• PCI Ascent Magazine Features the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center

    Did you know that the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center is a total-precast structure? Read about the planning, design, fabrication, and construction of this incredible project in the fall issue of PCI Ascent Magazine https://bit.ly/3luYxCq.

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  • Women in Healthcare Facility Tour: UCCS William J. Hybl Center

    RTA was proud to sponsor the Denver Chapter of Women in Healthcare tour of the state-of-the-art UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center. Bill Lueck of Centura Health, and Paul Reu, of RTA, with surprise guest Dr. Andy Subudhi, Ph.D, FACSM, CSCS of UCCS, led the group around this fascinating facility that integrates medical care, research, performance, instruction, and patient education and helps athletes from all walks of life. Learn more about this project here.

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  • Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center Living Building Challenge Video Series: Health & Happiness

    Colorado is a destination for visitors from all over the world seeking to connect with the awe-inspiring power of nature, and a healthy indoor environment that nurtures the human/nature connection was a key design goal of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center.

    From improved indoor air quality and significantly increased access to natural light and breathtaking views through the expansive windows, learn more about how the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center was designed to provide an improved overall experience to maximize the health and happiness for both visitors and staff and the fifth petal of the Living Building Challenge… Health and Happiness.

  • Sprouts Farmers Market Coming to South Nevada Avenue's Creekwalk

    Arizona-based healthy living grocery Sprouts Farmers Market will be adding a fourth location in Colorado Springs adjacent to the new Creekwalk shopping center, also designed by RTA, on South Nevada Avenue. This 23,646 square foot Sprouts is part of a bigger effort to transform the area into a prosperous retail and tourist destination and we’re thrilled to be involved in both of these exciting projects.

    The newest Sprouts location is expected to open in the fall of 2022. Learn more about Creekwalk here.

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  • Peak Vista Health Center Downtown Breaks Ground

    What a great start to the week! We were excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Peak Vista Health Center Downtown with Peak Vista leadership, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, and the Springs Rescue Mission.

    With expected completion in Q1 2022, the new health center will serve residents experiencing homelessness in the Downtown Colorado Springs area. It will also be an expansion of Peak Vista’s whole-person, family health center model, providing medical, dental, social support, and behavioral health services in a patient-centered accessible design. Read more about Peak Vista Health Center Downtown here.

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  • Ride Along with Travel + Leisure Magazine to the Summit of Pikes Peak
    Travel + Leisure Magazine recently rode the refurbished Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak and visited the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center! 
     
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  • St. Francis Medical Center Construction Update

    Construction continues at St. Francis Medical Center's fifth and sixth floor Critical Care and Intermediate Care bed wing addition! The building exterior envelope is framed and sheathed, and windows are being installed. Stucco and roofing are also underway, and interior MEP systems installation and fire proofing are ongoing. Interior framing, interior finishes, and the receiving dock steel framing and decking are all soon to follow.

    Be sure to follow us for more updates on this great project as Penrose-St. Francis Health Services continues to expand to serve the healthcare needs of El Paso County.

     

  • UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center Winner of DBIA Rocky Mountain Chapter Education Category

    We are thrilled to announce that the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center on the UCCS campus has been presented with the highest honor in the Education category of the annual Design-Build Institute of America Rocky Mountain Region awards program which recognizes "Design-Build Done Right"; exemplary design-build project(s) that resulted in achieving best-value while demonstrating effective schedule and cost performance, as well as exemplify the principles of effective processes, interdisciplinary teamwork, problem-solving, and excellence in design. This is the second year running that an RTA-designed project has won the DBIA RM Education category.

    Congratulations to our amazing design-build team! Read more about this amazing project here.

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  • Pikes Peak Featured on ABC's Good Morning America

    ABC's Good Morning America featured Pikes Peak during their July 2nd broadcast to kick off the Independence Day Weekend and their series on the re-opening of America. Did you know that Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write "America the Beautiful," the poem that would evolve into one of the nation’s best-loved patriotic songs, during a trip to Pikes Peak in 1893?

    Watch the clip here!

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  • RTA Cuts the Ribbon of the new PIkes Peak Summit Visitor Center

    There were smiles for miles as we celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center along with hundredes of guests, City of Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, and Governor Jared Polis. Site work and finishing touches on the incredible exhibit space will continue over the summer, so be sure to check back for more updates!

