Celebrating Stand Out Architecture in Orange County

There are happenings at LPA that are too exciting not to write about. It’s nice to stop, and take a minute to appreciate these high notes on behalf of our design teams and our clients.

The beginning of the month kicked off with the Orange County Business Journal’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies list. “We congratulate three esteemed clients, for their rankings on this list—Yard House USA, Inc.; Pacific Dental Services; and the Golden State Foods Corporation,” says LPA Principal Karen Thomas. “The entrepreneurial spirit shown by these businesses demonstrates that commitment to corporate values breeds success in any economic climate.”

Last weekend, our City Hall designed for Laguna Niguel celebrated its official grand opening. With several hundred people in attendance, including a “Benjamin Franklin,” the city celebrated their new energy efficient city hall—19 years in the making.

Last night, the local Orange County chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIAOC), held its annual design awards program. This year, there were a total of 12 AIAOC awards, two Committee on the Environment (COTE) awards, and two Savings by Design awards—given by Southern California Edison. 

LPA was honored to receive 6 of the 16 AIA awards.

The following projects won AIAOC awards:

• Palomar College Multidisciplinary Building (Honor award)
• South Lake Tahoe High School Green CTE Academy and Stadium View buildings (Honor award)
• Santiago Canyon College Science Building (Award of Merit)
• CSU East Bay Recreation and Wellness Center (Citation award).

In addition, the CSU East Bay Rec Center won a COTE award and the Santiago Canyon College Science Building won a Savings by Design award.

Clearly, this was a big week for our design firm. We’d like to thank our fantastic employees—we pride ourselves on the quality of our people, and they’re a critical part of the success that we share together at LPA. It is truly a pleasure to be a part of this team. Congratulations to you all.

Glenn Carels is a Design Principal at California-based LPA Inc. As the California State University system moves toward greener campuses, Carels has played a critical role in the implementation of their sustainability guidelines and initiatives. During his 25-year career, he’s garnered 37 AIA awards for his sustainable design work.