RDG Planning & Design has been honored for interior design excellence, both for project work and for individual contributions to the industry.

IIDA Great Plains has recognized RDG Planning & Design with three Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), including a Project Award, Best Moment Award and the prestigious ICON Award. IIDA Great Plains, which encompasses the states of Iowa and Nebraska, recognized IDEA winners during a virtual celebration on Thursday, April 29.

The two RDG projects recognized include the 301 Grand Office Remodel in Des Moines, Iowa (Project Award) and FNBO in Fort Collins, Colorado (Best Moment Award). In addition to design awards, RDG Senior Partner Cathy Neumann, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C received the Icon Award, IIDA GP’s highest honor given to members who exhibit exceptional leadership, professional achievement and who’ve greatly impacted the interior design industry and profession.

“This is a tremendous and well-earned recognition, both for our teams and clients who’ve created high-quality design work and for Cathy, who has proven time and time again to be an invaluable leader within our firm, within the interior design industry and in the greater community as a whole,” said RDG Principal and President Justin Platts, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP.

Neumann was one of the first commercial interior designers in Iowa to join an architectural firm as part of an integrated, multidisciplinary practice when, in 1985, she began her tenure at RDG. Since then, she’s contributed to numerous high-profile projects, won notable professional awards, written content for industry publications and held leadership positions within the organization. She is currently an RDG Senior Partner, Commercial Studio Director and Interior Design Discipline Leader. Neumann is a founding member of the Coalition of Interior Designers of Iowa, an organization established in 2005 and credited with helping establish the Title Act for Interior Design Professionals in the state of Iowa. She has been an active professional member of IIDA since its inception in 1994 and is also currently an active member of the American Business Women’s Association, where she leads the organization’s scholarship program to provide funding for women pursuing careers in business.

To seamlessly support the needs of today’s workers, RDG’s design for the 301 Grand Office Remodel creates a flexible landscape that empowers workers to choose the space that suits their preferred work modality, whether it be focused, collaborative, educational, social or rejuvenation. With its immersive video wall and large movable tables, The Exchange is an active, high-tech central space used for collaboration shared learning and virtual reality sessions. The always-on video wall projects design models, project imagery, natural scenery and an office directory. Contrasted against the technology-rich, task-focused elements of The Exchange are The Courtyard and Parlor spaces. Once an outdoor alleyway, The Courtyard offers an informal, light-filled space with park-like furnishings and a living wall that allows users to connect with nature. Likewise, The Parlor is a quiet, analog space perfect for reading, design research and other contemplative tasks.

Prioritizing authenticity, impact, and effectiveness, FNBO at Colorado State University sought to represent its commitment to community and customer experience in a prominent location within the University’s student union. RDG’s design uses wood elements to convey authenticity and warmth, and creates an open, inviting space within a condensed space. A columnar formation holds a busy corner, while a movable glass wall slides away to blur the edge of public space. Reinterpreting the traditional bank typology, the new forum is akin to the openness of the town square.

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For all media inquiries please contact Erin Van Zee, RDG Communications Director at evanzee@rdgusa.com or call (402) 449-0898.