The studio
Established by the husband and wife team of Taal Safdie and Ricardo Rabines, Safdie Rabines Architects is dedicated to producing site-specific architecture that is both socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. The office maintains a careful design approach that is sensitive to the natural and built context of each individual project while responding to the needs of its users. The firm’s wide range of experience includes the design of residential and institutional buildings, bridge and infrastructure projects, and large urban master plans.
Safdie Rabines Architects is a full-service firm experienced in all phases of programming, design, and construction. Their award-winning work has been featured in numerous national and international publications. Currently involved in a variety of projects around the country, some of the firm’s recent commissions include the South Campus Student Center at UCLA, the Structural and Materials Engineering Building at UCSD, and the El Centro Family Courthouse. Projects recently completed include The Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society & the Environment at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park in Los Angeles. Their work also consists of several vehicular and pedestrian bridges such as the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in downtown San Diego as well as various residential projects including 777 Beech Street, a mixed-use development adjacent to a national landmark, the historical El Cortez hotel.
Recognition
- —2026 AIA California Design Awards Citation — Imperial County Criminal Courthouse
- —2025 Circulate San Diego Momentum Awards Sustainable Growth Award — North City Master Plan
- —2025 San Diego Design Week Signature Design Awards University Campus Design Award — North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood
- —2025 California Masonry Awards Honorable Mention — Oceanside Beach Facilities
- —2025 American Public Works Association Project of the Year — Imperial County Criminal Courthouse
- —2025 Urban Land Institute Americas Award for Excellence — North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood
- —2024 Engineering News Resource Midwest Best Projects, Landscape/Urban Development — Farnam Pier
- —2024 San Diego Architectural Foundation Orchids & Onions Orchid - Public Architecture — Scripps Park Pavilion
- —2024 San Diego Magazine Best Architect in San Diego
- —2024 San Diego Magazine Best Apartment Community in San Diego — Block C
- —2024 ULI Americas Award for Excellence — Farnam Pier
- —2024 Fast Company Innovation by Design — Farnam Pier
- —2024 American Public Works Association Honor Award — Epstein Family Amphitheater
- —2024 American Public Works Association Project of the Year — San Elijo Lagoon Pedestrian Bridge
- —2024 AIA San Diego Design Awards Merit Award — Farnam Pier
- —2024 American Society of Civil Engineers San Diego Project of the Year — West Mission Bay Bridge
- —2024 San Diego County Engineering Council Outstanding Professional Engineering Project Award — San Elijo Lagoon Pedestrian Bridge
- —2024 American Council of Engineering Companies ACEC Engineering Excellence Award Honor Award — West Mission Bay Bridge
- —2023 USGBC-LA Sustainable Innovation Award — Epstein Family Amphitheater
- —2023 San Diego Architectural Foundation Orchids & Onions Orchid - Public Architecture — San Elijo Lagoon Pedestrian Bridge
- —Best Architecture Firm 2026
- —2026 AIA Design Award — Imperial Courthouse
- —2025 Design Award for West Wing Revamp Plan — San Diego Museum of Art West Wing Revamp Plan
- —2024 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence — Omaha RiverFront Revitalization
- —2025 San Diego Magazine Best Architect in San Diego
- —2026 Forbes America’s Top Residential Architects and Best-in-State Residential Architects
- —2026 San Diego Magazine Best Architecture Firm
- —2025 San Diego Museum of Art Design Award — West Wing Revamp Plan