MORE . . . Capacity, Creativity, and Collaboration

RDG has acquired Walker | Coen | Lorentzen Architects, a respected architecture firm with offices in Des Moines and Iowa City, IA. With this acquisition, RDG adds 30% to its architecture staff, an Iowa City office location, and extended capabilities in multiple areas of practice.

“We’re excited about this for a whole host of reasons,” said RDG Principal Jack Patton. “This is an opportunity that deepens our strengths in the Corporate, Restoration, Government, and Urban Design markets – and adds new strength in Multi-Family Housing and Urban Redevelopment, not to mention adding Iowa City to our growing list of regional and national locations for RDG.”

RDG Planning & Design is one of the nation’s leading creative firms: one of the top 300 architecture firms in the U.S. according to Architectural Record Magazine, among other citations. RDG’s multifaceted network of professionals in architecture, artistry, planning, landscape design, multimedia, and interior design work throughout the nation and around the world on creative, meaningful projects – yet RDG maintains a personable, collaborative approach that reflects its Midwestern roots and commitment to community.

“This is a win-win,” said Matt Coen, Principal at Walker | Coen | Lorentzen and now Partner at RDG. “We’re going from being a great small firm to being a great, national firm – without losing any of our commitment to collaboration, to our local community, and to building strong relationships with our clients. By joining RDG, we’ve just expanded our family, and thus have expanded the work we can do and the services we can provide. That feels good.”

Andy Lorentzen, another WCL Principal who’s also now an RDG Partner, agreed. “If clients liked working with us as Walker | Coen | Lorentzen, they’ll love working with us as RDG,” he said. “Coming into RDG enhances our capabilities in a really substantial way, while keeping the heart of who we are and what we’re about. With RDG, we’ve found a partner that shares what’s most important to us: our vision, values and beliefs – about the power of design, the value of people, and the possibilities in collaboration.”

Ron Walker established Walker Architects PC in 1973. Over the years, Walker became not just a respected architect, but a leader and mentor to generations of architects in Central Iowa. In 2012, his firm merged with StudioCOEN Architects to become Walker | Coen | Lorentzen. Over the last decade the three WCL Principals have led numerous projects including; The FFA Enrichment Center, the Flynn Wright Building, The Hotel Maytag restoration (under construction), the Historic Ottumwa Theater, Bookin Innovation Center, park shelters at Greenwood and McCrea Parks, economic development efforts for the Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand and many more . . .

“Ron Walker has been an icon, ever since I came to Des Moines in the early ‘80’s,” said RDG Principal Phil Hodgin. “I’m beyond excited to bring his legacy and experience into RDG, along with the terrific skills that Andy, Matt, and the rest of the team bring. This is not about adding people to our workforce. They’ve been busy with great work, we’ve been busy with great work. Now, together, we’ll have the expertise and capacity to do so much more.”

RDG is currently involved in more than 600 projects in 33 states. The WCL acquisition immediately adds more than 30 Iowa projects, plus increased capacity to add more – and more varied – work in the months and years to come.

“We’re two strong firms, each complimenting the knowledge and culture of the other,” said Ron Walker. “The more we learned about RDG, the more synchronicity we found between us, and the more excited we got about the benefits our clients would experience by working with us as RDG. I can’t wait to – as RDG says – Create. Meaning. Together.”

The former WCL Des Moines staff will relocate to RDG’s 301 Grand Avenue location in the coming weeks, and the WCL Iowa City office is now one of eight RDG locations outside Des Moines.