Søren Simonsen is an architect, urban designer, city planner, and educator. Over the past 25 years as a design and planning professional, with a decade of public service as an appointed and elected official, he has focused on creating safe, healthy, beautiful and prosperous communities throughout the western United States.

Søren is a partner and chief financial officer of Community Studio, a Salt Lake City company that works throughout the western United States on community-building projects. He is an accomplished design and planning professional. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, with an emphasis on community and regional planning, and urban policy. He has received numerous awards and citations for his design, public policy and community advocacy work, including the National Young Architect Award, 18 Envision Utah Governor’s Quality Growth Awards, and is a three-time Best of State Gold Medalist. He has guided the development of several LEED certified projects including the LEED Platinum Swaner EcoCenter, the Moab City Center, and the Daybreak School and Community Center, the first LEED Certified school in Utah.

Søren was elected to the Salt Lake City Council in November 2005. He has also served on numerous local and national boards and committees for the American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, US Green Building Council and the Urban Land Institute. He has been an active community champion for public health, arts and culture, local business, environment, sustainability and alternative transportation.

            Søren is married, with two children, and enjoys cooking, photography and outdoor recreation. You can generally find him zipping around Sugar House on his bicycle or the bus, or riding his scooter or TRAX to the Downtown.

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