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December 01, 2009

Rebecca C. Olson, AIA, Leed AP, Principal And Director Of Westlake Reed Leskosky Phoenix, Arizona Studio

PHOENIX, AZ (December 2009) – Rebecca C. Olson, AIA, LEED® AP, has been appointed Principal and Director of the Phoenix, Arizona studio of Westlake Reed Leskosky, architects and engineers. The announcement recognizes the leadership and continued growth of the national integrated design firm in the western region. Rebecca also serves as Director of Healthcare for the Phoenix studio, further enhancing Westlake Reed Leskosky's award-winning specialty in healthcare facilities planning and design.

According to managing principal Paul E. Westlake, Jr., FAIA, FACHA, "Rebecca Olson is an industry and team leader in her knowledge base and experience. She has a proven track record in building strong design teams and client relationships through top level management and organization. As our firm continues to deepen its integrated practice in the western region and grow in other market areas, Rebecca's leadership is driving that success."

As Principal and Director in Phoenix, Rebecca Olson is focusing on project leadership and the management of the studio, developing and maintaining client relationships and mentoring staff. In her continuing role as Director of Healthcare for the Phoenix studio, she guides the business and strategic development of the healthcare practice as it expands in other market areas.

Rebecca notes, "Over the past 20 plus years, Westlake Reed Leskosky has built a strong presence in the Phoenix area and in the western region of the U.S., with the critical resources and talents in architecture and engineering to serve clients as a truly integrated design practice. With our certified LEED professionals, and Building Information Modeling platform, we are at the forefront of integrated project delivery types. The industry will see us continue to expand on the reputation that we have been building."

Featured in Arizona Woman's Who's Who 2009, Rebecca's extensive experience in project management spans new construction and renovation, with a range of construction budgets including very large complex projects, and for a variety of building types including healthcare, research laboratories, educational, and commercial facilities. Her varied experience with all types and phases of project delivery brings a valuable perspective to the design process. She has performed contract negotiation, project management, facility and site development master planning, medical and laboratory programming and planning, design, interior design, code review, contract document production, and contract administration services for more than 25 years. In addition to delivering projects in the traditional design-bid-build method, she has also delivered projects in multiple packages to accommodate client schedules with construction manager-at-risk and design-build and design-assist project delivery methods.

As practice leader for the healthcare facilities design studio of Westlake Reed Leskosky's Phoenix office, Rebecca Olson oversees the delivery of all of the healthcare design projects in the western region of the U.S. Rebecca is currently serving as project director on multiple projects with multiple design teams and hospitals for the Veterans Administration Healthcare Systems in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and West Texas, of which several are currently under construction.

A registered architect, NCARB certified, and a LEED accredited professional, Rebecca is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, the Central Arizona Society for Healthcare Engineering, and the Society for College and University Planning. She received her Master of Architecture (1982) and Bachelor of Architectural Studies (1980) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

About Westlake Reed Leskosky
Westlake Reed Leskosky has studios in Washington, D.C., and New York City as well as Cleveland, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona. With over 150 employees including 60 engineers and an Innovative Technology Design Group encompassing lighting, audio-visual, theatrical, lighting, data transport, and security design specialists, Westlake Reed Leskosky (www.WRLdesign.com) bases success and growth on comprehensive building design services with specialization in health care, work place environments, cultural, educational facilities, and complex renovation/restoration projects. This expertise is delivered using Building Information Modeling with highly integrated specialized capabilities including LEED/sustainable design, interior design, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, Innovative Technology Design, assistance in historic and new markets tax credits, and cultural arts planning.

Widely published, the firm has been recognized with over 200 design awards in the past ten years, including numerous American Institute of Architects chapter awards, several honors from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and International Downtown Association, a General Services Administration Design Award, the National Endowment for the Arts Federal Design Achievement Award for work with the National Park Service, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) awards, and design and industry publication recognition.

Westlake Reed Leskosky is in its third decade of practice in Arizona, commencing with its commission to restore the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, and establishing its permanent office in the city in 1997. In the past 14 years, the studio has developed a portfolio of projects in the southwest that represents each of the firm's specialties. Healthcare projects have included over 25 separate projects for the Veterans Administration in the western region, a new patient tower for Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa and Cardio-Vascular expansion for Banner Baywood Heart Hospital in Mesa, and work for The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.

Historic restoration projects include the newly restored Tovrea Castle for the City of Phoenix, the award-winning restoration of the Arizona State University Old Main Alumni Center, the renovation of Phoenix Symphony Hall, and the restoration and new infill for the Roosevelt Commons project in Phoenix providing affordable urban housing in an historic neighborhood.

Work in cultural and performing arts from the Phoenix office includes the Yuma Art Center in Yuma, the new Peoria Performing Arts Center in Arizona, as well as the restoration of the Balboa Theatre in San Diego, and the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement ("The Mob Museum") in Nevada.