COAR’s 2024: Year in Review
As we kick off 2025 and our third year as COAR, we have many fond memories to reflect on. 2024 had an exciting start with the opening of the new San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center, continued onward with team kickball games and our annual ping pong tournament, followed by the opening of the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Headquarters, wrapped up with a community donation drive, and of course, there were countless moments in-between. Whether it was by attending a long anticipated groundbreaking or going on a group hike, we engaged with our communities and grew together as a team.
Opening Doors.
This year we cut the ceremonial ribbon on six projects. At each grand opening, we got to watch the community experience their new facility for the very first time. We watched families look for a furry new addition to their home at the San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center, witnessed hundreds of Junior Lifeguards charge toward the ocean to train for the Monster Mile at their new headquarters, and experienced dance performances at the Larry Itliong Unity Park outdoor amphitheater. At the grand opening for the Julian Library Community Room, we even had the honor of August 1st, 2024 being named “COAR Design Group Day”!
COAR in the Community.
We had several opportunities to get involved with organizations that make a positive impact on their respective communities each and every day. In April, our team visited the Coastal Roots Farm in the heart of Encinitas. This community farm integrates sustainable practices and grows more than 80,000 pounds of food every year. They donate over 75% of their harvest to San Diegans facing food insecurity, including low-income seniors and families, Holocaust survivors, active-duty military and veteran families, Latinx families, and Indigenous/Native families. We put our construction skills to the test by building picnic tables and Adirondack chairs for the farm.… and don’t forget the mulch. We spread a lot of mulch.
Next we paid a visit to the new San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center to help package up donated items for delivery. Our team bagged kitty litter that is offered for free to community members in need, assembled crates for kitten transport, and even got to play with some puppies as a bonus! In Santa Rosa, our team paid a visit to Rohnert Park Animal Services. This municipal, open-admissions shelter is dedicated to supporting Sonoma County Community with low-cost spay/neutering, veterinary care, and free microchipping. We jumped in to assist with landscape work in the dog play area - spoiler alert: we got to play with more puppies!
At the end of the year, we hosted a donation drive out at both our San Diego and Santa Rosa offices where we gathered materials for hygiene kits and assembled no-sew blankets for individuals experiencing homelessness. San Diego donations headed to Dreams for Change and Santa Rosa donations went to Petaluma People Services Center. We are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to give back to the communities we call home.
Better Together.
The COAR team grew by 7 this year and these new additions called for team building across offices with the introduction of the first COAR-lympic Games! We proved our teamwork and communication skills through relay races, one-handed tower building, blind folded popsicle stick pickup, and a formidable obstacle COAR-se. It was great to unite our San Diego and Santa Rosa offices together in-person.
COAR’s athletic feats don’t stop there. Every year we watch our kickball team improve more and more - this year we even made it to the playoffs! We also had the opportunity to meet up with our friends at McParlane & Associates for an afternoon of fun and some friendly kickball competition. We can’t wait for a rematch in 2025! In our 2024 step challenge, we walked a combined 4,034 miles - enough to get from San Diego to New York, and back to the middle of Arkansas!
Groundbreaking News.
We watched two projects break ground in 2024 - the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office and Public Health Lab and the Irvine Animal Care Center. We look forward to watching these projects come to life in 2025!
IRVINE ANIMAL CARE CENTER
COAR worked closely with the City of Irvine to design a renovation and expansion of the existing Animal Care Center, making room for a new building entrance, veterinary suite addition, and renovated animal habitats. To maintain safe and efficient animal care operations throughout the renovation, construction will occur in phases. The initial phase, currently under construction, includes the new building entrance addition and veterinary suite addition. Phase two will increase housing capacities for cats and small animals and bolster the existing dog housing. Animals will return to their new and improved housing in January 2026!
SONOMA COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE & PUBLIC HEALTH LAB
This 23,000-sf facility will co-locate the previously separated County’s Coroner’s Office and Public Health Lab facilities. COAR worked collaboratively with the County to reach a final design that met this facility’s highly specialized functions, from durable lab spaces to comfortable public areas. The Lab facilitates interactions between the health care community and state and federal agencies for unusual and exotic diseases. It will hold training and reference testing for local clinical laboratories. The Coroner’s Office accommodates both the County forensic pathologist team as well as the County Sheriff officers assigned to this Division. Special consideration had to be taken for material finishes, access control, and detailing, specific to these respective purposes.
Design For Community.
From libraries, to aquatic centers, to animal care centers, and of course fire stations, we progressed on many exciting designs in 2024. Below is just a glimpse at some exciting projects to come in the next year and beyond!
Hi, 2025.
As we head into 2025, we will continue to embrace the spirit of teamwork and creativity that defines COAR – striving for excellence, supporting one another, and taking on challenges that inspire us to grow individually and collectively.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up with all the exciting developments at COAR in 2025. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
