Located just a little over 60 miles south of the state capital, Colorado Springs is a beautiful city with sweeping views of Pikes Peak on the eastern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Aside from being a stunning location, it has also been named the Best Big City by Money Magazine back in 2006 and has also been listed as one of America’s Best Cities. As the second-most populous and the most extensive city in Colorado, it’s ripe ground for new business opportunities.
If you’re looking to build your new office here, we’ve gathered a list of the best office architects in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This list was generated using several criteria, including the architects’ backgrounds, the quality and complexity of their projects, their design process, and the recognition they earned in the field.
RTA Architects
19 South Tejon Street, Suite #300, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Over the past 46 years, RTA Architects has continuously shaped the architectural landscape of Colorado with award-winning designs that are tailor-fit to the Colorado environment. Its work is primarily on healthcare, education, retail, and commercial projects, and it has a beautiful portfolio of office designs that serve the unique needs of the people using them.
For its great work and dedication to the craft, RTA Architects won the 2020 Summit Design Award for Outstanding Design in Renovation, the 2020 BESTawards LEARN Award, the 2020 ENR Mountain States Best Projects Award of Merit in K-12 Education, and it was also named the 2020 Best Architectural Firm by CSBJ.
RTA Architects has worked with the Red River Brewing Company, Christy Sports, and the University Village Colorado. Above is the team’s work on Connover Buiding. Its façade was inspired by several historic sources—the client wanted a historic feel. The result is a 53,000-square-foot modern building with a turn-of-the-century warehouse district aura. Its large, muli-mullioned windows not only add to that aesthetic but also beckon in a generous amount of natural light that makes the interior spaces more inviting. This beautiful building won the 2003 Award of Excellence from the Historic Preservation Alliance of Colorado Springs.
OZ Architecture
3003 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80205
OZ Architects has been in the business for 58 years and is best known for its stunning work on urban living spaces and mixed-use as well as office and corporate spaces. It is also accredited by the FAIA and LEED AP which is evident in the type and quality of projects in its portfolio.
The firm’s principal, Rick Peterson, takes the time to engage with communities to better provide an enriching environment that forwards the end-user’s well-being. Doing so carries over to the firm’s collaborative approach that prioritizes the stakeholders’ experience. With its reputation for good work, OZ had previously worked with well-known clients such as Tesla, Punch Bowl, a2 Milk, Mayflower, and Magnolia.
Above is OZ Architecture’s work on the new headquarters for VF Corp, the parent company of brands like The North Face, Vans, Dickies, JanSport, Smartwool, Icebreaker, Eastpak, and Altra. This 285,000-square-foot office offers a dynamic workspace, decorated with rammed earth walls, a bouldering wall, an altitude chamber, and other earthy elements connecting the interior to the outside world. This stunning project is LEED-Platinum certified and was also named the Best Project in Tenant Improvement by ENR.
HB&A
102 East Moreno Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Backed by over 50 years of experience, HB&A is a leading architecture firm that aims to provide clients with a broad range of services, specializing in architecture and planning for local, federal, and military clients in Colorado. As a small business, it offers its clients a tailored design experience, evident in its many completed projects, some of which have been for the Department of Defences and other federal agencies.
For its work on functional and effective workplaces, it has been recognized with a number of awards. That list of accolades includes the Design Citation Award from the AIA Colorado South Chapter for its work on the North Colorado Springs Readiness Center, an enhanced office and training center. The project is also LEED Platinum certified, as it is an extremely environmentally-friendly office space.
In the commercial market, the firm worked on The Quad Entrepreneurial Space, a bright and airy workspace that was designed to be open and flexible to accommodate the area’s many functions as a workspace and events place for students, graduates, and the business community. Since the space is located in the basement with no natural daylighting, the architects focused heavily on lighting and acoustics and worked with bright colors and soft finishes to ensure that the space remains welcoming. To accent the workspace, the team added a concrete ribbed ceiling and columns and left several brick walls exposed.
CRP Architects PC
100 East Saint Vrain Street, Suite #300, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Founded in 1979, CRP Architects is a highly experienced architect with an impressive body of work that consistently concentrates on planning and designing exciting and efficient facilities. During its decades in the business, it has completed hundreds of educational, commercial, and municipal projects, executed by some of Colorado’s finest design, construction, and engineering professionals.
At the helm of the business are partners Brian Risley and Chris Mannino who have a combined experience that spans more than 50 years; they are known for being directly involved in every project. Clients can expect a hands-on service from the company’s most senior staff and a collaborative approach honed by years of working together, which makes for a lively and creative design process.
A lovely example is the Northwestern Mutual office project in the Wells Fargo tower pictured above. The new office makes use of wood and glass detailing to create a sleek and modern professional workspace. Thanks to its choice of material and design, the overall look of the office creates an inviting atmosphere for the company.
Keys + Lauer Architects
11681 Voyager Parkway, Suite #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Over the last 30 years, Keys + Lauer Architects has been continuously serving Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region with architecture that combines innovative design with practicality. As a small firm, it strives to provide attentive professional service without cutting corners when it comes to quality.
The firm is led by Victor Lauer AIA who has been instrumental in the firm’s successful practice and loyal client base. He has extensive experience with collaborative design teams on governmental and private sector projects which has greatly influenced the firm’s practice. That practice is firmly rooted in building enduring relationships with its clients through principal involvement in all projects.
The team is best known for its great work in the commercial market, particularly in designing offices and other corporate projects. Above is Keys + Lauer Architects’ work on Spencer Center. For this project, the team converted a historic 1900s hotel into new offices for Colorado College. The end result of the design is a cozy workspace that houses the admin offices for the college including the President’s Office suites and the Board of Trustees conference room.
Koch Covotsos Architects
3457 Ringsby Court, #223, Denver, CO 80216
Koch Covostos Architects—most commonly known as KCA—is a small Denver-based design firm known for designing small commercial projects, tenant finishes, parking garages, and residential projects. It’s a relatively young firm compared to the others on this list with 17 years of experience in the business. In that short amount of time, the firm has put together a beautiful portfolio of a wide range of projects with its signature clean and modern style.
Its principals have strong backgrounds in the industry. Michael Koch is a graduate of Yale University and previously worked for well-known firms HOK and Cesar Pello & Associates. He developed a market niche in parking structures, historic residential remodels, and commercial tenant finish. Then he established KCA with Cassandra Covostsos. Cassandra is an AIA member and a LEED Green Associate and has previously volunteered for Architecture for Humanity in the Education Space Design. Her specializations include working with medical offices, kitchen and labs, restaurants, and tenant finishes in Denver.
Above is the team’s work on Milesbrand, an example of its skill in designing contemporary workspaces that embodies the company’s energy. This lovely project adds a flair to the typical modern office with its use of color throughout the space to complement the neutral black and white tones.
Yow Architects
115 S Weber Street, Suite #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Yow Architects has been designing commercial projects in Colorado Springs for over 35 years, working on shells, façades, and interiors. It typically works with healthcare providers, property management, and small businesses.
When the firm was established by Gene Yergensen, Steve Obering, and Larry Whittaker in 1978, it quickly became one of Colorado Springs’ pre-eminent firms for architecture and planning services. Aside from establishing and maintaining lasting relationships with some of the major players in the market, the principals have also served in the Planning Commission, the Regional Building Department Board of Review, and the Historic Preservation Society in their effort to build a better Colorado Springs.
Above is the team’s work on Epic Building in Colorado Springs. The project spans five floors and 145,000 square feet. It features Yow Architects’ signature sleek and modern design with its beautiful glass façade.
