The 42nd annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council, recognized both Claremont McKenna and Pomona College for “the very best architecture in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County.”

Selected by a jury of 20 notable design and building professionals, the winning projects encompass a wide range of building types, from museums to affordable apartment complexes to single-family homes. The call for entries went out in January 2012 to thousands of industry leaders, of which the jury selected 32 winning projects.

In the private education category, the 169,000 square-foot Kravis Center at Claremont McKenna College, also known as the “glass living room,” was deliberately designed without a central public space or lobby, but shares an outdoor, all-glass space with the rest of the west campus. A critical design component was the facility’s transparency, according to judges, both as a way to use southern California’s natural daylight to greatest advantage and to visually integrate indoor and outdoor activities. The building also earned a LEED Silver rating. Rafael Vinoly Architects and contractor  Bernards were recognized by the LA Business Council for their efforts.

Sontag Hall and Pomona Hall, both student housing facilities at Pomona College, house 150 students in a variety of dorms: single room, double room and suite-style living. Project judges noted that the college’s progressive sustainable agenda catalyzed the complex’s new architecture, resulting in a LEED Platinum-certified facility. The project is the first student residence in California to receive such a rating. Throughout the design, special attention was paid to the indoor environmental quality of the building as well as the well-being of its users. Ehrlich Architects and contractor Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co. earned the distinction.