Denver Architecture & Engineering
Integrated architecture and engineering for Denver and the Front Range: architecture, MEP, and structural under one roof. Built to the Denver Building and Fire Code, engineered for expansive clay soils, the mile-high altitude, and Front Range snow, wind, and hail loads, and delivered design-build so design and construction never split.
Denver Architecture & Engineering Cost Estimator
Describe your project and get a preliminary design and construction cost estimate powered by TCG.ai, calibrated to Denver and Colorado pricing.
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Include project type, square footage, the disciplines you need (architecture, MEP, structural), and timeline. Our AI applies Colorado regional indices automatically.
Analyzing Your Denver Project
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Your Denver Construction Estimate
How TCG Delivers Architecture & Engineering in Denver
TCG brings architecture, MEP engineering, and structural engineering under one roof, with construction on the same team, which is the core advantage of design-build: the people who design the building and the people who build it answer to one accountable group. For Denver and Front Range projects that means faster decisions, fewer coordination gaps, and a design that is priced and constructible from the start. We are headquartered in Denver, serve owners and developers directly, and also act as the design engine behind a design-build contract.
Designing on the Front Range carries a few specific requirements. Buildings follow the Denver Building and Fire Code, an amended version of the International Codes, and Colorado has no statewide building code, so each Front Range jurisdiction adopts and amends its own, which we track. Geotechnics drive a lot: much of the region sits on expansive bentonite clay that swells and shrinks with moisture, so foundations often need drilled piers, grade beams, and structural floors over void space rather than slab-on-grade. The mile-high altitude affects mechanical design, combustion and HVAC equipment derate in thinner air, and Front Range design loads include real ground snow, downslope wind, and one of the country's most active hail environments, with low-to-moderate seismic on top. Our architects and engineers are licensed through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. See in-house architecture, MEP, and structural.
Bringing the disciplines together early lets us run real feasibility, code and zoning analysis, and budgeting before the design is locked, so owners avoid the rework and finger-pointing that come when architecture and engineering are split across firms. See what a design-build contractor does, the A and E fees and soft costs guide, and the preconstruction page.
Denver Architecture & Engineering Fees
Design fees usually run as a share of construction cost, with architecture the largest piece and MEP and structural adding on, or bundled in a design-build fee. Early feasibility and code studies are billed as fixed fees. Use the estimator above and the A and E fees and soft costs guide for context.
TCG Builds Across Colorado and the Mountain West
Denver is TCG's headquarters and hub for Colorado and the Front Range. We deliver design-build commercial construction across Colorado and the Mountain West, including Fort Collins, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque, and reach all 50 states from there.
Denver Architecture, Engineering & Design-Build Resources
Design and engineering guides, sibling Denver sectors, Mountain West metros, and core services to plan your project.
Denver Architecture & Engineering FAQ
Common questions about architecture & engineering in Denver and Colorado. See the full TCG FAQ for more.
Design fees usually run as a share of construction cost: architecture about 6% to 12%, MEP about 2% to 5%, and structural about 1% to 3%, or roughly 8% to 15% bundled in a design-build fee. Early feasibility and code studies run about $5K to $40K as fixed fees. Use the estimator above and the A and E fees guide.
It means architecture, MEP engineering, and structural engineering are on one team, with construction, rather than spread across separate firms. Coordination happens internally, the design is priced and constructible from the start, and the owner has a single accountable group. See design-build services.
Yes. Our architects and engineers are licensed through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, which oversees the State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers, and Professional Land Surveyors. We stamp and deliver to Colorado requirements.
Much of the Front Range sits on expansive bentonite clay that swells and shrinks with moisture and can lift slabs and foundations over time. We design to the geotechnical report, which often means drilled piers, grade beams, and structural floors over void space instead of slab-on-grade, so the building rides above the moving soil.
At a mile above sea level the air is thinner, so combustion equipment, boilers, and some HVAC and refrigeration equipment have to be derated or up-sized to deliver rated output. We account for altitude in the mechanical design from the start through our in-house MEP team so the systems perform as intended.
Front Range design loads include real ground snow, downslope and chinook winds, and one of the most active hail environments in the country, which drive roof structure, envelope, and roofing assembly choices. We engineer the structure and detail the envelope for the actual local loads under the applicable code.
Design-build puts architecture, engineering, and construction under one contract and one accountable team. It is generally 15 to 30% faster than design-bid-build with fewer change orders, because pricing and constructability are built into the design. See why design-build is growing.
Yes. We provide MEP engineering and structural engineering in-house alongside architecture, so the disciplines coordinate directly rather than across separate firms and schedules.
Yes. Bringing the disciplines together up front lets us run feasibility, zoning and code analysis, and budgeting before the design is locked, which is where the biggest cost and schedule risks get removed, including the Front Range jurisdiction's specific code amendments. See preconstruction.
Schematic through permit documents usually runs about 3 to 6 months depending on size and complexity, and design-build lets construction start sooner by overlapping design and preconstruction. We design and engineer in Denver and across the Front Range including Aurora, Lakewood, Boulder, and Centennial, plus Fort Collins, and nationwide across all 50 states.
Build Your Denver Project with TCG
From integrated architecture, MEP, and structural to full design-build, TCG designs and engineers for the Denver Building Code, expansive Front Range soils, altitude, and local snow, wind, and hail loads. Get a preliminary design and construction estimate and one accountable team from concept through occupancy.
Schedule a Denver ConsultationTCG Service Area & Office Locations Nationwide
Terrapin Construction Group is a design-build commercial general contractor licensed in all 50 states. Beyond Denver and the Front Range, TCG builds in these metros and everywhere in between.