individuals for outstanding contributions to the community and to the profession of architecture. Honorees included developer Ira E. Yellin, architect Daniel L. Dworsky, FAIA, affordable housing expert John V. Mutlow, FAIA, and graphic designer John Follis, who died recently.

HONOR AWARDS (BUILT)

Project: Rice residence, Glendale.

Architect: Lomax/Rock Associates, Santa Monica.

Main Designer: Jerrold E. Lomax, FAIA.

Jury Comments: “It’s nice to see a large house done with a kind of virtuoso flair without getting all weepy or crazy.”

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Project: Bolton-Schulter residence, Topanga Canyon.

Architect: Taylor Sullivan Architecture, Los Angeles.

Main Designer: William Taylor.

Jury Comments: “ ‘Developer boxes’ are often about (maximizing) the site and then trying to graft a little architecture on. This project does (maximize) the site, it knows what it’s doing.”

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Project: The Box, a commercial renovation in Culver City.

Architect: Eric Owen Moss Architects, Culver City.

Main Designer: Jay Vanos.

Jury Comments: “The sculptured expression of the box itself is just stunning. Very consistently done.”

HONOR AWARDS (UNBUILT)

Project: Operations & Laboratory Building, Long Beach Water Treatment Plant, city of Long Beach.

Architect: Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall, Los Angeles.

Main Designer: Anthony L. Lumsden.

Jury Comments: “A perfect blending of presentation and architecture. Adventurous.”

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Project: Diamond Ranch High School in Diamond Bar.

Architects: Morphosis of Santa Monica and RTA Blurock of Costa Mesa.

Main Designers: John Enright and Tom Moore, AIA.

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Project: Konigsberg residence in West Hills.

Architect: Edmund M. Einy Architects of Los Angeles.

Main Designer: Edmund M. Einy, AIA.

MERIT AWARDS (BUILT)

Project: Two adjacent single-family homes on The Strand in Manhattan Beach,

Architect: Steve Johnson and James Favaro Architecture and Urban Design, Santa Monica.

Main Designer: James Favaro.

Jury Comments: “This type of wide (house) shoe-horned onto a tight site usually results in an architectural disaster. (This project) is strong and different.”

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Project: 3520 Hayden Ave., a commercial renovation, Culver City.

Architect: Eric Owen Moss Architects, Culver City.

Main Designer: Jay Vanos.

Jury Comments: “During the late ‘70s there were award-wining projects with an implosion of grays and pastel and modern curves. This project multiplies that hundred-fold. . . . It just goes wild with it.”

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Project: Rosenthal residence in Manhattan Beach.

Architect: Antoine Predock Architect of Albuquerque, N.M.

Main Designer: Antoine Predock.

MERIT AWARD (UNBUILT)

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Project: Uyemura residence, Corona del Mar.

Architect: Melvyn Bernstein Architects, Santa Monica.

Main Designer: Jefferson Scheirbeek.

Jury Comments: “Very elegant, very simple and elegantly done.

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Project: UC Riverside Fine Arts Building.

Architect: BOORA Architects of Portland and Israel Callas Chu Design Associates of Beverly Hills.

Main Designer: Annie Chu.

Jury Comments: “It almost belongs to another era. It’s not fashionable and that’s what’s good about it. There are some very interesting spaces within it.”

MERIT AWARD (INTERIORS)

Project: Post Logic Video in Hollywood.

Firm: studio bau:ton of Los Angeles.

Project: Christina Development Co. office, Malibu.

Firm: Kanner Architects, Los Angeles.

Main Designer: Stephen H. Kanner, AIA, and Brant Gordon, AIA.