Page 28 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— March 2-March 15, 2016
Construction, Design & Engineering News
by Jennifer Hayes
RTAArchitects was recognized
for going back to school.
The architecture firm recently
received two awards at the 2015
Association for Learning Envi-
ronments Award Center for its
design of two Colorado schools.
The A4LE Summit Design
Award for Renovations was
given for RTA’s design of Igna-
cio High School for the Ignacio
School District in southwestern
Colorado. The work was part of a
five-year process to create a uni-
fied school district with three 21st
century learning environments,
state-of-the-art athletic and art
facilities, an administration build-
ing and a transportation building.
RTA’s design of the school
emphasized engagement with
the local Southern Ute Tribe and
resulted in a “dynamic melding
of cultural traditions and modern
design.”
Work included renovating the
existing combined middle and
high school buildings into a sin-
gle unified high school campus.
The A4LE Peak Design Merit
Award was given to RTA Archi-
tects for its design of the Moffat
PK-12 School for Moffat Consoli-
dated School District 2 in Mof-
fat. This project represented the
stated goal of creating a facility
for lifelong learning by includ-
ing spaces for students aged 4
to 94 while presenting a dynam-
ic, cohesive building, the firm
added.
The 2015 A4LE Awards Jury
included Annette Ernst, proj-
ect manager, Douglas County
Schools; Will Vaulkner, director
of preconstruction services, JHL
Constructors; Sonny Zinn, prin-
cipal at Isabella Bird Community
School, Denver Public Schools;
and Jane Crisler, Humphries Poli
Architects, awards director. The
award ceremony was held at
the offices of Cuningham Group
Architecture.
s
The design of Moffat school incorporates clerestory windows that allow for ample daylight
and limit the need for artificial light.
The academic core of the Ignacio building creates an intimate and flexible environment for
learning, according to RTA Architects. Classrooms wrap a “flex area” that offers opportuni-
ties for small groups, individual learning and larger student gatherings.
Red Rocks Community Col-
lege, with Pinkard Construction
Company and architect Davis
Partnership, broke ground on
RRCC’s new Campus Recre-
ation Center.
The 38,000-gross-square-foot
project includes the construction
of a new student recreation cen-
ter addition to the main building
at the Lakewood campus and
3,000 sf of renovations in the
existing building.
The new two-story building
will include a gym, climbing
and bouldering wall, exercise
studios, cardio/strength equip-
ment spaces, outdoor fitness
deck, meeting rooms, offices and
student gathering areas.
The new facility will be struc-
tural steel and load-bearing
masonry with glass curtainwall,
brick and translucent panel/
plastic resin exterior skin and
will feature a radiant in-floor
heating system, according to
Pinkard. The renovation encom-
passes the existing fitness center,
which will be transformed into
meeting space and a catering
kitchen, along with an east entry
retrofit.
Site work will include grad-
ing/earthwork, upgrades to the
existing athletic field, drainage,
utilities and landscaping, while
maintaining access and services
to the existing buildings.
Pinkard’s final bid came in $2
million below Red Rocks’ bud-
get.
The project is the result of a
planning and feasibility study
conducted in 2013 and a vote
by the Red Rocks student body.
In spring 2014 students voted
in favor of a fee increase to sup-
port the facility. Aplanning com-
mittee consisting of RRCC stu-
dent government members and
RRCC staff brought the project
to fruition.
Construction of the $10.2 mil-
lion facility is expected to be
complete March 2017.
s
Mortenson Construction
recently released its quarter-
ly Construction Cost Index
report for Denver along with
five other metropolitan areas
in the U.S.
According to the report,
the record construction
activity the Denver market
experienced in recent years
remained strong. Morten-
son’s Construction Cost
Index for Denver increased
throughout 2015, ending the
year 4.2 percent higher than
the prior year. Denver’s index
continued the recent trend of
holding even with the nation-
al average.
The report also cited that
local construction employ- ment continued to experience
double-digit growth in 2015.
However, the rate of growth
has plateaued over the last 18
months.
Costs for nonresidential
construction labor, material
and equipment costs in Den-
ver were flat or dipped slight-
ly in the last quarter of 2015.
The report also noted that
market construction employ-
ment trends have plateaued,
but the local cost index con-
tinues to expand as the local
construction market strength-
ens.
Due to these factors along
with an increase in national
construction costs, Morten-
son experts believe construc-
tion pricing in the Denver
area will rise consistent with
historic norms as the volume
of construction activity levels
out. Looking ahead, costs are
forecast to increase 4 percent
in 2016.
“Colorado’s Front Range
continues to be one of the
busiest construction markets
in the nation, adding pressure
to already tight labor markets,
especially in the concrete,
glazing and interior trades,”
said Dan Mickelberry, chief
estimator for Mortenson’s
Denver Operating Group.
“Understanding the current
and expected future market
conditions, projects should
begin the planning phase of
construction sooner in order
to get in front of construction
backlog,” he added.
In addition to Denver,
Mortenson tracks and reports
on Chicago, Minneapolis,
Milwaukee, Phoenix and
Seattle.
The Mortenson Construc-
tion Cost Index is calculated
quarterly by pricing repre-
sentative nonresidential con-
struction projects in various
metropolitan areas.
s
A groundbreaking for Red Rocks Community college’s new recreation center.
‘Colorado’s
Front Range
continues to be
one of the busiest
construction
markets in the
nation, adding
pressure to
already tight labor
markets, especially
in the concrete,
glazing and
interior trades.’
– Dan Mickelberry,
Mortenson
