Gresham Smith, a top-ranked national architecture and engineering firm with more than $290 million in annual gross revenue, has expanded its operations into Denver. The firm has signed a lease to move into a new office in downtown Denver in 2023.
Gresham Smith’s Denver office will be housed in the recently renovated Park Central tower at 1515 Arapahoe Street in the city’s central business district. Design and construction of the new 8,000-square-foot space is underway.
The firm will initially focus on serving clients in the Aviation and Healthcare industries, as well as the firm’s Life and Work Places market, which focuses on mixed-use, residential and workplace environments. Gresham Smith is actively hiring local professionals for key positions ranging from designers and architects to project management professionals. The firm has a number of active projects in the Denver area, and over the past 15 years, the firm has delivered Denver-area projects for clients, including HCA, Kaiser Permanente, GBT Realty and the Denver International Airport.
“While this is our first leased office space in Denver, we have a longstanding history of serving across a range of industries in the region,” said Rodney Chester, CEO and Board Chair of Gresham Smith. “This new office is a long-term investment in our Denver area practice. It enables us to serve our current clients while broadening our reach throughout the Front Range and Mountain States to serve additional clients, engage new partners and recruit top-tier talent.”
As part of the move, the firm has announced its local leadership team, beginning with Senior Project Manager Vincent Rodriguez, AIA, who has been named the Denver office leader. Rodriguez brings more than 20 years of design and project management experience in Denver and has worked on a number of aviation projects at airports across the country, including Denver International Airport. He will also serve as the Aviation studio leader.
Project Executive Ashley Wood, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA, will serve as the leader of the Denver Healthcare practice. Wood has worked for a number of major healthcare systems, including Kaiser Permanente and HCA, and on projects at facilities in the region, including Sky Ridge Medical Center. She relocated from Nashville to join the Denver team after more than 10 years with the firm. Additionally, Kalpana Mohanraj, AIA, LEED AP, will serve as a Project Executive and Strategy Leader, using her more than 24 years of experience to develop relationships and continue enhancing the quality of healthcare services Gresham Smith offers in the region.
The Life and Work Places studio will be led by Project Executive TJ Carvis, AIA, LEED AP. TJ is a University of Colorado graduate who has practiced in Denver for the past 25 years as Principal at 4240 Architecture and most recently with Cannon Design. TJ’s portfolio includes local depth in commercial mixed-use, hospitality, higher education and residential projects, including many of the nationally recognized Riverfront Park projects. The Life and Work Places team is currently designing a soon-to-be-announced multifamily residential tower in downtown Denver.
“We have already assembled a great team of leaders in Denver, and we plan to continue hiring local talent at a variety of levels,” said Randy Gibson, Chief Strategy Officer at Gresham Smith. “Our aim is to build an office of experienced professionals who embody our culture of Genuine Ingenuity and will plan, design and consult to create healthy and thriving communities.”
