SOHO IS PLEASED TO HONOR the steadfast, versatile preservationist Marc Tarasuck, AIA, with a 2025 Legacy Award.
As principal of his own architecture firm for more than 45 years, and through his service on the County of San Diego Historic Site Board, Marc has played a key role in protecting and revitalizing the historic fabric of neighborhoods across the county, from downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter to La Jolla, Del Mar, Coronado, and beyond.
 Heritage County Park in Old Town San Diego |
As a past SOHO president and a former vice-chairman of the County Historic Site Board, his influence has reached across the county. Marc’s long-standing and deep relationship with SOHO began long before he was elected president for the term 1977-1978. His early employment with the County of San Diego’s Architectural Division was instrumental in the creation of Heritage Park, SOHO’s first major preservation project. In addition, as a SOHO member, Marc helped raise funds to move the modest and rare Victorian-era Senlis Cottage (1896) to the park, where it became SOHO's first office.
One of the pioneers of the Heritage Square redevelopment in National City, Marc played a key role in bringing life and vision back to the 19th-century Brick Row, rare and important historic row houses. In 1973, he purchased two units in the Brick Row—one for his personal residence and the other as the office for his firm, Marc Tarasuck AIA & Associates. He did much of the restoration and renovation work himself.
“Historic buildings belong to the people,” Tarasuck told SOHO's Reflections in 1981, speaking of Heritage Square. “The parklike setting for all the people justifies the city spending money on redevelopment. Living in a historic structure becomes less of a private experience—people are curious and want to know more."
He continued, "As far as SOHO is concerned, you have to start within your own neighborhood.”
Marc put this philosophy into practice, encouraging others to reimagine what was possible.
In 1985, Marc received a SOHO People In Preservation Award as the lead architect for the 1850 William Heath Davis house renovation, a project that included moving the building to a new public vest pocket park. It is now a thriving museum in the Gaslamp Quarter.
One of Marc's early landmark achievements, restoring the Stingaree Hotel and Office Building, was a pioneering effort in the area south of Market Street in the Gaslamp. This restoration helped catalyze the revitalization of that entire historic district and earned numerous awards for architectural excellence and urban enhancement. Easy-going and easy to talk with as well as knowledgeable, Marc led SOHO walking tours of the Gaslamp in the 1970s that tour-goers raved about.
Marc’s contributions also include historical research, such as the architectural and historical assessment of more than 40 sites for the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. The La Jolla Historic Inventory that he produced in 1977 is today still considered a foundational reference for city and state agencies.
As the architect for Heritage Place: La Jolla, a private relocation project that preserved several residential-scale historic buildings, Marc demonstrated ingenuity in finding new ways to protect the architectural fabric of these threatened structures. The enclave is now a designated historic site.
Marc has generously given his time as a lecturer, organizer, and advocate, sharing his expertise through public talks on preservation and San Diego’s architectural legacy, and through hands-on service on numerous committees, including the first Gaslamp Quarter Project Area Committee and the revitalization of the Junípero Serra Museum in Presidio Park.
MARC'S PASSION FOR GOOD DESIGN, and his reverence for San Diego’s Mexican and Spanish architectural heritage—including courtyards, fountains, low-slung massing, natural light, and distinct texture—characterize his own architectural style. He credits the influences of Frank Lloyd Wright and San Diego’s renowned architects Irving Gill, Richard Requa, and Lloyd Ruocco with inspiring his thoughtful, enduring, and impactful design.
We are honored to recognize Marc Tarasuck’s decades of service, creativity, and preservation leadership with SOHO’s Legacy Award, a tribute to a lifetime of work that will continue to shape and inspire our region for generations to come.
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