Shalom Baranes Associates
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Shalom Baranes |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Key people | Shalom Baranes (Founder), Robert Sponseller (former Lead Design Principal) |
| Products | Architectural services |
Number of employees | 40 (around) |
Shalom Baranes Associates, PC is an architectural firm located in Washington, D.C., established by Shalom Baranes in 1981. By the year 2014, the company employed more than 140 architect principals and associates. In 2013, it held the distinction of being the most engaged architectural firm in the Washington metropolitan region, overseeing 67 active projects.
About the firm
Shalom Baranes, who previously worked at Arthur Cotton Moore Associates, founded SBA, which has since developed a significant presence throughout the region.
In 2010, SBA was appointed as the architect of record for Waterfront Station, a $140 million mixed-use development situated above the Waterfront Metro station, designed to rejuvenate southwest D.C. By 2011, the firm was listed among Engineering News-Record's top 500 design firms, generating $16.9 million in revenue and employing 100 team members.
The American Institute of Architects honored SBA with its Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design for Burnham Place, a $7 billion project constructed over rail lines behind Union Station.
Additionally, SBA contributed to the design of two residential buildings within the $1 billion CityCenterDC project and played a role in developing its overall master plan.
In 2013, the Washington Business Journal recognized Shalom Baranes Associates as the busiest architectural firm in the national capital area, managing 67 ongoing projects and surpassing its competitors by a wide margin.
Focus and statistics
By 2012, Shalom Baranes Associates had a workforce of 142 architects and professionals serving clients from both public and private sectors. The firm concentrated on projects spanning commercial, residential, governmental, and institutional sectors, primarily within the National Capital Area, while also maintaining an international clientele. Known for offering exclusively architectural services, SBA earned a reputation for its proficiency in historic preservation, project coordination, and urban planning.
The Washington City Paper emphasized Shalom Baranes’ specialization in high-profile, multifaceted multi-building developments.
In 2024, Robert Sponseller, the Lead Design Principal, left to form Sponseller Design Group. By 2025, Shalom Baranes Associates operated as a sole proprietorship with a staff of around 40 employees, nearly 30 of whom were architects.