This Tust In! An Exciting New Development

In September, the American Institute of Architects, Orange County (AIAOC) hosted a design competition on an intriguing L-shaped lot in Old Town Tustin. I attended the site walk and was instantly inspired by the site and the character of the surrounding buildings. Having grown up in Orange County, Old Town has always been a fun place to spend an afternoon walking around the tree-lined streets and enjoying the eclectic architecture. It seemed many others felt the same way, given the outpouring of designers who showed up for this competition and the quality of their submissions.

There were no programmatic, aesthetic, height or parking requirements set, which provided a blank slate for creativity. After exploring the area, I immediately went home and sketched a loose idea of my layout. The program focused on creating active public spaces centered around food and drink on the ground floor with affordable studio apartments above. My concept was to fuse the historic character of Old Town Tustin with a modern twist, featuring massive brick walls that anchor the facades and draw visitors through the project. The final presentation boards were due late October. I stayed up well past midnight frantically finalizing my design, fondly recalling memories of my many late nights in college.

On November 21st, the AIAOC Office held a reception, displaying the 15+ submissions. It turned out that many solutions shared similar programmatic elements, yet with wildly varying aesthetic approaches. First place went to a stunning, hand-drawn, Victorian-inspired concept featuring townhomes, retail, and other public spaces. Second place was awarded to a more contemporary proposal featuring extensive site research and hand-drawn perspectives. My design, as well as two others, secured a “Judge’s Choice” award, as each of the three jurors selected their personal favorite.

In the end, the highlight of the event was simply seeing the incredible quantity and creativity of the work produced by the designers. I want to extend a huge thank you to AIAOC and the Tustin Preservation Conservancy for hosting this competition and allowing us all the opportunity to help spur more redevelopment in Old Town Tustin. There are currently seven vacant lots scattered around the area; we tackled only one. The presentation boards will be on display in the AIAOC Office and other venues around Orange County for the next few months. If you get a chance to take a closer look, I hope you are inspired, like me, by the impressive work.