Year in Review: Milestones and Moments that Defined 2024

As this year wraps up, the SRA team is reflecting on all the moments that made 2024 meaningful. There was rarely a quiet moment between the completion of projects, team member promotions, and the distinction of being named the best architect in San Diego. Read on for a recap of what made this year unforgettable.

Best Architect in San Diego

This summer, we were excited to learn that San Diego Magazine’s readership voted Safdie Rabines Architects as Best Architect in San Diego. As a locally owned business established in 1993, this distinction recognizes SRA’s impact on our city and our work integrating nature with the built environment during the past three decades designing in our community.

Participating in the Bay-to-Park Paseo

SRA’s continued participation in the Bay-to-Park Paseo was another highlight of our year. We finalized our artistic design of the native Hermes Copper butterfly, to be installed atop the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in Downtown San Diego. Creating awareness for this project was ongoing, from the Inaugural Bay to Park Paseo Walk in April to presenting the concept to the community during San Diego Design Week. Once installed, this 45’x75’ butterfly design will “flutter” in the wind at its location near San Diego Bay.

SRA’s butterfly is a core piece of the Bay-to-Park Paseo urban pedestrian trail. At 1.7 miles long and running primarily through San Diego’s East Village, Bay-to-Park Paseo is the collective effort of local designers, artists, and storytellers who have shared their talents to create this new walking experience, which connects the waterfront to iconic Balboa Park. Learn more here.

Project Milestones: Completions and Distinctions

Several SRA projects passed momentous milestones in 2024. We saw the completion of a new affordable housing complex Aurora in San Diego and the most recent phase of construction for Evora, a luxury multi-use community in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Imperial County Criminal Courthouse in El Centro and the Lusail Pedestrian Bridges in Qatar both opened to the public this year, expanding SRA’s reach to new corners of the map.

Additionally, we celebrated the recent Topping-Off Ceremony for 222 North City. This mixed-use project in the heart of North City will create 463 housing units and will be San Marcos’ tallest building upon completion.

Healthy communities are at the forefront of SRA’s design principles, and we were also happy to see the Omaha RiverFront Revitalization recognized at the national level by Fast Company, ENR and the Urban Land Institute for reinvigorating Downtown Omaha with greatly improved public spaces. Within this multi-faceted project, SRA designed the Omaha Pedestrian Pier, now a favorite destination for its colorful lights and picturesque views of the Missouri River.

Welcoming SRA’s Newest Partner, Alfonso Barragán

This year SRA announced several team promotions, including the firm’s newest partner, Alfonso Barragán. Originally from Tijuana and a member of SRA for more than ten years, Alfonso’s area of focus is single-family homes across San Diego County. His skills in fabrication, digital technologies, and model-making reinforce SRA as a leading architecture firm. Alfonso will join Taal, Ricardo, Eric, and Brett as the newest partner of Safdie Rabines Architects as of January 2025.

Taal Safdie Elevated to AIA’s College of Fellows

Among the most exciting moments of the year was Taal Sadfie’s elevation to the American Institute of Architects’ prestigious College of Fellows. Received by only 3% of AIA members throughout the United States, Fellowship is the AIA’s highest membership honor and a reflection of exceptional work and significant contributions to the field.

In looking back at this year’s moments big and small, SRA is proud of what our team has accomplished through our work on architectural projects within and beyond Southern California. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients and our community in 2025.