2025 Architecture Firm of the Year Recipient
RDG Planning & Design has helped define and elevate architecture in Nebraska for more than six decades. With over 130 AIA awards and hundreds of design recognitions, RDG exemplifies design excellence across diverse project types, including healthcare environments, educational facilities, cultural institutions, worship spaces, civic buildings and community planning initiatives.
Their leadership is most visible in transformative contributions to health science education, including landmark projects at UNMC and Creighton University, as well as recent work at UNK on the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex. These projects support professional training for healthcare practitioners serving rural communities, helping expand access to healthcare across the state. RDG’s pioneering work in early childhood education is equally impactful, exemplified by four Educare facilities in Nebraska – including the first on tribal lands – and ongoing collaborations with the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and rural districts that are helping set new national standards for learning environments. Their work in faith-based architecture, including churches and spiritual centers across the Midwest, reflects a commitment to creating spaces that strengthen community, nurture belonging and elevate the human spirit.
RDG’s planning leadership extends well beyond buildings, shaping the future of campuses, municipalities and critical infrastructure across Nebraska. From trail systems to transportation planning, the firm helps turn visionary ideas into long-term impact.
Equally integral is RDG’s culture of service. As an employee-owned firm, RDG actively contributes to the state’s civic life, and invests in the next generation of designers through mentorship, education and participation in ACE and NOMA programs.
Rooted in the values of purposeful design and civic stewardship, RDG continues to demonstrate that architecture is most powerful when it uplifts people and places, setting a higher standard for design in the public interest.
Past Architecture Firm Award Recipients
2023 Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture
2021 HDR