Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

RTA Architects Wins Planning and Design Award from A4LE

  • By Matt Jones
  • 11/15/21

Colorado-based architectural and interior design firm RTA Architects announced recently that it has received the LEsolutions Planning and Design Award from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE). The award, one of A4LE’s most prestigious honors, was presented at the association’s LearningSCAPES conference in Denver, Colo., for RTA’s design of the Lake City Community School (Hinesdale County School District RE-1, Lake City, Colo.) in the category of Renovation / Major Addition.

A news release explains, “A4LE’s LEsolutions Awards recognize learning environments that positively impact teaching and learning and are a result of a thorough planning process. Award-winning projects show stimulation of systemic change in the educational system, embodiment of leading-edge architectural design solutions and incorporation of an interactive process that engages multiple stakeholders during the planning phase.”

Lake City Community School
Lake City Community School

The Lake City Community School renovation and addition project included work like a full interior renovation; construction of a new gymnasium; critical upgrades to safety, security and HVAC systems; construction of a classroom for Career and Technical Education (CTE); construction of a commercial kitchen for both hot lunches and culinary arts classes; and a new nurse’s room. RTA Architects collaborated closely with the town’s board of trustees and the county’s historical society to match the character of the design with the feel of the area that has been designated a National Register Historic District.

“What I’ve realized the most with this renovation/addition is that a facility can really drive and change educational planning for students (for instance, the Career Technical Education classroom), community outreach (our community plays Pickleball every week on our sports court while the weather is nice), and the beauty and pride our building brings to the community!” said Rebecca Hall, M.A. Ed, Superintendent and Principal of the Lake City Community School.

Further details about the LEsolutions Award for Lake City Community School, as well as all 2021 winners and entrants, is available at the A4LE awards website.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne Opens New Student Housing Complex

    Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, 600-bed student housing complex on campus, according to a news release.