IS Architecture is an award winning and highly qualified firm dedicated to the preservation and renewal of our built environment. The firm specializes in historic restoration and adaptive reuse of existing structures. The firm has considerable experience in numerous issues distinctly associated with historic projects. The firm's expertise includes the many reports and studies required for the management of historic structures, from Historic Structure Reports to Feasibility Studies. In addition, the firm possesses an expertise in the technical, aesthetic, building code, Americans with Disability Act (ADA), as well as, structural and agency review aspects of architectural design for historic structures.

IS Architecture has earned over a dozen awards for both their public and private preservation projects. Most recently, the firm was awarded a 2004 City of San Diego Historical Site Board Award of Excellence for Historic Preservation for the Uptown San Diego Historical Context Statement. IS Architecture also recently received a 2003 California Preservation Foundation Award and the 2004 Save Our Heritage Organisation’s Rural Preservation Award for the preparation of the Historic Structures Report for the Sikes Adobe Farmhouse and Landscape. The firm’s work was recognized in 2002 by the non-profit Orchid and Onions program with an Orchid award for the City of Escondido – Historic Update Survey and Oral Interviews. The collective contributions of IS Architecture and Milford Wayne Donaldson Architects to the Greater San Diego Mid-City Historic Preservation Strategy was honored with a 1998 City of San Diego Historical Site Board Award of Excellence for Historic Preservation, a 1997 California Preservation Foundation Award, a 1996 American Institute of Architects Award, and a 1996 Orchid Award. IS Architecture has also been recognized with several “San Diego Home/Garden” Awards for their work on both new and historic private residences.

In consultation with the State of California, Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) and coordination with the City of Escondido and the Escondido HPC, Phase I of the Historic Resources Survey Update included identification and recordation of over 600 properties at the reconnaissance level, using Primary Records (DPR 523A) to document newly identified historic properties and to revise and update data on properties previously recorded in the 1990 Survey. Six potential historic districts were identified using Primary Records. Oral history interviews of 20 local residences, and property owners were conducted as part of the research and data gathering phase of this survey process to provide a greater understanding of the cultural diversity of the City’s neighborhood historically.

IS Architecture as the preservation architect and lead consultant has prepared the Historic Structures Report and preservation drawings for the Sikes Adobe. IS Architecture has been awarded a 2005 California Preservation Foundation Award for the Restoration and a 2002 California Preservation Foundation Award for the Historic Structures Report. The client the San Dieguito River Valley Regional Open Space Park, Joint Powers Authority plans to fully restore the adobe ranch/farm house and a local docent society plans to provide docent lead tours. As the lead consultant, IS Architecture orchestrated several sub consultants. The project team included two historians, a landscape architect, historic cultural landscape interpreter, structural engineer, HABS photographer, and a program interpretation consultant. Based on the results of the historic structures report the preservation plan identified areas requiring immediate stabilization measures, as well as, providing documentation for the entire restoration of the structure.

Recent historic work with the State of California and the County of San Diego includes Historic Structures Reports for the Casa de Bandini and Pico Motor Court in Old Town, the Verna House in Old Town, the Los Penasquitos Ranch House Building "C," and the Warner-Carrillo Ranch House and Barn in Warner Springs. IS Architecture, as the Prime Consultant, also completed restoration and/or developed preservation plans for these historic structures.

IS Architecture was the Architectural Consulting firm for the Santa Margarita Ranch House, Bunkhouse and Chapel Baseline Study and Construction Monitoring Program, in association with EM 2 , William Manley Consulting and Melvin Green Structural Engineers. The project entailed providing pre-construction consulting for structurally stabilizing portions of the resource and during construction monitoring the adobe structures for signs of structural failure during the construction of the Santa Margarita Flood Control Project. The firm has participated in several Historic American Building Survey (HABS) documentation studies. The studies included four resources impacted by the extension of State Route 30, the T.M. Cobb Warehouse, and an addendum to the HABS documentation of the Warner-Carrillo Ranch House and Barn prepared for the National Park Service, Western Division. For these studies Ms. Stiegler was the Consultant Architect for Historic Preservation responsible for field reconnaissance survey and preparation of the architectural record, for the cultural resource firm of William Manley Consulting.

Other preservation projects include the County Administration Center Architectural Barriers Compliance Program prepared for the County of San Diego , Department of General Services, Architectural and Engineering Division. IS Architecture was the Project Architect selected to provide accessibility access in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The County Administration Center is a National Register building built by a consortium of the most prestigious architects in San Diego as a WPA project in 1936. The project is designed to conform with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, as well as, meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the State of California Administrative Code Title 24.

For the Uptown Historical Reconnaissance Survey, IS Architecture was the Prime Consultant responsible for the reconnaissance survey field documentation, data input, identification and evaluation of all potential historic districts and justifications of the proposed districts boundaries. The scope of the project included a reconnaissance survey of all potential historic and architecturally significant resources, review of potential historic districts, preservation options, incentive packages and an educational outreach program. The survey identified over 11,000 contributing resources and identified potential historic districts with boundary justifications. The standards of the Secretary of the Interior’s National Register Bulletin - 15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation were strictly adhered to for identifying the contributing and individually significant structures of the survey. The Secretary of the Interior’s National Register Bulletin - 21, How to Establish Boundaries for National Register Properties was followed for the justification process of the boundaries for the twelve historic districts.