In addition to the BDA’s regular awards, the jury applauds two residential projects for the inventiveness with which they have put land assembly and construction methods to use both in providing additional housing, and creating examples that future developers and architects would do well to follow.

After years of hype, modular construction is making inroads in the East Bay as developers seek out lower costs. This six-story batch of student apartments with 228 beds deserves a citation for how it turned the concept of stacking rectangular forms into an assertive, engaging design.

The look is big and blunt, no question -- but the notched arrangement of the upper floors facing Telegraph gives us a sense of the conceived assembly method, though the project ended up being built fully on-site anyway. Another plus: the glassy generosity of the base raises the bar for new storefront spaces as Telegraph grows.