Typically presented at the conclusion of PCBC, the Pacific Coast’s regional conference and trade show for real estate development, the Gold Nugget Awards have raised the bar for innovative architecture, planning, and construction concepts that solve fundamental building industry needs for over 50 years.
For the program’s 57th year, the Gold Nugget team pivoted their traditional, in-person approach to online to continue the legacy despite the setbacks of COVID-19. On July 24, host Tim Sullivan, senior managing principal at Meyers Research, announced the 2020 honorees during a virtual awards presentation, while winners submitted video acceptance speeches to comprise the two-hour virtual event.
From a field of roughly 550 U.S. and international entries, judges selected grand and merit winners in over 50 categories, including, multifamily, mixed-use, affordable, single-family production, custom homes, interior design, commercial, renovated projects, and site planning.
This year's Gold Nugget jury was made up of the industry's top designers, planners, and builders: Katja Martinez, principal and senior designer at JZMK Partners in Costa Mesa, Calif.; Jerry Gloss, founder of KGA Studio Architects in Louisville, Colo.; Jim Dwyer, vice president of architecture at BDR Holdings in Bellevue, Wash.; Christine Johnson, founder of Design Tec and Studio88 in Newport Beach, Calif.; Lisa Hall, president of Segments in Denver; Eric Andreasen, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Adera Development in Vancouver; and Symone Garvett, BUILDER’s assistant editor.
“We are beyond thrilled to continue the legacy of excellence. Gold Nugget Award winners reflect our industry’s best, brightest, and most innovative architects, planners, and builders/developers,” says Lisa Parrish, judging chairman and Gold Nugget ceremonies administrator. “We applaud them all, and were thrilled to recognize them with a celebration of merit and grand award winners.”
In the residential design categories, "Best Single Family for Rent Community" was a new addition this year—created in response to the growing trend of builders and developers designing single-family products built specifically for renting.
Judges were drawn to multifamily projects and concepts that established a sense of community, either with a robust amenity suite or with innovative open areas for residents to gather. Interesting exterior façades, neutral, interior color palettes, and sustainability features were also noted in the deliberations.
Developer AMLI Residential’s AMLI MDR project in Marina del Rey, Calif., was awarded Multifamily Community of the Year. The design of the 585-unit, mixed-use community was influenced by the adjacent marina with nautical touches throughout, while units include large corner windows and open rail balconies to blur the line between indoor and outdoor.
Similar to single-family residential, multifamily developers have put additional emphasis on designing exterior living spaces for their residents. Builder Lennar Multifamily Investors re-envisioned the courtyard of its Oceanaire project in Long Beach, Calif., to give select residents their own over-water Bali cabanas. The cabanas cantilever over a central fountain, allowing residents to sit on the edge and dangle their feet into the water. Fire lounges also float in the center, giving all residents access to the Bali court. As a result, the project garnered a grand for Best Recreational Use Facility/Amenity.
Lyon Living’s Sky Deck at the George in Anaheim, Calif., also caught the attention of the judges and was awarded a grand for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Community. The 32,000-square-foot deck spans the entire roof surface of the parking structure and incorporates a beer garden, an indoor-outdoor fitness complex, two pools, a jumbotron, a rooftop garden, and 360-degree views, including nightly Disneyland fireworks.
Last, Vici in San Diego’s Little Italy—one of the Best Mixed-Use Project grands—delivered an outdoor space that welcomes not only residents from the seven-story, 97-unit project, but the whole community. Originally a public right of way, the new public piazza sits between Vici and a neighboring property and gathers residents, neighbors, and visitors to shop and dine at the commercial spaces on the ground level.
Here’s a roundup of 15 multifamily developments that garnered Gold Nugget grand awards. View the full list of winners across all the categories here.
Multifamily Community of the Year: AMLI MDR in Marina del Rey, Calif.
Builder: Western National Builders; Developer: AMLI Residential; Architect: TCA Architects
Best Multifamily Housing Community, under 15 du/acre: Steel Stacks in Seattle
Builder: Hybrid Assembly; Developer: Hybrid Development; Architect: Hybrid Architecture
Best Multifamily Housing Community, 15-30 du/acre: West Village in Brea, Calif.
Builder: Trumark Homes; Architect/Designer: Bassenian Lagoni
Best Multifamily Housing Community, 30-60 du/acre: Neptune Marina in Marina del Rey, Calif.
Builder: Johnstone Moyer, Inc.; Developer: Greystar; Architect/Designer: TCA Architects
Best Multifamily Housing Community, 60-100 du/acre: City Club Apartments CBD Minneapolis in Minneapolis
Developer: City Club Apartments; Architect/Designer: BKV Group
Best Multifamily Housing Community, 100 du/acre or more: Nexus in Seattle
Builder: Skanska; Developer: Burrard Development; Architect/Designer: Weber Thompson
Best Recreational Use Facility/Amenity: Oceanaire in Long Beach, Calif.
Builder: Lennar Multifamily Investors; Architect: Togawa Smith Martin
Best Student or Faculty Housing: City Centre – Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Builder: Purcell Construction; Developer: Newman Development Group; Architect/Designer: Humphreys & Partners Architects
Best Mixed-Use Project: Vici, Little Italy in San Diego
Builder: Ledcor Group; Developer: HG Fenton Co.; Architect/Designer: AO Architects
Best Mixed-Use Project, High-Rise: AVEN in Los Angeles
Builders: Tishman AECOM / Swinerton Builders; Developers: Mack Real Estate Group / AECOM Capital / Washington Capital; Architects/Designers: AC Martin / TSM
Best Innovative Energy Design: Edwina Benner Plaza in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Builder: Roberts-Obayashi Corp.; Developer: MidPen Housing; Architect/Designer: David Baker Architects
Best Age-Qualified Senior Living Community: Rose Villa Phase II in Portland, Ore.
Architect/Designer: Scott | Edwards Architecture
Best Service-Enriched Senior Living Community: Ventana by Buckner in Dallas
Builder: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.; Developers: Buckner Senior Living (owner) and Greenbrier Development (co-developer); Architect/Designer: D2 Architecture
Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Community: Sky Deck at The George in Anaheim, Calif.
Builder/Developer: Lyon Living; Architects/Designers: AO Architects
Judges' Special Award of Excellence: The Farm at Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyo.
Developer: White Lodging; Architect/Designer: RMT Architects
To see the full list of grand and merit winners, please visit www.pcbc.com and save the date for next year’s conference, scheduled for June 16-17, 2021, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
