Five awards recognized recent local efforts in restoration, rehabilitation and preservation.
Dozens came out under the sparkling sun for La Jolla Historical Society’s annual Jewel Awards, chosen by the organization’s Landmark Committee for recent renovation of older structures in La Jolla.
The Oct. 13 ceremony at a historic La Jolla home on Amalfi Street was the culminating event to the Historical Society’s Architecture Week.
To qualify, a property must be in La Jolla, be at least 45 years old and have a renovation project completed within the last two years. Historical designation is not required.
From left, homeowners John and Nancy Jo Cappetta and architects Trip Bennett and AJ Remen with their Jewel Award for restoration.
One of two 2024 Jewel Awards for Restoration, which recognizes those who return a structure back – as close as possible – to its original features and character, was given to owners Nancy Jo and John Cappetta, with design team Trip Bennett and AJ Remen of Arista Architects.
The Cappetta home at 6210 Camino de la Costa was designed by Edgar Ullrich, who was the supervising architect for the homes built on that street during its development.
Built in 1940, the American Colonial Revival home is under San Diego Historical Resources Board review; the restoration “retained the structural character and historical integrity of the house while enhancing the interior flow and ocean views and reworking core building systems,” Landmark Committee Chair Seonaid McArthur said.
The restoration was a “huge effort,” she said.
The second 2024 Jewel Award for Restoration went to Richard and Karen Taylor, who owns 1205 Muirlands Drive.
The 1928 home, currently for sale, is the historically designated “Harold Muir House,” for the founder of the Muirlands neighborhood who hired Ullrich to design the home. It’s “if not the most magnificent home in La Jolla, one of the best from the 20s,” McArthur said.
Famed early San Diegan Kate Sessions is said to have designed the home’s gardens; Taylor, working with the California Native Plant Society, restored the landscaping to its early glory, McArthur said.
“It is absolutely incredible.”
Architects Sara Carpenter and Mark Lyon win a Jewel award for rehabilitation.
The Residential 2024 Jewel Award for Rehabilitation, which acknowledges work done to make a structure useful for contemporary work and life while maintaining sensitivity to original architecture and materials, was given to architects Mark Lyon and Sara Carpenter for 7834 Esterel Drive.
The home, built in 1965 and designed by Russell Forester, is a “really incredible site,” McArthur said.
The project entailed a lot of problem-solving, Carpenter said, but “at the end, it’s truly a home to be proud of. … I will be grateful for getting to work on it for the rest of my career.”
The Commercial 2024 Jewel Award for Rehabilitation recognized boutique hotel Orli La Jolla at 7753 Draper Ave. Owners Hailey and Max Waitt renovated the Irving Gill-designed building, built in 1913, demonstrating “that historic structures can effectively be adapted to support commercial purposes while still being a showcase of La Jolla’s architectural legacy,” McArthur said.
The 2024 Jewel Award for Preservation, which celebrates individuals who collaborate to maintain unique elements of La Jolla’s built environment, went to “a group of very special leaders who marshaled an army of supporters” to designate the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District, Historical Society board member Meg Davis said.
McArthur, Molly McClain, Nick Agelidis and Diane Kane received Jewel Awards for their years-long effort to protect coastal resources and structures in the designated district, which contains 10 buildings, 17 structures, five beaches and four stairways.
Through the preservation project, “we uncovered some wonderful stories about La Jolla,” McClain said. “It’s been just a tremendous pleasure to give back to the community a gorgeous site that’s going to be preserved for a long, long time.”
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