Adding to the ever expanding list of awards and accolades that San Francisco obtains daily, on June 1, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department announced that Palega Recreation Center and Boeddeker Park are both recipients of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) San Francisco’s Design Awards 2015.

Palega Recreation (an 80-year-old rec center and playground in the Portola district) recently underwent a $21-million-dollar makeover with the funding provided by the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond adding nearly six acres of indoor and outdoor recreation space.

The other award winner, Boeddeker Park is a nearly 1-acre space in the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, and the largest park in the neighborhood. One of the densest districts in San Francisco, Boeddeker serves a neighborhood with one of the highest percentages of households living below the poverty. Opened in 1985, the park is named for beloved local pastor Father Alfred Boeddeker.

"The Trust for Public Land believes every person deserves a quality, safe place to play within 10 minutes of where they live, no matter what neighborhood they live in," said Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land. "We design parks hand-in-hand with the community and the City of San Francisco, and the results speak for themselves!"

Nearly half a century old, the AIA (San Francisco Design Awards) recognizes the outstanding architectural achievements of Bay Area individuals and organizations. The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter, one of the largest of the AIA's nearly 300 chapters nation wide, represents more than 2,000 members in San Francisco and Marin County. Headquartered in the historic Hallidie Building—America's first glass-curtain-wall building, designed by Willis Polk—AIA San Francisco is the Bay Area’s leading destination for architecture and design.