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  • Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center Announces Grand Opening

    Exhibits, donuts, and views... oh my! The long-awaited opening of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center is almost here and will open June 24th with a grand opening ribbon-cutting June 30th. Read more here.

    Pikes Peak Visitor Center Opens June 24, 2021

  • Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center Featured in Civil Engineering Source

    Building design at 14,000 feet comes with many challenges, not the least of which are those involving materials and geotechnical conditions. In a recent article by The American Society of Civil Engineers' Civil Engineering Source, RTA Principal Stuart Coppedge, GWWO Architects Principal Alan Reed, HCDA Principal Steve Horner (structural engineering), and William Hoffmann Jr., senior engineering consultant for CTL Thompson, Inc. (geotechnical engineering), discuss how the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center design team handled everything from the effect of the extreme altitude on the concrete placement to protecting the summit’s fragile tundra ecosystem during design and construction.

    Read the full article here!

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  • Pikes Peak Visitor Center Featured in Colorado Springs Magazine

    The countdown is on to the opening of the new Pikes Peak Visitor Center! After years of design and construction, the new Visitor Center is slated to open in late May, and we couldn’t be more excited. See this month’s issue of Colorado Springs Magazine to read about some of the challenges of designing one of the world’s highest-altitude projects. The story starts on page 31. 

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  • Photo Tour of UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center

    The photo tour of the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Centerwas just published at Healthcare Snapshots! Learn more about how this one-of-a-kind facility promotes synergies between UCCS academics and Centura Health sports medicine clinical treatment. It also supports treatment and training for first responders and athletes and active individuals with physical disabilities including para-athletes and wounded military veterans.

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  • Chinook Trail Middle School Wins IIDA Rocky Mountain Chapter BESTaward

    Chinook Trail Middle School took home the BESTaward in th­­e LEARN category of the 2020 IIDA Rocky Mountain Chapter awards. The middle school, designed by the joint venture of  RTA/MOA, was noted for its biophilic design focused on the health and well-being of students and staff and its dynamic project-based learning environment.  The full award ceremony and list of all winning projects can be viewed here

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  • William J. Hybl Center is "First of it's kind"

    The William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center at UCCS continues to make news! Check out the article in Building Design and Construction Magazine which highlights some of the features of this unique, multi-disciplinary facility.

    The article notes the unique integration of collision spaces and multi-partner integration make the center  "a first-of-its-kind facility". 

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  • Chinook Trail Middle School Featured in Education Snapshots

    Chinook Trails Middle School was recently featured in Education Snapshots, with a full photo tour of the facility. The article explores the design and innovation of the building, which was completed in 2019. 

    Check out the photo tour here.

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  • The William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center Opens

    The UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center has opened its doors for clinical patients!.  A few weeks before completion, our staff got to tour this incredible project to view the results of all our hard work.

    The William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center integrates medical research, performance, instruction, and patient education. Part of the building is dedicated to medical care and sports performance training, overseen by Centura Health. The other half of the building consists of UCCS lecture halls, classrooms, and specialty exercise areas, including a biomechanics lab and altitude chamber. Our staff has been honored to partner with HOK and JE Dunn to bring this City for Champions project to life. The academic side of the facility will finish later this summer in time for the start of UCCS’ academic year.

    More information about this project can be found here.

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  • UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center Construction Nears Completion

    The innovative and highly anticipated William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center is nearing completion at UCCS. Two of the four floors have received their final quality review by the design team, and the parking lot and sidewalks are being finished. Centura and UCCS will move equipment into the building mid to late May. The clinic is anticipated to open soon and will be occupied by UCCS students in the fall.

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  • The Transformation of the St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Department

    The renovated and expanded Emergency Department at St. Francis Medical Center was the topic of a recent article by Principal Paul Reu, AIA in this month's issue of Building Dialogue magazine. Read about the how the transformation has improved the experience for patients and staff here.

