LPA Design Studios Wins Top Honors at AIA Orange County Awards
Firm recognized for housing and education projects that demonstrated design excellence, innovation and environmental stewardship.
LPA Design Studios collected top honors at the American Institute of Architects Orange County (AIA OC) Design Awards, with its innovative El Cerrito Supportive Housing project in San Diego earning two of the evening’s highest distinctions.
The five-story housing and healthcare complex received an Honor Award and the COTE Honor Award, which celebrates design excellence in environmental stewardship. Developed in partnership with Family Health Centers of San Diego, the project combines modular housing, healthcare and retail space, to address homelessness and health inequity.
LPA was also recognized with an Honor Award for the net-zero-energy expansion of Malibu Middle School. The design of the Harbor Day School, reflecting a decade-long relationship between educators and designers, received a Merit Award.
“All these projects illustrate the power of an integrated design to produce meaningful results for our clients,” said LPA President Keith Hempel. “True collaboration can produce projects that not only perform at the highest level but also make a positive impact in their communities.”
El Cerrito Supportive Housing
For Family Health Centers of San Diego, El Cerrito delivers 170 apartments, ranging from studios to two bedrooms, on top of a podium that includes parking, a health clinic and neighborhood retail. Modular units arrived fully finished to reduce waste and embodied carbon, while landscaped courtyards, gardens, play areas and rooftop amenities foster community and wellness.
The all-electric development employs solar photovoltaic and thermal arrays for onsite energy and hot water generation.
‘The jury thought this was an excellent concept with a strong sustainability narrative that includes stormwater capture, solar energy, natural ventilation, and carbon neutrality. The recycled shipping containers are used with confidence and character, with a bold color palette enhancing visibility and vibrancy of this socially responsible project.’
Malibu Middle School
LPA also earned an Honor Award for its expansion of Malibu Middle School, which added 55,000 square feet of net-zero-energy academic, wellness and athletic facilities on a narrow site between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains.
The three new all-electric buildings — anchored by the HUB, a center for student wellness — were carefully integrated into the sloped terrain to reduce their scale and preserve coastal views. The design uses daylighting, passive ventilation and a 250-kilowatt photovoltaic array that offsets 100 percent of energy use, strengthening the district’s commitment to sustainability.
‘The jury thought the project was a very sensitive design to environmental conditions— from building fenestration to overall design and highlighting the AIA 2030 Commitment.’
Harbor Day School
The firm’s work at Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar received a Merit Award. The second phase of the campus transformation added a professional-grade multipurpose theater, gymnasium, athletic fields and music classrooms to the historic K-8 school.
The theater now serves as a hub for assemblies, musicals and community events, while new outdoor spaces and drought-tolerant landscaping extend student learning and recreation. School leaders credited LPA’s collaborative process with enabling construction to proceed while keeping the campus open.
One juror commented: “I had a really clear sense of the quality of spaces inside and out... it's a timely and appropriate idea in our region in our climate.’
The AIA-OC recognition continues an eventful year for LPA, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Nationally, the American Institute of Architects honored LPA with the 2025 Firm Award, the profession’s highest honor this past June in Boston, MA.
