The California Council of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized four SOM projects in its 2017 Design Awards and Urban Design Awards programs. The New United States Courthouse in Los Angeles; the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Master Plan; India Basin; and the University of California Merced’s 2020 Campus Development plan were all honored.
Design Award winners were selected from more than 250 entries and represented a range of projects, including civic buildings, interior designs, museums, and affordable housing.
The New United States Courthouse in Los Angeles received an Honor Award, the top award, in the Design category. The 10-story, 633,000-square-foot building houses the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, accommodates the needs of the U.S. Marshals Service, and provides trial preparation space for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Federal Public Defender.
A separate jury convened to deliberate the Urban Design Awards.
The San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Master Plan received an Honor Award in the Urban Design category. The project is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the western United States. Occupying more than 2,600 acres at the southern edge of the San Francisco Bay, it serves more than 1.4 million residents in eight cities and portions of Santa Clara County.
India Basin received an Award of Merit in the Urban Design category. The project proposes transforming former industrial lands along the San Francisco Bay into an active waterfront destination and a vibrant, diverse village. Developed in collaboration with city government agencies and residents of the area, SOM’s comprehensive design reconnects surrounding communities with the shoreline, cultivates economic opportunities, and provides mixed-income housing.
The University of California Merced 2020 Campus Development project also received an Award of Merit in the Urban Design category. The project expands the university’s campus to support the enrollment of 10,000 students by 2020. The expansion is being delivered as a public-private partnership through Plenary Properties Merced with SOM as the campus planner and master plan architect.