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  • UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine & Performance Center Featured in ENR Magazine

    This month’s ENR and ENR Mountain States magazines highlight the RTA and HOK-designed William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center at UCCS. Currently under construction, it will promote synergies between academics and Centura Health sports-medicine-based clinical treatment. It will also support treating and training for first responders and athletes and active individuals with physical disabilities including para-athletes and wounded military veterans. Read the full article about this one-of-a-kind facility here! https://www.enr.com/articles/48653-sports-medicine-connects-with-higher-education-at-new-uccs-hybl-center.

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  • William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center Featured in UCCS Faculty Speaker Series

    Our thanks to UCCS Office of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving for featuring the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center as part of their Faculty Speaker Series. This week Matt Vineyard, Sr. Project Manager at JE Dunn and Dr. Steve Johnson, Professor, Clinical Practice Track, Human Physiology & Nutrition gave a presentation on the progress of this great project.  We love it when our clients and their builder take ownership of our design! Read more about the Hybl project here.

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  • UCCS William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center Tops Out

    It was a beautiful day to celebrate with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, JE Dunn Construction, and Centura Health as the last structural beam of the new RTA and HOK-designed William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center was put in place. This marks the halfway point for this City for Champions project!

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  • The Pikes Peak Summit Complex Goes Vertical

    The new Pikes Peak Summit Complex atop Pikes Peak - America's Mountain has gone vertical, as pre-cast concrete walls and floors are being erected by GE Johnson and Stresscon. Watch the construction progress here! 

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  • William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center Construction Progress

    So much progress is being made at UCCS’ William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center! With foundations wrapping up this week, and steel erection underway, it won’t be long until this City for Champions project is complete.

  • The "Game Changing" UCCS Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center

    We are delighted to be supporting the growth of Colorado Springs as both citizens and designers as Architect of Record of the Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center! Read more about this exciting addition to the City for Champions here courtesy of Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.

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  • Springs Rescue Mission Winner of AGC Colorado Community Impact Award

    Congratulations to one of our Springs Rescue Mission construction partners Nunn Construction for receiving an ACE Award for Community Impact in 2017 from the Association of General Contractors (AGC) Colorado for their hard work on this transformative project.  Read more about RTA's continuing work for the Springs Rescue Mission here.

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  • RTA Celebrates Opening of Springs Rescue Mission Resource Center

    The Resource Center at the Springs Rescue Mission is officially open! Guests now have access to showers, laundry facilities, life skills classes, health clinics, and the many partner agencies on the campus. Read more about this ongoing project here.

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  • RTA's renovation of John Adams Elementary greets students for new school year

    The first day of school for students at John Adams Elementary on August 18th will mark a new beginning for students and staff. District 11 Selected RTA Architects and Nunn Construction to completely renovate the school, which had not been in use by the District for about five years. We had a great time at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and are honored to have played a part in this great school's future.

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    District 11 Students Get a New School Experience

    Colorado Springs, CO—The first day of school for students at John Adams Elementary on August 18th will mark a new beginning for students and staff. District 11 selected RTA Architects and Nunn Construction to completely renovate the school, which had not been in use by the District for about five years.

    The District 11 school board voted last February to close Helen Hunt Elementary because the building is in need of an estimated $14 million in repairs. The building is planned for conversion to a community center by the Lane Foundation, and RTA has been retained as the architect-of-record. The 400 students from Helen Hunt who will now attend John Adams Elementary are in for a treat.

    RTA’s Principal-in-Charge, Brian Calhoun, said it has been exciting to see the transformation at the school over the last three months. The design for the renovation focused on improved student safety and enriched learning environments. The school’s exterior will feature a welcoming layered entry canopy, an improved protected drop-off, outdoor seating areas, expanded parking, a new roof, new playgrounds and shade structures, and a synthetic turf play area.

    The interior features new finishes that bring welcoming warmth of color and pattern. All classrooms received new lighting, and a new controlled entry vestibule will enhance safety. A full service kitchen will offer the opportunity for scratch cooking. A new mechanical system will provide air conditioning, while new windows will improve thermal performance of the building. New security systems, fire alarm, and technology upgrades are also in place.

    Among the new technology assets at John Adams are flat panel interactive boards in classrooms combined with traditional white boards to give teachers and students more options at their disposal. Classrooms will feature advanced ergonomic furniture that will allow children more freedom of movement. This year, every 3rd, 4th, and 5th grader will also be given their own tablet computer for use during the school year. Kindergarten through 2nd graders will have access to six iPad Minis in each classroom.

