2024 Posthumous Legacy Award
Architect Robert E. Des Lauriers was one of San Diego's leading architects in the post-war period from the late 1950s through the 70s. While Des Lauriers designed many houses, commercial offices, and other buildings throughout San Diego, he developed a reputation for his designs of places of worship for all denominations, and become known as "Mr. Church."
2nd Lt. Bob Des Lauriers in the cockpit of his B-17 in England during World War II.
Robert grew up in Los Angeles and moved with his parents to Hawaii shortly after high school graduation – and just two months prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Robert joined the Army Air Corps and became a B-17 pilot. He spent six months flying 33 missions from his base in the UK over Germany.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1949, Robert settled in La Mesa with his family. He initially worked alongside Frederick Liebhardt and Jim Bird for local designer, Alfred Mueller, before spending a year with Paderewski, Mitchell & Dean.
Robert launched his own firm in 1958. One of his earliest projects was Carlton Hills Lutheran in Santee, which he designed using a hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure, a dramatic, saddle-shaped roof made from two-inch-thick concrete to create a distinctive, eye-catching silhouette. This design showcased his ability to merge structural ingenuity with symbolic resonance and earned an AIA Award of Merit in 1959. Robert understood how to infuse drama into his designs, which was particularly well suited for religious architecture, and the contemporary-modern style became his signature. The firm eventually completed 67 religious projects, 150 residential, 187 Navy, 18 public schools and extensive projects.
Clairemont Lutheran Church in San Diego (1966). Photo ©Darren Bradley
Active in the community, Robert served as President of the AIA San Diego in 1961, President & Fellow in the Society of Military Engineers, Vice President of CA Specifications Institute, Member of the Council of Religious Architects. He also served on many community and state councils, boards, and associations.
Robert Des Lauriers’ contributions to sacred architecture helped define an era of openness and modernity in Southern California. His work remains a significant part of San Diego's architectural heritage, embodying the spirit of post-war modernism and the enduring importance of sacred spaces.
