Town of Castle Rock, Colorado

Town of Castle Rock, CO

The Town of Castle Rock is a growing, vibrant city located in the heart of Colorado, known for its scenic beauty and strong sense of community. As the population expands, the need for upgraded infrastructure and city facilities has become essential to support this growth. RS&H stepped in to support the modernization of key buildings and facilities, ensuring that Castle Rock remains well-equipped to meet the demands of its thriving community.  

RS&H’s extensive history with the Town of Castle Rock dates back more than 10 years, with numerous projects ranging from planning and programming to design and construction. We have played a big part in helping the Town of Castle Rock expand their facilities to keep pace with the growing community and surrounding area.  

RS&H’s planning and programming services have included: 

• Utilities Programming and Master Plan
• Town of Castle Rock Master Plan
• Castle Rock Water Administration and Facility Space Study
• Utilities Operations and Maintenance Building
• Town Hall Addition
• Parks and Recreation Department, Operations & Maintenance Center, aka Central Service Center
• Water Administration/Customer Service Facility, Design & Construction Administration

Utilities Programming and Master Plan   

The team analyzed the Utilities Department’s existing space, condition of the current facilities, and the existing site’s land value. We generated a program to capture current and future needs of the department. This program was used in comparison with the existing facilities to highlight deficits and areas that could accommodate growth. The program was then applied to a new site showing ideal positioning and the associated costs with moving the Utilities Department. 

Town of Castle Rock Master Plan  

The study addressed the overall needs for the Town, reviewing administrative offices, yard storage, training facilities, and operational space for the Public Works and Parks & Recreation Departments, Facility Management and Information Technology. Existing spaces were evaluated and interviews with each department were conducted to determine needs assessments, space requirements, and potential reuse. Nine buildings and their corresponding sites were analyzed, and two additional Town-owned sites for potential future expansion and/or consolidation. Options were presented and evaluated in a decision matrix. With an agreed upon option, RS&H provided an implementation and phasing schedule and rough order of magnitude cost estimates. 

Castle Rock Water Administration and Facility Space Study   

After completion of the programming and Master Plan and the substantial knowledge that came with that, RS&H was contracted to complete a facility space study. This study identified space requirements needed to replace the existing modular facilities with a permanent structure and explore options for the existing administration facility renovation to better serve their customers. ADA code compliance was a driving factor in the design options. An adjacency diagram was used to assist in delineating logistics for each division (new addition or renovated space). RS&H updated the site plan, for the chosen option, to show existing facilities and the new facility design, parking areas and road realignment. RS&H also developed a phasing plan for implementation during construction. 

Having performed many of the planning and programming projects, RS&H was then tasked with multiple follow-on projects for design development and construction administration to fulfill the needs of the ever-growing community. 

Utilities Operations and Maintenance Building

A new building for the growing department was identified as part of a master plan process that involved multiple departments. The RS&H team reviewed the existing spaces and developed a program for the new facility.  A site analysis of the existing utility property was conducted to find the optimal location for the new building in the existing yard. The design of the building satisfies the current need for the Field Services and Plant Maintenance divisions now and into the future. The building required office and maintenance bay areas for each division as well as areas for electrical and mechanical rooms, meter testing room, machine shop, SCADA/Instrument room, IT/server room, locker room facilities, a break room, and a large multipurpose room. Also incorporated in the design were mechanical and electrical systems that minimized operation and maintenance costs. RS&H provided Construction Administration services with the project being completed on time and budget. 

Town Hall Addition

As follow-on work to the Town of Castle Rock Master Plan, RS&H was tasked to further explore an addition to the town hall. Schematic floor plans, renderings, and cost estimates were provided so the Town could further examine options and acquire funding. Once the town was able to fund the addition, RS&H provided construction documents for a 3-story town hall addition, on the east side of the existing structure. After completion of the construction documents, RS&H was tasked to lead the construction administration on the addition. Members of the RS&H team visited the site weekly to ensure all construction met code compliance and everything ran smoothly. 

Great care was taken for the design of the addition, making sure the exterior façade integrated stylistically with the existing building, as well as matching the existing construction materials. During design it was also decided the entrance to the addition would serve as the public service center for all of the Town Hall departments, allowing the remainder of the building to be secured, protecting the Town Staff. The interior is very open and light, with high ceilings, as much exterior glass as possible, and minimal full-height office walls being made mostly of glass as well. The lobby was given extra attention to finishes, furniture, and art pieces. 

Parks and Recreation Department, Operations & Maintenance Center, aka Central Service Center

As part of the previous comprehensive planning process, a space study was done for the Parks and Facilities maintenance building. The study reviewed space deficiencies within the two groups and suggested improvements to space conditions at the Service Center, for the current Parks Maintenance facility. The new facility houses approximately 30 full-time employees, with the number doubling during the peak summer months. The facility includes maintenance bays, storage areas, a vehicle wash bay, training rooms, offices, locker rooms, IT/server room and break rooms/multi-purpose rooms to accommodate various group sizes. Card readers were implemented on the external employee entrances to provide secure access from the outside. The surrounding area contains two (2) cold storage buildings, a gravel yard space, sufficient parking for 50 maintenance vehicles and 75 staff–owned vehicles. RS&H provided architecture, interior design services, coordination between all subconsultants and construction administration. The building design incorporated additional space for any anticipated growth within the two (2) departments, over the next 10 years.   The building was designed to minimize operation and maintenance costs. 

Water Administration/Customer Service Facility, Design & Construction Administration

With the completion of a space study in 2018 performed by RS&H, Castle Rock Water determined the need for the design of a new administration building and renovation of the existing building on the Water Campus. Current personnel were located within three (3) separate structures, one permanent building that housed administrative staff and two modular buildings housing Engineering, Water Resources and Stormwater Divisions. 

The preferred design was a new standalone facility, which allowed the department to remain operational during construction.  Once completed, the administrative staff was relocated from the existing building to the new standalone facility.  The new building includes offices, cubicles, meeting rooms, and a meter room. The engineering divisions were relocated into the existing building after renovation of the space, accommodating their increased need for personnel and equipment space. RS&H also provided a phased plan to allow the department to remain operational during construction.  With the completion of the new building, the modular facilities were removed, and the site work was completed.   

Outside xeriscape gardens and water-saving features like water quality planters and ponds that filter rainwater runoff surround the building and serve as examples for how customers can create water-wise features on their own property. Other sustainable design features include roof-top solar panels, and water-wise plumbing fixtures.