Nine Firms Honored for Excellence in Millwork and Cabinetry

SAN DIEGO—The Woodwork Institute, the leading standards and quality-assurance authority for the architectural millwork industry in the Western United States, has honored nine firms for exemplifying millwork and cabinetry excellence in projects completed within the last year.

The 2002-2003 Bernard B. Barber Jr. Awards for Excellence and the Ralph B. McClure Craftsmanship Awards were presented at the Woodwork Institute’s 2003 reception and recognition dinner.

This year’s Awards for Excellence winners are:

• Fullerton-based J.P. Designs for a private residence in Newport Coast. Ontario-based K & Z Cabinet Co. fabricated and installed all interior woodwork.
• Palo Alto-based Hill/Glazier Architects for the Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach. San Diego-based Quality Cabinet and Fixture Co. was the interior woodwork and casework manufacturer.
• Fallbrook-based Michael E. Robinson Architecture for the Community National Bank in Escondido. Mission Valley Cabinet performed all millwork and cabinetry fabrication and installation.
• Mike Piaia, an architect based in San Francisco, for the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. ISEC Inc. performed all millwork fabrication and installation.
• Riverside-based Ruhnau, Ruhnau Clark & Associates for the Riverside County Administration Center. Colton-based Lozano Caseworks Inc. was the cabinetry and millwork fabricator.
• Irvine-based LPA Architects for the design of the Learning Resource Center in Chula Vista. San Diego-based Spooner’s Woodworks performed all cabinetry and millwork installation.
  

The Craftsmanship Award honors member firms of the Woodwork Institute that have fabricated and/or installed quality millwork conforming to the organization's standards.

Three firms were honored in this award category this year:

• Stockton-based Union Planing Mill was the top winner for the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
• Lozano Caseworks Inc. for the Riverside County Administration Center.
• Riverside-based Roy E. Whitehead Inc. for the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

All Craftsmanship Award entries underwent preliminary physical inspections by at least two Woodwork Institute staff members. Award winners then were selected by a majority vote of the Woodwork Institute field staff.

Founded in 1951, the West Sacramento-based Woodwork Institute is a self-regulating, non-profit organization dedicated to providing the leading standards and quality assurance programs for the architectural millwork industry in the West.

Officers include Mike Hansen, president; Bruce Humphrey, vice president; Skip Spence, treasurer; Bernard B. Barber Jr., CFO; and Stanley “Rob” Gustafson, CEO and secretary.

A Forest City Development project in San Jose has earned a 2003 AIA/HUD Housing and Design Award.

“Using clever techniques to separate public and private spaces, this project demonstrates a successful integration of the numerous demands placed on mixed-use and mixed-income sites,” the jury said of the 101 San Fernando apartment complex. “The [332-unit] project weaves in retail, mixed residential and shared amenities in ways that enhance its urban context rather than isolate or detract from it.”

The high-density project (108 dwelling units per acre) combines elements of the surrounding historic housing stock as well as visual references to the modern city hall and the Richard Meier-designed civic center, which is located directly across the street.

“Even at this high density, more than 100 of the project units can be accessed directly from the outside,” the jury said.

Although upper units are entered via elevator-served corridors, “the corridors become single-loaded loggias at intervals to orient residents and provide visual connection to the mid-block courtyards,” said officials with project architect Solomon ETC.

And the jury added, “Street sides of the block come alive with entrances, gated portals leading to the courtyards and shops.”

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