The 2006 Gold Nugget Awards program has bestowed 11 awards on Pardee Homes’ new home designs: three Grand Awards and eight Merit Awards. The multi-regional homebuilder’s honors came from its Orange County, San Diego and Las Vegas new home markets.

Orange County—Segovia at Ladera Ranch led Pardee Homes’ winners, with a Grand Award for Plan One’s architectural design, and Awards of Merit for Plan Two’s architectural design and for the neighborhood as Residential Project of the Year – Detached. Praising Plan One, the judges said, “We commend the designers on creating a refreshing architectural theme for this home…loggias and arcades serve to reinforce the casual style of the home…covered outdoor gathering areas present a welcome façade to the street. Kudos!”

Also at Ladera Ranch, Encantada won a Grand Award for Plan Three’s architectural design, with judges commenting on a home that can “meet the changing needs of its owner” and “…a floor plan that captures both the simplicity of yesteryear living and the adaptability of a modern era.”

At Turtle Ridge® in Irvine, Pardee Homes’ Arezzo neighborhood earned two Gold Nugget honors, with Merit Awards for the architectural design of Plan One and Plan Two.

San Diego—Portico at Pacific Highlands Ranch took a Grand Award for Plan Three, which was honored for architectural design on a compact lot. Gold Nugget judges praised “…a distinct elevation that blends with the California ranch motif of the neighborhood. The utilization of outdoor spaces and the open floor plan make this home feel larger than it is. A winner!”

Arabella Plan Three, also in Pacific Highlands Ranch, earned an Award of Merit for architectural design on a conventional home site. The Gold Nugget judges additionally honored Pardee Homes for its environmental focus at Pacific Highlands Ranch, with Awards of Merit for Portico as a Sustainable Residential Neighborhood and for Santa Rosa as a California Green Builder Residential Project.

The judges found sustainable and green building efforts to be “much more widespread” in this year’s entries. “Many of this year's winners prove that green building can be both innovative and beautiful...when form follows function, the form often ends up being very handsome,” said Jenny Sullivan, senior editor of BUILDER magazine and a Gold Nugget judge.

Las Vegas—Bella Fiore won an Award of Merit for the architectural design of Plan One. Bella Fiore is part of a luxurious golf course community within the Lake Las Vegas Resort master-planned community.

“We are deeply honored,” said Pardee Homes President and CEO Mike McGee. “We are also proud to note that our Gold Nugget awards reflect the company focus on exceptional design and location, with every winner created by a leading architectural firm, and situated in a master-planned community.”

The oldest and largest program of its kind in the United States, the Gold Nugget competition honors creative achievement in architectural design and land use. This year’s program drew 677 entries, in categories that included residential, commercial, land planning and green and sustainable projects.

Judges were prominent builder/developers, architects and planners from the 14 Western states served by PCBC, one of the nation’s largest regional conferences and expositions for professionals in the real estate development field. Gold Nugget winners were celebrated in San Francisco as part of PCBC; see www.goldnuggetawards.com.

“The Gold Nugget Awards have long been regarded as the most competitive and prestigious in our business, the true standard bearer for the best,” said Pardee Homes Executive Vice President and COO Hal Struck. “To be included in the winners’ circle of this program is extremely gratifying to everyone in the company.”

Architects for Pardee Homes’ award winners include Bassenian/Lagoni Architects of Newport Beach for Bella Fiore and Portico; Robert Hidey Architects for Santa Rosa; JZMK Architects for Arabella, Arezzo and Segovia; and Scheurer Architects for Encantada.

“We were especially pleased to see such a wide range of our new home designs noted by the Gold Nugget judges,” said Senior Vice President of Marketing Bob Clauser. “To be applauded for small homes on small lots, larger homes on conventional lots, as well as resource conservation, strongly validates the efforts that our design teams make to bring quality to our buyers; we extend particular thanks to the fine architects of these award-winning designs.”

Established in 1921, Pardee Homes is one of the oldest building companies in California and is noted for superior master-planning concepts, quality homes, responsive customer service and dedication to the educational and civic goals of the communities in which it builds.

Pardee Homes maintains regional operations in Corona, Irvine, Sacramento, San Diego, Valencia and Las Vegas. New home choices address a spectrum of households. Pardee Homes places particular emphasis on the concept of creating homes ‘for the way you want to live,” in master-planned settings that also include schools, parks and preserved open space.