Legacy & Tradition: We Have Progressed Along with the Dallas Metro Area
Firm Founded in 1954
Early Beginnings
When Boeing 707 Prototype Debuted
Our design journey started in the early summer of 1954. That was a good year for our country when Boeing 707 made its maiden flight. Our firm was founded in the city of Dallas by Mr. Gaynor and Mr. Sirmen. We soon grew to be a reputable firm serving the entire southwestern region of the United States with completed landmark projects including the Dallas Municipal Library, the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Museum, UT Southwestern Medical School, the Women’s Museum, Dallas Convention Center, and numerous buildings for technology companies such as Texas Instrument, Rockwell Collins and Hewlett Packard. For over six and a half decades, we have built a diverse portfolio in sectors including infrastructure, civic, commercial, educational, technology, healthcare, hospitality, and residential habitat. As a result, we have become known as one of the most prestigious design firms in the Dallas metro area. Many of our projects have won industry awards.
Creation of Architectural Division
Design Philosophy
Society + art + architecture + nature
Our Dallas architectural office was founded in 1994 under the original name of RTI International. The firm later changed its name to SAAN to recognize a design philosophy embodied in the four initial letters of Society, art, architecture, and Nature. With the letter “S”, the firm sees its design dwells in society and benefits from the well-being of a larger whole. Our designers seek opportunities to build a better community. Our thoughts, our work, and our lives are devoted to this goal. With the first letter “A” in art, we see ourselves as dedicated professionals, who strive to perfect our skills and crafts to improve the standards of our trades as designers. With the second letter “A” in architecture, we see our work as a holistic process and a product of planning, designing, and constructing a structure for a set of established goals. Finally, with the letter “N” in nature, we see our physical environment needing proper stewardship. Therefore, we endeavor to protect nature and draw inspiration from nature.
Dallas Arch Studio Meeting
NYC Office Expanded Services
From Pre-Design to Post-Design
and Investment Strategy & Development
Our New York City office was founded in 1982 and had been under the leadership of William Q Brothers and operates as WQB LLC. Mr. Brothers also founded a sister company of Interactive Development Associates (IDA), specializing in real estate development consulting and design services. For over 30 years, our NYC practice has taken an active role in the design, development, and planning of dozens of projects in China, Europe, and the Pacific Islands, from single-family villas to mixed-use high-rise commercial buildings and hotels. The NYC design team focuses on creating high-quality projects that reflect the special demands of regional and local sensitivities, corporate culture, and our client’s brand.
Our China Offices
Riding on Fast Train
Learning About Fengshui
We established our Beijing office in 2006 as we expanded our work rapidly into overseas markets. We soon found out that setting up an office in China was different from simply making business trips from the US to China on marketing missions or working on actual projects. We ventured into China as early as 1998 for the Hainan Nanshan master planning project and again in 2002 for the Central China Agricultural University project. However, putting permanent staff on the ground was a mighty challenge. We quickly had to get familiar with local tax agencies, classifications of architectural licensing, Chinese language capabilities on software, and above all, Chinese customs, traditions, and aesthetics in architecture. In addition, we have to develop an understanding of the importance of Chinese Fengshui. Currently, for the Great China Operations, we have three offices with independent design studios in Beijing, Tianjin, and Wuhan, and one office with representative personnel for marketing and client services, including Hong Kong.
Spring-boarding From China
Our Global Reach
We Are Now in Four Continents
For us, China has been a springboard for our international practice. Chinese and international clients have taken us from China to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Ghana, New Caledonia, and Russia. In addition, we cover emerging markets from China, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Africa. Our work has flourished in four continents, seventeen countries, and more than ninety cities and regions. Our international strategy focuses on design and innovation. We use inter-office collaboration to pull our best resources on design problems worldwide. We promise to deliver great design and the best service. Our strategy is to stay at the forefront of innovation and advancement because this is how we will succeed and prosper. The ultimate professional goal for our designers and engineers is to make the built environment a better place for years to come. We build our world responsibly.
