Merit Award: The Colony at Bridgeport Plan 3

In only 1,868-square-feet, Plan 3 at The Colony at Bridgeport offers a lot of living space and function without sacrificing storage or appearance: Formal living and dining, a family room, three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms, and an upstairs laundry room flow with comfort and efficiency. Little space is wasted on circulation spaces, although elegant touches, such as a Juliet balcony where one can peak into the dining and living rooms, abound. The entry, for instance, is under a covered porch that leads to a double-door entrance.

Photo: Robb Miller Photography

Once inside, French doors offer a glimpse to the backyard and visually borrow space from the outdoors. A raised fireplace serves as the focal point of the living room. To the right, a corridor forming the home’s axis guides visitors to the interior stairway and dining room. The hall ends in the informal living space, a grand family room, kitchen, dining room, and nook space. Groceries are a short haul between the kitchen and the two-car garage. Plan 3, offered at $302,528, is part of a cluster of four homes. Category: Single-Family Production, less than 2,000 square feet; Entrant/Architect: Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, Newport Beach, Calif.; Builder: Centex Homes, Valencia, Calif.; Developer: Newhall Land and Farming Co., Valencia; Land Planner: Sikand Engineering, Van Nuys, Calif.; Landscape Architect: Landtex, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; Interior Designer: Creative Design Consultants, Costa Mesa, Calif.