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Santa Barbara, CA— DesignARC Architects celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer, marking five decades of work across Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties. The private anniversary event was held July 17, 2026, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the firm’s Santa Barbara office, where guests gathered for live music, an upscale food truck, and revelry.
DesignARC’s work has earned numerous honors over the years, including AIA awards, Santa Barbara Beautiful awards, the George Washington Smith Award, and other accolades recognizing the firm’s contributions to design excellence and the built environment. “None of our architectural achievements could have been possible without the employees, colleagues, associates and partners’ unwavering support,” says Mark Kirkhart, founding partner of DesignARC, reflecting on the firm’s work over the past 50 years. Together with partner Mark Shields, the firm has created custom single-family homes, multi-story urban infill apartment complexes, and urban communities both locally and throughout western China. In Santa Barbara, DesignARC’s notable work includes the Santa Barbara Bowl, Hotel Californian, and Santa Barbara Yacht Club; the firm is currently working on an expansion and update of the historic Lobero Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara.
DesignARC is an innovative architecture and design firm with studios in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Specializing in custom residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional design, the firm brings together progressive, like-minded thinkers who share a commitment to research, collaboration, and creative architectural solutions for each client and project.
For more information, visit the firm’s website at http://www.designarc.net
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