Awards – RMH Group

An architectural marvel stands at the North Gate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs – the USAFA Hosmer Visitor Center. This 34,000-square-foot facility, nestled within the extensive TrueNorth Commons development, plays a crucial role in the region’s educational and economic landscape.

Innovative Design

The Air Force Thunderbirds architecturally inspire the Hosmer Visitor Center. Its four-winged roof design mirrors the expansive profiles of a Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk, the largest delta-wing aircraft. The design symbolizes the Academy’s four-class progression from the fourth to the first year. A critical requirement for the project was maintaining the sleek image of winged aircraft, ensuring no penetrations through the metal panel roof system. Typically, buildings have vents and mechanical equipment on their roofs, which would disrupt this aerodynamic aesthetic. RMH Group devised a solution where all mechanical systems and vents route through the sides of the building. Louvers and vents strategically allow the mechanical intake and exhaust systems to pass through the building’s less visible back side below the third roof’s trailing edge without compromising the roof’s appearance, preserving the visual integrity of the Delta-wing design.

The Visitor Center will be an iconic architectural marvel, following the footsteps of the Cadet Chapel. One of the most striking features of this building is its 80-foot-tall south-facing atrium, with views of the Academy and Pikes Peak. However, this design posed a challenge: effectively cooling the atrium while mitigating cold drafts experienced during winter. To tackle this challenge, RMH Group designed an innovative radiant-slab cooling system. This system stands out because it can capture radiant energy from solar gain before it can re-radiate to other parts of the building. The radiant space conditioning system circulates chilled water through tubing circuits embedded within the building’s floor. The floor functions as a heat sink, providing efficient cooling to the space and its occupants. Additionally, displacement ventilation and fin-tube radiation sweep the atrium glass. This setup helps control conduction heat from the glass, carries it away before it can enter the space, and prevents cold drafts during the winter. These systems maximize energy efficiency and provide high thermal comfort and heating performance. To enhance the dynamic sense of movement the tiered roof wings create, the luminaries are strategically positioned to accentuate the building’s form without detracting from its aesthetic. The luminaries highlight the design elements and provide a safe and secure atmosphere for visitors.

Community Impact

As part of the City for Champions Initiative, this project is instrumental in uplifting the region’s quality of life and aligns with the Air Force Academy Foundation’s goals and the broader development of TrueNorth Commons, which includes commercial spaces, retail establishments, and the 375-room Hotel Polaris. The Hosmer Visitor Center is anticipated to attract over 1M visitors annually, contributing to a projected boost in the local economy of $4.4M in new annual sales tax revenue. By creating jobs and supporting local businesses, the project fosters community pride and enhances public welfare.

As an educational platform, the Hosmer Visitor Center will include high-tech exhibits and experiential storytelling that illustrate the role of engineering in modern life and military operations. From virtual reality experiences to detailed depictions of cadet life from arrival at the Academy to graduation, the center aims to inspire future generations and enhance public awareness of the Air Force mission.

The Hosmer Visitor Center exemplifies the culmination of engineering excellence through its innovative design, sustainable practices, and significant social and economic contributions. As a transformative social institute, educational platform, and economic catalyst, it showcases the ingenuity and capabilities of The RMH Group and its partners by addressing complex challenges with innovative engineering solutions.

Congratulations to the Entire Project Team:

General Contractor: G.E. Johnson
Architect: Fentress Architects
MEP Engineering: The RMH Group
Civil Engineering & Landscaping Design: Matrix Design Group
Structural Engineering: Martin/Martin
Life Safety: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Exhibit Design: Nasco | Gallagher & Associates

The announcement comes on the tail of ENR announcing the consolidation of its eight regions into five. The ENR Mountain States and Southwest region covers Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, making this accolade particularly prestigious, as only 25 professionals received this honor, positioning Erica as a standout leader in the engineering industry.

She is recognized alongside other AEC professionals from across the region who are achieving excellence in their professional lives by exhibiting qualities of career and industry leadership and community involvement. Joining RMH in 2010, Erica became a shareholder, the Science and Technology Market Leader, and Vice President. Her team manages significant projects, contributing over 15% to RMH’s annual revenue. Erica’s expertise shines in highly technical projects like aerospace manufacturing facilities, clean rooms, and industrial plants.

Erica embodies the spirit of innovation, excellence, and leadership that RMH strives for. Her ability to lead complex projects while leading our science and technology team, along with her commitment to professional growth make her a standout in our industry. This accolade is well-deserved, and we are thrilled to celebrate her success.

Mike Watkins, RMH Group President

Her project management prowess is evident in landmark projects such as the Lockheed Martin Space Systems SSB High Bay renovation and the National Renewable Energy Lab Electrification. Her commitment to the field is further demonstrated by her Professional Engineer certification in six states and her active involvement in industry organizations like DBIA and ASHRAE.

Erica Moser’s recognition as a top young professional is a testament to her remarkable engineering contributions and unwavering dedication to excellence. We celebrate her achievements and look forward to her continued impact on the industry and community.

Located in Broomfield, Colorado, the Children’s Hospital Colorado North Expansion project responded to the growing healthcare needs of families in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. The strategy devised by the design-build team was a substantial greenfield expansion of the current 47,000-square-foot multi-specialty clinic, urgent care, and surgery center. This metamorphosed into a 236,000-square-foot pediatric hospital, with over 120,000 square feet dedicated to multi-specialty outpatient care. The facility provides a comprehensive range of services for families including pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine, cancer services, behavioral health services, ophthalmology, neurology, cardiology, ENT, urology, dentistry, and more, all under one roof.

