By Lindsey Coulter听
The architecture firm 听鈥斕齱ith听offices听in Santa Rosa, Calif.,听and Oakland,听Calif. 鈥斕齬ecently advanced听it鈥檚听2030 vision by听establishing听an office in Castle Rock, Colo.听The听nearly 80-person听firm now has three employees in Colorado听supporting听projects across the company and听as they听look to build a strategic pipeline of opportunities in听the region.听Led by Studio Director Joel听Williams,听AIA,听LEED AP, ALEP,听the team also includes听Project听Designers Joseph Puyot and Spencer Robinson.听
Williams joined听QKA in 2020听and听has more than 18 years of experience in education design, from听small classroom renovations to large-scale campus master planning projects. With a leadership听style rooted in collaboration and听communication,听he will build on his established client and听partner relationships to grow QKA鈥檚 presence in the Rocky Mountains.听听
“This听expansion is a natural extension of our community-minded work in听California and听offers great听opportunities to build our talent pipeline in a听highly desirable听region to live and work,鈥� Williams said.听
Williams, who will also share his insights at the 糖心少女 (SCN)听Design & Construction Symposium听in August, spoke recently with SCN to explain why Colorado is a compelling market for K-12 design, and how architecture can help schools do more with limited resources.听
SCN:听Colorado has seen significant growth and voter support for school bonds. How do you see those market conditions shaping the next generation of school design in the state?听
Williams:听Colorado voters approved听nearly听$6 billion听in new school bond funding in the 2024 election cycle, with听additional听measures听anticipated听on the 2026 ballot. That sustained community investment reflects the same conviction听we鈥檝e听seen across the Bay Area: that well-designed schools are worth funding, and that communities will听back听that commitment at the ballot box.听
The policy landscape is similarly aligned. Evolving energy codes in both states are driving demand for schools that prioritize efficiency, renewable generation, and reduced fossil fuel reliance. Sustainability strategies that were once aspirational鈥攄aylighting, natural ventilation, solar generation, stormwater management鈥攁re now baseline expectations in both markets. The frontier of the conversation has moved upstream, from operational energy use to the embodied carbon inherent in the materials and processes听required听to build and renovate in the first place.听听
The key distinction between the two markets is demographic. California enrollment is听largely stable听or slightly declining, while Colorado鈥檚 population growth is driving enrollment increases and expanding housing development across the region. That translates into demand for both new campuses and significant modernization of existing ones.听
SCN:听Many districts are balancing enrollment growth, aging infrastructure, and budget pressure. How can architecture help schools do more with limited resources?听
Williams:听There is no universal answer to the gap between funding and听need听that every public school district faces. Sometimes a creative renovation is the right investment; sometimes demolition and replacement of an aging facility is the better long-term decision. What matters is that the solution fits the place.听
In every case, the goal is the same: buildings that meet today鈥檚 needs while听remaining听adaptable, and that incorporate systems district facilities staff can听actually operate听and maintain effectively. Architecture helps schools do more with limited resources when听it鈥檚听rigorous about long-term cost of ownership, not just first cost鈥攁nd when听it鈥檚听honest about which investments will still be paying dividends in 20 or 30 years.听
SCN:听Colorado districts vary widely鈥攆rom fast-growing suburban systems to rural communities. How should education design adapt to听very different听local needs rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions?听
Williams:听Every project starts with active listening. Before we reach for a solution, we work to understand what a particular district, campus, and community actually听need. We have decades of experience in school design, but we focus more on bringing that听expertise听to creatively respond to a client鈥檚 goals than on telling them what they should think. The best designs respond to the constraints that make a school community and site unique鈥攏ot necessarily those with the largest footprint or the biggest budgets. Across a state as varied as Colorado, that posture听isn鈥檛听optional;听it鈥檚听the only approach that works.听
SCN:听You bring听nearly听20听years of education design experience. What are the biggest shifts听you鈥檝e听seen in learning environments over that time, and how will those lessons influence your Colorado work?听
Williams:听The biggest shifts听haven鈥檛听been in classroom layout or building configuration;听they鈥檝e听come from the systems, technology, and construction methods that make schools work听over time. As I mentioned previously, this is听apparent听in the shift in priorities听regarding听sustainability strategies. As certain strategies become the baseline, we can move to听focusing听more on concerns like embodied carbon.听听
That whole-lifecycle thinking, developed through years of California work, is a direct asset as Colorado districts make long-term infrastructure decisions. Our Colorado presence听isn鈥檛听designed to function as a stand-alone regional office; the vision is a distributed studio model鈥攐ne firm,听operating听across multiple geographies, carrying the same design standards, technical rigor, and culture that have defined QKA for four decades. For Colorado districts, that means access not just to a local team, but to the full depth of QKA鈥檚 institutional knowledge, built project by project, district by district, over 40 years.听