And the SoCal MAME Award Goes To…

The 2022 SoCal MAME Awards were held on October 1 at the Westin Resort of Anaheim. The black and white-themed gala was a celebratory night for all in attendance, including our WHA team members. Heading into the well-anticipated award show, WHA had three MAME finalists: Esprit at University Park – Plan 1 and Verve at University Park – Plan 2 by Woodbridge Pacific Group, and Paisley at Rienda by Tri Pointe Homes. We are thrilled to share that Esprit at University Park – Plan 1 was named Best Architectural Design of a Detached Home Under 2,000 SF.

Located in Palm Desert, CA, Plan 1 of Esprit sits at 1,988 square feet featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a 2-car garage targeted towards millennials and young families. The single-story home includes an open-concept great room, complete with a kitchen island. The great room seamlessly connects with the outdoors to a 167-square-foot covered living space through optional sliding glass doors to create an indoor-outdoor entertainment experience. Residents can easily connect with their neighbors at one of the three parks and The Grove, a host to a plethora of amenities within the community.

With contemporary architecture styles, price constraints pushed the WHA team to design a unique product for the market that included affordable materials that would also meet the criteria for the city’s design review process. In addition, we developed colors and materials for the plan to ensure the exteriors were attractive and meaningful, differentiating the project from traditional desert styles. Our efforts proved effective – it was favored by prospective residents at the grand opening and sold out in the first phase of construction.

WHA served as the land planner and architect and produced entitlement documents; the master color and materials palette; and two recreation center clubhouses for the University Park community. The site was unanimously approved by the Palm Desert Planning Commission in November 2018, as detailed here. Witnessing the site come full circle now with Esprit, one of the eight residential product lines, being a popular product among buyers and being honored at the SoCal MAME Awards is what our team works so hard for. We look forward to celebrating industry achievements with our clients and colleagues in the coming months.