ISSUE 04 | DECEMBER 2025
2025 AIASB Design Awards | Honorable Mention
Hillcrest Residence was recognized with an Honorable Mention in the Unbuilt/Proposed category at the 2025 AIASB Design Awards. Conceived as a sanctuary within a mature oak grove, the project explores the relationship between horizon, light, and landscape, dissolving boundaries between architecture and nature.
Perched lightly above the terrain, the home minimizes its footprint while preserving the integrity of the site. Elevated living spaces hover among the treetops, lending the house a pavilion-like quality where interior and exterior blur. Concrete walls establish a measured sequence of movement and threshold, while expansive glazing and clerestories draw daylight deep into the plan.
Material contrast plays a central role: the permanence of concrete is balanced by the openness of glass, and the pool, edged in Plexiglas, becomes a quiet lens to the horizon. The design prioritizes experience over gesture, shaping an architecture defined by presence, restraint, and a deep respect for place.
We extend our thanks to the American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara and the 2025 jury for their thoughtful review and recognition of the Hillcrest Residence.
We were honored to have Ospi Montecito featured in this year’s Santa Barbara ArchitecTour 2025, marking the second year in a row that The Warner Group Architects project has been selected for the tour. We are truly grateful for the enthusiastic response from the community and were honored to host the official after party at Ospi.
Celebrating a Succesful 2025
The Warner Group Architects was recognized on Architizer’s Visionary 100 list, an annual acknowledgment of the top 100 studios worldwide shaping the future of architectural practice. The distinction reflects not a single project, but a body of work rooted in clarity of intent, disciplined process, and a commitment to architecture as both craft and narrative. Our work often begins long before construction, through drawing, modeling, and iterative design exploration. This recognition underscores the value of architectural storytelling across scales and media, from conceptual studies to built form, and the role of thoughtful representation in shaping how architecture is understood and experienced.
We are grateful to be included alongside studios and individuals we admire, and to the clients and collaborators who trust the process and make this work possible.
2025 Architizer Visionary 100 | The Warner Group Architects