In addition to the new five story medical office building and outpatient clinic, the project also included expanded urgent and emergency care, 24 inpatient beds, a sleep study lab, community educational programs, sterile processing, a pharmacy, a laboratory and new nutrition services for patients and families. To serve this building expansion and future expansions, work included an addition to the central utility plant and corresponding infrastructure services.

The RMH Group provided full-service mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering for the project. This covered designing the specialized heating, ventilation, air conditioning, medical gas, building automation, energy code compliance, plumbing, electrical service, regular and standby power distribution, power provision for mechanical and hospital equipment, lighting, and specification of fire protection and suppression systems.

Integrated Project Delivery: A Collaborative Success

The project team was driven by the singular goal of providing Children’s Hospital a solution that would accommodate their growing needs while remaining fully operational and concluded that the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach would be ideal for the project. The IPD model enabled the team to share both risks and rewards, ensuring a “project first” mindset that drove innovation and teamwork. Working in a shared workspace, the co-located team was instrumental in maintaining open communication and preventing the siloing often seen in traditional construction projects.

Innovative Solutions and Overcoming Challenges

The design-build team leveraged groundbreaking engineering aspects to inject unique innovations into the project. Key among these are wireless lighting controls, which enhance flexibility and control of the lighting system, contributing to energy efficiency and comfort for staff and patients.

The team also incorporated an innovative power generation technology involving on-board paralleling of standby power generators. This relatively new technology, harnessed by only one other hospital in Colorado, replaces the traditional paralleling switch gear. The result is a boost in power supply reliability and significant savings in money and space within the facility.

Beyond these, the team implemented two different substation feeds from the utility provider to ensure a redundant power supply to the facility. This added layer of security guarantees an uninterrupted power supply, guaranteeing the hospital’s ability to provide continuous care, even during a power outage.

RMH prioritized delivering high-quality, energy-efficient MEP systems aligned with the project’s objectives while ensuring financial responsibility for initial and operational expenses. Collaboration between the design-build team and the Children’s Hospital staff led to a facility achieving an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 150, surpassing the future compliance benchmark of 172 EUI set by the State of Colorado’s Building Performance Standards for hospitals by 2030.

The team faced significant challenges, including maintaining hospital operations during construction and addressing unforeseen soil issues. An initial plan for a basement was scrapped due to unfavorable soil conditions, leading to a creative redesign that expanded the ground floor, saving time and costs. The team’s ability to adapt and innovate despite these obstacles was a testament to their expertise and dedication.

A Milestone Achievement for The RMH Group and Partners

Winning the DBIA Design Excellence Award underscores the significance of the Children’s Hospital Colorado North Expansion project as a benchmark in healthcare construction. For The RMH Group and their partners, this award is not only a recognition of their hard work and ingenuity but also a testament to the power of collaboration and the impact of thoughtful, patient-focused design.

As leaders in the industry, The RMH Group and their partners have set a new standard for healthcare projects, paving the way for future innovations and continued excellence in design-build delivery. This award celebrates the design-build team’s achievement and reaffirms their commitment to making a difference through engineering and collaborative efforts.

Design-Build Team Members:

General Contractor: G.H. Phipps Construction Companies
Architect: Treanor
MEP Engineering: The RMH Group
Civil Engineering: Enertia Consulting Group
Structural Engineering: KL&A
Landscaping: Outside Landscape Architects
Technology: Ross & Baruzzini
Medical Equipment: CPI
Sound & Acoustics: Wave Engineering

The RMH Group, a leading engineering firm with over six decades of innovation and excellence, is proud to announce that it has been named a Top Workplace in 2024 by The Denver Post. This prestigious recognition, awarded to The RMH Group seven out of the last 12 years, highlights our commitment to creating a work environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and excellence.

This accolade is based strictly on feedback from our employees, gathered via a comprehensive survey conducted by Energage, LLC, an employee engagement technology partner. The survey assesses critical aspects of workplace culture, including alignment with company values, execution of business strategies, and the strength of connections within the team. We are honored that our efforts to build a supportive and dynamic work environment have been recognized in this way.

Our employees are the backbone of our company, and we couldn't be prouder to be named a Top Workplace by The Denver Post based on their feedback. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to fostering a supportive and dynamic work environment for our employees.

Mike Watkins, RMH President

Founded over 60 years ago, The RMH Group has remained at the cutting edge of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology systems design. Our dedication to sustainability, efficiency, and innovative solutions has established us as a trusted partner in various markets such as healthcare, higher education, aerospace, and more. Our projects range from local community initiatives to international collaborations, demonstrating our technical authority and commitment to improving the built environment.

In addition to our project work, The RMH Group prioritizes community involvement and employee engagement. Our dedicated committees coordinate activities ranging from food drives to environmental cleanups, supporting both our local and global communities. We also foster a vibrant workplace culture through social events, team-building activities, and wellness challenges, ensuring our employees enjoy a balanced and enriching work-life experience.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our employees for their dedication and to The Denver Post for this esteemed recognition. We will continue to strive for excellence, innovate for a sustainable future, and build upon the strong foundation that has made us a Top Workplace these past years,” said Mike Watkins.