Background

Robert Simons, AIA has devoted his 30-year career to creating enduring, functional, and sustainable spaces. He believes that exceptional planning, architecture, and public-private partnerships are key assets that can improve cities and neighborhoods. His vision for creating spaces that enhance quality of life has resulted in an array of innovative developments and award-winning projects.

Bob’s career has been characterized by the development of multi-use institutional facilities, hospitality, design-build developments, and projects spawning from public-private partnerships (P3). As President of SVA Architects, his foresight to pursue innovative P3 projects has helped grow the firm’s spectrum of work, including opportunities with unique economic, design, and sustainability components. Under his leadership, the growing firm is focused on delivering living and learning environments that improve the health of users and local communities.

His innovative work has earned him numerous prominent awards. Under Bob’s leadership, the nationally-lauded Celadon at 9th & Broadway received the prestigious ULI 2016 Global Award for Excellence, as well as the inaugural Healthy Places Award from the San Diego-Tijuana ULI in 2016 and the Grand Orchid from the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s annual Orchids & Onions program in 2017. He also responsible for the PCBC Gold Nugget Grand Award-winning La Escuelita Education Center, which received California’s top distinction for sustainable schools. It is the highest scoring Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Verified Leader project in the State. Most recently, he was recognized with a 2017 PCBC Gold Nugget Grand Award for re-imagining a mid-century home in Orange, CA to capture the character of the era from which it came, while seamlessly integrating the technology, comforts, and ingenuity of today. Bob’s designs have received recognition from additional industry organizations such as the Coalition of Adequate Student Housing (CASH) and American Institute of Architects California Council (AIACC).