The County of San Diego said the County Administration Center won the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s highest national honor.

The county said the Driehaus award is one of six major honors for the CAC renovation; the project also received the Save Our Heritage Organization People in Preservation Award (which recognizes Project Manager Kathryn Moroz), the City of San Diego Preservation Project Award, an AIA San Diego Honor Award for preservation, Engineering News‑Record California Region’s Best Project in Renovation/Restoration and a Society of American Registered Architects National Design Award for renovation, restoration and adaptive reuse.

Dedicated in 1938 and originally built to house the governments of both the City and the County, the CAC serves San Diego’s population of 3.3 million; the county said the building had become significantly outdated by 2015 and officials chose preservation over replacement.

The county said the team completed the work in more than 20 carefully planned phases, modernizing the 315,000-square-foot building while restoring the historic features that define its character. Upgrades included new lighting, fire‑life‑safety systems, security enhancements, seismic reinforcement, ADA improvements, HVAC upgrades, an emergency generator and a fully modernized Board Chambers.

The county said the six awards reflect the quality of the work and the county’s commitment to honoring the past while investing in the building’s efficiency, resilience and accessibility.

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County of San Diego

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