Judges Special Award Of Excellence
ANAHEIM WHITE HOUSE
Anaheim, CA
Builder: La Placa Construction Inc.
Architect/Designer: KTGY Architecture + Planning
Interior Designer: Architects Orange
Photographer: Creative Noodle
Restoring this 7,000 sq. ft. bastion of early 20th
Century splendor to its former glory (from a colonial-
style mansion that had been totally gutted by fire)
involved a tricky and most delicate balance. On the
one hand, the goal was a high-fidelity recreation
in image and likeness of the building as it was first
imagined and rendered in 1909, to conform with the
insistence of the National Register of Historic Places.
On the other hand, the restoration of this landmark
had to comply with new codes and the demands of
latter-day comfort, even as designers remained true
to the original footprint and rendered each intricate
detail flawlessly.
The restorers' high-degree of accomplishment
notwithstanding, what melted the judges' hearts
and catapulted this project into "special award"
contention was the present-day back story of the
Anaheim White House which today operates as a
high-end Italian Steak House, catering company,
and special events center. Apart from its work as a
going concern, its owners run a 24/7 nonprofit that
prepares and delivers 3,500 hot evening meals daily
for food-insecure kids in Orange and Los Angeles
Counties. Over 2.9 million free dinners have been
served in 77 locations to kids who are at risk of
malnutrition.