    The library will welcome students with a large entryway that can be closed with a glass overhead door when a quiet environment is needed. The ceilings were removed in a portion of the space to create an expansive feel that now incorporates daylight and views to the outside. The space will utilize flexible furniture systems that allow the room

    to be quickly and easily reconfigured. A computer lab is connected to the library with a large glass overhead door that can open and expand the size of the library.

    Calhoun commented, “RTA and the entire design team is excited for the students and staff of John Adams. The District worked extremely hard with us to provide a superior design for a safe and productive educational experience.”

  • Springs Rescue Mission receives funding from City Council

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    Colorado Springs City Council has voted to support the Springs Rescue Mission with $2.5 million in federal grant money. To learn more about this project, please visit the Springs Rescue Campus Expansion website.

    For more updates about this community-changing project and others like it, please like us on Facebook and follow us on Linkedin.

  • New design for the Pikes Peak Summit Complex unveiled

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    The preferred design concept for the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex was revealed at a standing-room-only public meeting by the design team – led by RTA Architects and including GWWO, Inc. Architects – the City of Colorado Springs, and Pikes Peak - America's Mountain. Stuart Coppedge, AIA, RTA Principal-in-Charge commented, “We and our design partner GWWO have heard, listened, and incorporated a lot of public feedback within the parameters of designing a building to withstand the harsh high-altitude  environment. The desire of the team is to design buildings and site improvements that are functional, maintainable, energy efficient, educational, inspirational, and timeless, but that also fit within and reflect the natural environment.”

    Learn more about the Pikes Peak Summit Complex project here, or follow RTA's Facebook and Linkedin pages.

  • The four design concepts for the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex

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    Our own Stuart Coppedge, AIA describes the four design concepts for the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex in a Public Service Announcement.

    Click here to watch and go to www.PikesPeakColorado.com to find out more!

  • Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind is making headlines!

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    The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind in Colorado Springs is a school intentionally designed with the unique needs of the students and staff in mind. With the collaborative effort of community members, staff, students, and board members, the renovation of the 58-year-old Gottlieb Building was completed in 2011 and has been serving the children of Colorado ever since. Click here to find out more!

  • We're stars! - A Downtown Star Award for RTA

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    We were surprised and delighted to be honored by the Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership with a Downtown Star award, presented for “outstanding commitments to a thriving downtown.” Our high school architecture class, which is one of the reasons we received the award, is offered every spring.

    This is what they said:

    "RTA Architects is known for a variety of architectural projects including health care, education and commercial projects, or for their recent selection as Project Lead and Architect of Record for the new Pikes Peak Summit House. What is lesser known is their free, 10-week, after-school Introduction to Architecture course open to area high school students. This year more than 20 students learned about site analysis, history, space planning, programming, architectural drawing, interiors, construction, engineering and more through RTA staff members and community guest speakers. Not only does the program provide kids with a realistic exposure to the industry, but for some students it is their first taste of Downtown Colorado Springs. Through the class they learn about the value of a vibrant downtown through architecture and design of the public realm."

    Click the link below to see the other Downtown Star winners!

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  • RTA Architects to lead Pikes Peak Summit Complex team
    In a highly competitive process, the team of RTA Architects of Colorado Springs, as Architect of Record, and GWWO, Inc./Architects of Baltimore, as Design Architect, was selected to create an iconic experience for the summit of Pikes Peak. Celebrating 40 years of innovative design and exemplary client service, RTA's well-known local projects include the Gottlieb Building addition and renovation at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, St. Francis Medical Center, and University Village Colorado Shopping Center. GWWO has designed numerous distinctive visitor centers at such national treasures as George Washington's Mount Vernon, Fort McHenry National Monument, and Everglades National Park.
     
    Stuart Coppedge, AIA, RTA Principal-in-Charge: "This is the kind of project every architect dreams of and spends a career preparing for. To be able to serve our city on the mountain we all love is an honor and means the world to all of us at RTA. All of our team members are beside themselves with excitement, and we are committed to engaging all the stakeholders in crafting a summit experience the entire community will be proud of."
     
