Historic districts are an important aspect to our cities and towns; helping communities realize their full potential is something we are passionate about. Currently, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are a funding mechanism that assists Iowa communities like the City of Adel, City of Storm Lake, City of Montezuma, and the City of Cherokee to transform their downtowns into vibrant business centers. …
As the population of elders in America is experiencing considerable growth, decades-old nursing homes around the country are in various stages of deterioration and elder care providers in need of solutions are exploring innovative alternatives to the traditional, institutional, and medical-based environments of generations past – finding answers in models that are based on ‘home’.…
Why is natural lighting such an important part of today’s design philosophy? How does natural light accentuate other design elements? How long has the emphasis on natural light been such a primary focus of architectural design, and have the appetites for daylighting from building owners changed over the years?…
“To measure is to know. If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” – Lord Kelvin. This same thinking can be applied to the built environment and the design process to attain maximum operation results.
The diagram below identifies the 4 steps to achieve high performance design and the goals associated with each step.…
Based upon a recent user survey conducted by RDG and Athletic Business magazine, the future as seen for collegiate rec indicates movement toward a technologically advanced but individualized campus recreation center experience. The years that separate a building’s initial planning and its completion make it imperative that owners and architects are accurately able to forcast for future trends” ..…
Jack Patton, director of RDG’s sports studio, explains how aquatic facilities are a huge growth area in College Recreation. Particularly leisure pools, with lazy river rides, slides, zip lines and climbing walls. A lot of students don’t want to swim laps, but a leisure pool is a great equalizer: I can get my toes wet, I can play, I can study, I can watch a movie, I can socialize.…
“Everybody keeps pushing the edges on student recreation building” says Al Oberlander, principal and COO at Des Moines, Iowa-based RDG Planning & Design. “Its ‘what can we do that will separate our building and how can it tell a story about what goes on inside?’”…
More schools are realizing that student health and student recreation can be compatible cohabitants under one campus-wellness roof.
Vibrant student recreation centers have become mainstays of contemporary college campuses. So have health-conscious students. To take full advantage of these trends, many institutions are merging their recreation center and student health center into a single facility.…
As corporate environments strive for sustainable excellence and look to attract today’s modern professionals, designers are becoming more creative on how to bring the outdoor environment and corporate culture together. There are several benefits to working outdoors – consider that both temperature control and lighting are free!…
The fundamental realization of the need for ecologically-integrated early childhood centers lies in the fact that children are receiving fewer and fewer opportunities to interact with flora and fauna, particularly in the early development stages of their lives.…
