2023 Preservation Award Application | Los Angeles Conservancy

2023 Preservation Award Application

2023 Preservation Award Applications Are Now Available!
The Los Angeles Conservancy is now accepting applications for our 2023 Preservation Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in historic preservation.
Download Application Documents » 
Submit Your Application »
Preservation Awards Application FAQs »
The application deadline has been extended to Monday, January 30, 2023.

Winning projects are selected by an independent jury and receive a digital winner seal that can be used on websites and other online media email signatures, e-newsletters, social media), print media, advertising campaigns, videos, blogs, and a variety of other ways.

The Preservation Awards Celebration is currently planned for this spring!

For answers to common questions about the application process, as well as tips for submitting a compelling application, please see our Preservation Award Application FAQs.

Please read below carefully before submitting your application, and contact Erik Van Breene at vanbreene@laconservancy.org if you have any questions. 

Submission Instructions

STEP 1: Download templates for your application, including:  

*Rename all documents with your Project Name after downloading the template. See labeling conventions below. 

STEP 2:  Complete your application and assemble supporting materials.  

STEP 3: Upload your application and supporting materials to a file-sharing service (like Dropbox, Box, etc.) and generate a shareable link required at checkout. 

STEP 4: Submit your application and non-refundable processing fee ($150) by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2023. 

*Please use the provided templates and ensure all the file names include the project name.

You are responsible for ensuring that all elements of the application are in your shared folder on Dropbox or another file-sharing service. We reserve the right to disqualify any application not received by the deadline, regardless of technical or delivery error. We will refund any fee payments for applications not received in time.
Eligibility

The types of projects eligible for a Preservation Award include:

  • Construction projects: restoration, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse of a residential, commercial, or institutional structure
  • Preservation plans, programs, policies, or studies
  • Educational programs in historic preservation (courses, publications, conferences, etc.)
  • Grassroots preservation efforts by an individual or group
  • Cultural landscapes (eligible for the Royce Neuschatz Award, established to honor the former Conservancy Board member and advocate for open space in the urban environment)

To qualify for a Preservation Award, a project must:

Images and Video Recordings

Please submit:

  • Project photo presentation (Microsoft PowerPoint)
    • Please place individual images in slide presentation; one image per slide and please provide captions below the photo when necessary to provide context. Use black background only. Do not include company logos, watermarks, or any other graphics/designs on slides.
  • Individual media assets 40 – 50 JPEG images (preferred, but at least 20).

Please include a range of images, preferably in color (except for historic photos), including:

  • Historic views of the structure, site, area, and/or people involved in the story
  • The structure/site/project over the years, showing its evolution
  • The site (exterior, interior, detail) before the project began
  • The preservation work in progress and the people involved with the project (specific tasks, including the workers completing work; for non-construction projects: events, organizing meetings, press clips, etc.)
  • The completed project (corresponding to “before” images if possible)
  • People at the completed project/using the work completed (people celebrating at a reopening event, people at community events, people using the spaces for their intended purpose, etc.)
  • Any other images that help tell the story of the project and its positive impact on the community and/or the field of preservation
High-Resolution Images of the Completed Project

In addition, please include:

  • 3 – 5 high-resolution (300 dpi) JPEG color images of the completed project, both horizontal and vertical if possible
  • A Microsoft Word document containing photo credit information for each hi-resolution image

We will use one or more of these images to illustrate the project in educational and promotional materials including our website (permanently), newsletters, social media, and luncheon materials, as well as for press coverage.

Application Tips
Tell a compelling, succinct story.

In addition to recognizing outstanding achievements, the Awards convey the value of historic preservation to a wide audience. Successful applications tell the story of their project in the most compelling way, encompassing:

  • The project’s historical context
  • Specific goals of the project
  • Specific challenges the project team had to overcome
  • The project’s benefits to the community
  • The broader lessons to be drawn from the project 
Use a range of descriptive, high-quality images.

Quality images are essential to conveying a project’s importance, challenges, and impact. Although Conservancy staff members may conduct site visits for nominated projects so that we can answer the jury’s questions, jury members themselves typically cannot visit each project nominated for an award. We will contact you separately to arrange site access, if necessary. As a result, the photos and videos submitted with an application are often the only way the jury can visualize a project.

Other qualities the jury looks for in choosing Preservation Award recipients include:

  • Geographic diversity – projects throughout Los Angeles County
  • A range of project types – residential, commercial, institutional structures; landscape projects; planning, grassroots advocacy, and educational projects
  • Community diversity – projects that positively affect the wide range of communities and neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County
Questions?

Visit our FAQ page for answers to frequently asked questions.

Thanks for your interest, and good luck!