    Alan Reed, FAIA, GWWO Design Principal: "We are very honored and excited to be a part of the transformation of the Pikes Peak visitor experience. We have been fortunate to be involved in the stewardship of many of our national treasures, and the opportunity to continue this work at a place so significant to our nation's heritage and pioneering spirit is a true privilege."
     
    Project Consultants:
    Public Relations and Communication: Bachman PR, Colorado Springs
    Civil Engineer: Kiowa Engineering, Colorado Springs
    Landscape Architect: DHM Design, Denver
    Structural Engineer: HCDA Engineering, Inc., Colorado Springs
    Mechanical/Electrical, and Plumbing Engineer: ME Group, Denver
    Exhibit Design: Gallagher & Associates, Washington, DC
    Extreme Climate: AECOM, Denver and Anchorage
    Food Service: Webb Foodservice Design, Colorado Springs
    Specifications: NASH Architectural Solutions, Honolulu, HI
    Code and Accessibility: Jensen Hughes, Colorado Springs
    Historic Preservation: The Preservation Studio, Colorado Springs
  • Catamount Institute Awards RTA Gold Sustainable Business Certification

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    Catamount Institute and its Pikes Peak Sustainable Business Network are pleased to announce that RTA Architects has received Gold Certification from its Sustainable Business Certification Program. Catamount Institute's Sustainable Business Certification Program is an in-depth checklist developed to measure, verify, and recognize a business's sustainable actions. By completing the Sustainable Business Certification checklist, businesses are able to:

    • Reduce their overall operating costs
    • Assess current sustainable endeavors and establish a roadmap for achieving future goals
    • Discover opportunities for improving their triple bottom line
    • Learn to market and promote their sustainable business initiatives

    The Sustainable Business Certification Program is anchored by a 100-point checklist divided into six categories. A business must complete all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points to receive certification. Categories include:

    • Corporate Commitment, Social Responsibility, and Wellness
    • Energy & Water
    • Transportation
    • Material Management, Waste & Pollution Reduction, Recycling
    • Procurement, Operations and Maintenance
    • Professional Certifications, Affiliations and Business Innovations (Extra Credit Section)

    Businesses that receive at least the minimum of points required receive one of four levels of Certification: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum, and are recognized as members of the Catamount Institute’s Pikes Peak Sustainable Business Network (PPSBN) at the designated level. Certifications are documented for two calendar years, based on the year of certification (e.g. “Bronze Level Certified, 2011-2012”). RTA Architects received 59 total credits, qualifying them as Gold Level members of PPSBN.

    A firm of 28 employees located in Colorado Springs, CO, RTA Architects is an architecture and planning firm specializing in healthcare, education, retail and commercial projects. Supporting local, national and international communities, the RTA Architects’ vision is to honor and value their people, their clients, and the communities they represent; to design buildings that are sustainable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing; and to generate long term economic success for their clients and themselves.

    Founded in 1975, RTA Architects’ multi-disciplined staff features a high concentration of registered architects and includes several LEED accredited professionals. In addition to their core strength of architectural design for new construction, renovation, and adaptive re-use projects, RTA provides technical expertise in a broad range of related services, including:

    • Feasibility studies including site selection and comparative analysis
    • Master planning
    • Site planning
    • Facility programming
    • Interior design
    • Environmental graphics, signage and way-finding
  • RTA Hosts Downtown Partnership

    Downtown Partnership mixerThe Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership chose the RTA offices to be the site of their quarterly Membership Mixer. The late afternoon gathering included light hors d'oeuveres provided by the Springs Rescue Mission, wine by Vintages Wine and Spirits, and hand-crafted ale by Phantom Canyon Brewing Company.

    Approximately 90 guests mingled around the third floor of the historic Hibbard Building (repurposed, updated and designed in 1997 by RTA Principal Perry Lewis).

    Earlier in the week, the RTA offices had experienced a whirlwind clean-up by architects who are prone to living around creative piles of paper, samples, drafts, and construction documents. Downtown merchants and business owners enjoyed touring the newly tidied office and many comments were made about the open design and interesting office space.

    The mixer also provided ample opportunity for business connections. RTA owner and Principal Randy Thorne said, "It was a great opportunity for me to reconnect with a bunch of business associates that I hadn't seen for a while. We appreciated the exposure."