A scenic, view-oriented, environmentally responsible community that strikes a careful balance between preserving natural resources and providing much-needed housing, Ladera Ranch, which was begun in 1998 and substantially completed in 2006, is a 4,000-acre (1,619 ha) master-planned community carved out of southern California’s vast Rancho Mission Viejo. More than 1,600 acres (648 ha) of sensitive habitat are being preserved as open space under a perpetual land trust, leaving about 2,400 acres (971 ha) to be developed with 8,100 homes and 1 million square feet (92,900 m2) of commercial space in six villages and three multiuse districts, with a relatively high average density—for production housing on a greenfield site—of 7.1 units per acre (17.5/ha). A central biofiltration system collects and naturally treats low-flow stormwater runoff, while a centralized computer system tightly controls irrigation, reducing water use. The community’s final two villages, Terramor and Covenant Hills, have incorporated a wide range of pioneering green building techniques, making Ladera Ranch one of the largest concentrations of green -designed and -constructed homes in the United States and the nation’s largest solar community.

Developers/Owners
Rancho Mission Viejo
San Juan Capistrano, CA

DMB Consolidated Holdings, LLC
Scottsdale, AZ

Master Planner
EDAW, Inc.
Irvine, CA

Architect
William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc.
Santa Ana, CA

Landscape Architect
Land Concern, Ltd.
Santa Ana, CA

Civil Engineers
Huitt Zollars, Inc.
Irvine, CA

Principal Author(s)
Julie Stern and David Taksuye

ULI Awards for Excellence 2006 Winner