Most Recent News at RTA

Penrose St. Francis Health Services celebrated the groundbreaking of the new 168,000 sf addition to the RTA-designed St. Francis Medical Center. This $102 million project - in conjunction with GE Johnson, Centura Health, and other project partners - will increase the number of beds in the Emergency Department and NICU as well as provide additional new operating rooms to meet the needs of our ever-growing community. The four-story addition and new garden level will feature covered parking, an emergency medicine lounge, a wellness garden, and shell space for future expansion. Continue to visit our website to stay up to date on the progress of this exciting project!

RTA's High School Architecture Class was featured in the Colorado Springs Gazette! After weeks of rigorous lessons and dozens of hours of volunteer work from our staff, we are so proud of the strides our 12 students have been making in this class! Read the full article here. 

Hear what students are saying about the STEAM lab in John Adams Elementary!

RTA's design of the elementary playground for the Moffat PK-12 School was featured on the cover of School Planning & Management Magazine! Read more about this award-winning project here:

How can architects design a better health care experience for patients? RTA Principal John Hoelscher discusses the growing popularity of designing for team-based health care in the Colorado Real Estate Journal. Read the full article below: 

RTA Architects is excited to welcome seven new staff members to our Architectural, Interior Design, and Administrative teams. Our new Architectural team members are Megan Gunderson, Jheanelle Levy, Chase Miller, and Natalia Vladimirova.

Architect Megan Gunderson, AIA, LEED GA, brings seven years of experience to RTA and has her Master of Architecture from North Dakota State University. Jheanelle Levy, Architectural Intern, received her Master of Architecture degree from Florida International University and brings five years of experience to the company. Chase Miller, Architectural Intern, who spent the summer of 2014 with RTA, re-joined us after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with Bachelor’s degrees in Architecture and Economics. Architectural Intern Natalia Vladimirova graduated from the University of New Mexico with her Master of Architecture after a career in the sciences, where she also holds a Master of Science in Physics / Applied Math and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.

On the Interior Design Team, we welcome Amy Schuster who joined RTA shortly after graduating this year from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design. New members of RTA’s administrative team are Erica Vandiver, Marketing Assistant and Heather Belveal, Administrative Assistant. Erica joined us after graduating from Drury University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising, Public Relations, and Business Administration, and Heather joined RTA shortly after graduating from UCCS this year with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and History.

RTA warmly welcomes all our new team members and looks forward to their contributions and growth in their careers!

Megan Gunderson, Architect, AIA, LEED GA

Jheanelle Levy, Architectural Intern

Chase Miller, Architectural Intern

Natalia Vladimirova, Architectural Intern

Amy Schuster, Interior Designer

Erica Vandiver, Marketing Assistant

Heather Belveal, Administrative Assistant

RTA Architects and Nunn Construction announce the opening of the new 168-bed year-round shelter at the Springs Rescue Mission (SRM). This is one of several phases to assist SRM with the expansion of services to the homeless and other at-risk residents of Colorado Springs. RTA Architects completed a comprehensive master plan for the Springs Rescue Mission to provide for immediate and future needs through a vision of “design with dignity.” The reception desk was made from recycled bowling alley lanes and will greet guests as they enter the bright, LED-lit space. The wood feature overhead was crafted from trees that endured the Colorado Springs Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires of 2012 and 2013.

Future phases include: the Resource Center projected to open in the Spring of 2017 providing laundry, and showers and dedicated space for services from multiple agencies including physical and mental health; a new Welcome Center; and a large kitchen/dining facility with dining for 200, dedicated space for job training in the culinary arts, and dedicated space for Mission Catering.

Read the full press release here.

Read media coverage here.

The goals set by Pikes Peak Summit Complex design team - including RTA Architects and GWWO, Inc. / Architects - already surpass LEED silver standards. But sights have been set even higher. The team now is pursuing the Living Building Challenge, the world's most vigorous performance standard for structures. Read more about the enviromental goals of the Pikes Peak Summit Complex here.

The RTA-designed Denver Health Federico F. Peña Southwest Family Health Center is featured in the November issue of Healthcare Design Magazine. Serving an historically underserved portion of southwest Denver, it is the largest family health center in the Denver Health system and the first to offer urgent care. Read the full article here.

RTA was honored to receive two design awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Colorado and two from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Rocky Mountain Chapter. AIA Colorado and AIA Colorado South recognized the Moffat PK-12 school in Moffat, CO with an Award of Merit and an Honorable Mention respectively. The IIDA Rocky Mountain Chapter honored Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO as the winner in the GIVE Category, and Ignacio High School in Ignacio, CO with a Merit Award in the LEARN Category.

A big thank you to the Moffat and Ignacio communities, the staff and patients of Craig Hospital, and our design partners for all their contributions to the success of these projects! Click on the images below to learn more.

Moffat PK-12 School
AIA CO Award of Merit
AIA CO South Honorable Mention

Craig Hospital
IIDA Rocky Mountain GIVE Category Winner

Ignacio High School
IIDA Rocky Mountain LEARN Category Award of Merit