Award-Winning West Coast Multifamily Communities Demonstrate Green Building Trend

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorSan Francisco—This year’s Gold Nugget Awards were recently announced at PCBC (Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference), a regional trade show and conference of the real estate development industry. This year’s multifamily winners demonstrated a number of trends, including green and sustainable design, seniors and affordable housing, specialty designs,  and site and land planning. Del Mar Development’s Yanonali Court  (pictured at right) in Santa Barbara, Calif. was awarded Project of the Year.  With five homes, each less than 2,000 square feet, the infill neighborhood scored LEED Platinum certification and has become a pilot for the city’s “Built Green” program.  Green features include on-site rainwater collection, pervious paving materials and xeriscaping with sustainable irrigation practices. The homes are oriented around a central courtyard with a shared outdoor fireplace and fountain.Caruso Affiliated’s The Americana at Brand (pictured below, left) in Glendale, Calif. received the Judges Special Awards of Excellence. The community includes 238 apartments, 100 condos, approximately 475,000 square feet of retail and a two-acre park.   The panel of judges included Don Anderson, president of Color Design Art; Tom Doucette, president of Doucette Communities; Carl Lagoni, principal of Bassenian Lagoni Architects; Jerry Gloss, principal of Knudson Gloss/architects architecture & planning; Bill Hezmalhalch, principal of William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc.; Tom Sattler, president of Sattler Homes; Jenny Sullivan, senior design editor for BUILDER–Hanley Wood Magazines; Timothy P. Sullivan, president of Sullivan Group Real Estate Advisors; and Eric Zuziak, AIA, principal and director of design of JZMK Partners. Other winning multifamily projects include:•    7950 West Sunset, a 183-unit mixed-use urban infill project in Los Angeles. •    The Dalton, a 35-unit luxury mixed-use project in Pasadena, Calif. •    Casas las Granadas, a 12-unit affordable housing community in Santa Barbara, Calif.•    Borealis Apartments, a 53-unit affordable housing community in Seattle that is designed to qualify for Built Green certification and the Seattle City Light Built Smart program.•    990 Polk Street, a 110-unit affordable homeless and senior housing community in San Francisco. The project also includes 3,000 sq. ft. of community space and contributes to the ongoing revitilization of the neighborhood.•    Eastlake 2851, a 127-unit mixed-use community in Seattle that will include a restaurant and neighborhood retail.•    Avalon Anaheim Stadium, a six-story mixed-use building located within Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle.•    Cirque, a 28-story, 252-unit mixed-use apartment tower in Dallas that provides pedestrian access to the city’s retail, dining and entertainment, as well as to Victory Park and the American Airlines Center.•    Celius 44, a 44-unit infill community in Petaluma, Calif.’s emerging riverfront warehouse district.•    The Renaissance in Concord, Calif., a collection of flats, townhomes and lofts.•    The 398-unit Salus in Surrey, BC Canada, including condos and apartments. The community has received a BuiltGreen Silver rating by BuiltGreen British Columbia.•    Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue, a 38-story 143-unit tower in Seattle, designed for LEED Silver certification.Check back soon for a slideshow showing images of all the Gold Nugget winners.