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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

Creating a brand video isn’t merely about showcasing services—it’s about telling a story that reflects our mission and ethos. At RMH, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect on a deeper level. Our new video is a testament to the passion and dedication that drives us every day. It offers a glimpse into our work culture, our commitment to innovation, and our pursuit of excellence.

Our core values form the backbone of our operations, and this video serves as a visual representation of those principles. We crafted the narrative to align with our mission making a difference in our world and environment through engineering a better place through of delivering top-tier engineering services while prioritizing professionalism, innovation, sustainability, and reliability. By weaving these values into every frame, we aim to inspire and attract individuals who share our vision.

Driven by Our Core Values

Our core values are the compass that guides our actions and decisions. They are deeply ingrained in our culture and serve as the foundation of our operations. Our brand video brings these values to life, illustrating how they influence our work and interactions.

- Client Dedication: We are committed to serving our clients and consistently exceeding expectations.
- Caring and Respect: We care for and respect each client, treat everyone equally, and foster a culture of mutual respect among ourselves.
- Teamwork: We work together, pooling our diverse skills and experience to achieve a common set of goals.
- Trust: We instill confidence in our stakeholders by making the right decisions guided by our core values and industry expertise.
- Honesty: We uphold the principle of being truthful and straightforward in all our interactions and communications.
- Integrity: We are committed to demonstrating strong moral principles in all our actions and decisions.

Embark on a Journey with The RMH Group

Our brand video isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s an invitation to be part of our story. Whether you’re considering joining our team, partnering with us, or exploring our services, we believe this video will inspire you to take the next step.

Join us on this exciting journey, and let’s create a future of innovation, excellence, and positive impact together.

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

At the heart of Denver, the Auraria Campus is a beacon of knowledge and opportunity, serving over 40,000 students, faculty, and staff from three institutions—Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver. An intricate part of Auraria Campus’s mission is providing comfortable and conducive environments for learning and working. The Campus HVAC Replacement project marks a significant step towards this goal while enriching the local community.

The RMH Group (RMH Group) is the prime consultant on the project, providing mechanical and electrical engineering services focused on replacing an aging mechanical infrastructure. This project provides more efficient and reliable service for nine key buildings on campus, covering over 1.25 million square feet. It touches classrooms, laboratories, and offices that form the core of a vibrant academic community. An updated mechanical infrastructure is essential for the continued operation of these buildings. A phased schedule allows the campus to remain operational, reflecting RMH Group’s commitment to minimizing disruption while maximizing impact.

RMH Group considers HVAC upgrades more than just regular maintenance and believes it’s an imperative response to aging equipment and more frequent extreme weather conditions. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, based on data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, heat waves are steadily increasing, occurring more frequently, lasting longer on average, and becoming more intense since the 1960s.¹ This likely does not surprise many of us within the Denver metro area. In July, we saw three consecutive days when temperatures reached or even exceeded 100 degrees. In contrast, January 2024 ranked as the eighth-coldest four-day period since 1951.² With such varying degrees of weather, maintaining thermal comfort is vital, particularly for institutions like the AHEC.

Our project with AHEC aims to provide practical solutions and the thermal comfort of all the students, staff, and faculty on the campus. We are all about creating an environment that is not just conducive to learning but also to fostering knowledge and productivity under the best conditions," shares Natasha Hernandez, RMH Group's vice president and higher education market lead.

Natasha Hernandez, RMH Vice President, Higher Education Market Lead

By upgrading HVAC systems and replacing antiquated infrastructure, RMH Group is not just maintaining the smooth operation of these buildings but also enhancing the environment where our future leaders, innovators, and change-makers can grow and thrive. This commitment stretches beyond client satisfaction and human comfort. The firm is tuning into the pulse of our changing climate and adapting our systems to meet these challenges head-on.

“We believe in creating lasting, sustainable solutions while catering to our client’s immediate needs,” Natasha stated. “This project’s impact will extend far beyond the buildings themselves.”

So, whether it is an antiquated system, extreme heat, or cold, AHEC can count on RMH Group’s expertise and commitment to providing top-notch HVAC solutions for its campus stakeholders and the surrounding communities. With RMH Group’s expertise and commitment to excellence, the firm is confident that this project signifies a leading example of how HVAC upgrades can transform learning environments.

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.

The RMH Group is pleased to announce their newly formed acquisition and partnership with Technology Plus, Incorporated (TPI).

This partnership, effective December 1, 2022, brings together two firms that highly complement each other and will be able to enhance their services by being able to offer more to their clients.

Howard Feingold, President, and Founder of TPI states, “We have worked together on projects over the past 30 years, and now as one team, can position our client’s projects for today and the future. Our team will bring clients an integrated solution for green and smart buildings, campuses, and districts.” Now a true MEP/T firm, the company will be able to provide mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services as well as technology design. MEP and technology integration will allow the firm the abilities to bring together experience and expertise by complementing each other, allowing clients a more seamless experience and added value to their projects.

RMH, founded in 1961, and TPI, founded in 1991, have over 90 years of combined experience. Headquarters will remain in Lakewood, Colorado with TPI employees joining the team on Colfax Blvd. The addition of TPI, has expanded the company beyond Colorado and Arizona, and now also has an office in California. Clients will continue to receive the same service from the team and enjoy the benefits of the additional capabilities provided.

The partnership allows for more growth and benefits for the staff as well. “At RMH, our employees are our biggest asset. TPI and RMH company cultures and values align well. We are both excited for this partnership and excited for the opportunities we bring to each other,” said Mike Watkins, RMH President.

The RMH Group is based in Lakewood, Colorado, with an office in Phoenix, Arizona and now, Los Angeles, California. RMH serves clients throughout the U.S. as well as internationally, and is a recognized leader in low-energy-use and high performance building system design. RMH specializes in highly technical design for public and private sector markets.

TPI specializes in technology convergence and collaboration, positioning clients to meet short-term needs and long-term goals. TPI provides clients with an unbiased needs analysis with system solutions and equipment recommendations and keeps abreast of new technologies as they emerge, providing clients with the latest technological innovations.

The RMH Group (RMH) is pleased to announce that Mike Watkins was elected to the position of company president at the firm’s board of directors meeting held on May 18, 2021. Watkins previously served as RMH’s Chief Operating Officer and (before that) RMH Aerospace Group Market Leader.

Watkins began his career at RMH 21 years ago and quickly emerged as a respected leader and technical resource for other engineers within the company. As Market Leader of RMH’s Aerospace Group, he built long-lasting relationships with some of the most prominent firms in the aerospace industry and oversaw projects as large as $350 million in scale. Watkins also founded RMH’s Lean Committee, which has steadily streamlined operations within the firm.

Past RMH president Bill Green will remain with the firm as a principal and QA/QC specialist.